ANAHEIM : Family Care Strategy Is Ready for Action

A city-sponsored committee charged with developing a local family care strategy has concluded six months of work and is calling on community agencies and business leaders to help put the plans into action.

“We’ll have to continue as a group to make sure it is implemented as it is supposed to be implemented,” said Christopher K. Jarvi, director of Anaheim’s Parks, Recreation and Community Services Department.

Last month, the Anaheim Family Care Consortium came up with a list of problems most often encountered by those seeking and providing care for children and elderly family members, and a five-year plan for dealing with those problems.

Among the 10 issues targeted were the lack of programs to care for infants and toddlers and the scarcity of before- and after-school care for elementary and junior high students.

At a Friday breakfast, the group presented a booklet offering Anaheim employers information about meeting the family care needs of their workers. By the end of next month, the group will distribute a directory of local care facilities for children, senior citizens and the disabled.

The Anaheim Family Care Consortium started with a $20,000 state grant that paid for the services of a consultant for six months. The group will now be on its own and plans to meet on a monthly basis.