Facts About Child Care

I was just re-reading the article recently published in your section on Education. The article is titled: “Final Test in Picking Preschool: What Does Your Child Think?” and I would like to express some concerns about some of the information in the article.

If you have a 3- or 4-year-old, you may be too late to enroll your child in a quality center. Most centers have long waiting lists and you may have to apply at several schools to ensure placement.

Another question I have is about the quoted costs for child care. Many half-day programs are more around the $400 mark and full day can run between $500-$600 a month. At that, centers are not charging what the full cost of care would be if they were to pay respectable wages to the employees. Only 19% of Westside schools reported that they were able to exist without any fund-raising efforts.

The other points made in the article were very well made, but I felt compelled to straighten out these important facts. Early childhood education is important regardless if you have children because it is an issue that effects us all.

TERESA POTTER

co-chair, Santa Monica Child Care Task Force