Center for City Workers’ Kids Opens

Because both of them work at Torrance City Hall, Judy Emerson and her husband, Alan, worried that their three children might be stranded miles away at day care near their home in Lomita if an earthquake struck.

So 1 1/2 years ago, they moved to Torrance so the family would all be in the same city during the day.

Last month, they brought their family even closer by enrolling the children in a new city-sponsored day-care program that gives priority to city employees. Although other large employers contract for day care, Torrance is the first South Bay city to sponsor a child-care facility.

Now 3 1/2-year-old twins Autumn and Shane spend their days only blocks from City Hall. And 6-year-old Jade goes to school just up the street.

The city spent $250,000 to turn part of a boarded-up elementary school into a day-care center for 82 children 6 weeks to 5 years old, said Leyta Fuentes, a city employee who served on the Torrance Child Care Committee.

Recently, City Kids, operated by Children’s Discovery Center, opened at 1520 Greenwood St., the former site of the Greenwood School. The center has 29 children, all but three with parents or guardians who work at City Hall.

The City Council approved the center on the condition that it support itself through fees after the start-up costs, Councilman Mark Wirth said. The school will rely on the city for basic upkeep, such as plumbing and lawn care.

The center charges $122 a week for infants; $102 for children age 18 months to 36 months, and $82 for children age 36 months to 5 years, which Emerson said is less expensive than what she used to pay for the twins in home care.