UNIVERSAL CITY : New Child-Care Center Opens on Studio Lot
It was not MCA/Universal’s latest summer action-thriller that drew film executives, movie actors and political types to a Monday reception that featured apple juice sip-its and boxes of raisins on tables decorated with racially diverse dolls.
Instead, it was the opening of a state-of-the-art child-care center to serve MCA Inc. employees who need day care for their infants and preschoolers.
In some ways, the day care offers what one would expect from a child-care center--albeit a very modern, thoughtfully designed one.
In the playrooms, there are blocks, crayons and Munchkin-sized kitchen sets. But here and there, the fact that the place was built by a show-biz and home-entertainment giant becomes apparent.
A toy cellular phone rests on the counter in the 3-year-olds’ play room. Computers have been provided so that 4- and 5-year old children can experiment with game software. And the circular teachers’ lounge is well-appointed with trendy ‘50s style furniture.
“This is the best child-care center I have seen in L.A.,” declared Los Angeles City Council President John Ferraro.
The child-care center, set into a hill on the Universal City Studios lot, was built at a cost of about $3.5 million, said Stuart K. Mandel, MCA vice president of industrial relations. Janet L. Wood, MCA vice president of human resources, and architect Mark Rios said the company undertook the project about four years ago, and built the center in nine months.
The center can take as many as 120 children, and still has slots available for preschool-age enrollees, center director Linda Bird-Davies said. Fees are on a sliding scale ranging from $85 to $150 a week, depending on the income of the parents and the age of the child.
“I would feel safe leaving Lucy here,” said Steve Galloway, a music video executive with MCA Records, who watched his 16-month-old daughter draw with crayons. “The interaction with kids here would be very positive. And I could come here for lunch.”
What puts the center on the cutting edge is the way it is tailored to the skill levels and needs of different age groups, Bird-Davies explained.
For example, the waist-high doors separating the toddler play room and an administrative area are made of a clear material, so that the youngster can see his or her teacher and know what is happening. The “cozy reading area” for 4- and 5-year old children includes a tiny couch, a magazine rack and posters mounted at thigh-level.
Brittany Ashton Holmes, 5, a child actor in Universal Pictures’ upcoming “The Little Rascals,” plopped herself into one of the armchairs and put her feet up on a dainty ottoman.
“This is so cute!” she squealed. “I love it.”
