Public Invited to Visit Child Center

The city is inviting the public to an open house at its expanded child-care center this weekend.

Thousand Oaks Child Care Center, at 110 Conejo School Road, has been nearly five years in the making.

The city commissioned a study in 1994 to assess the community’s child-care needs and determined that additional services were needed at affordable prices.

Limited funds permitted the city to open a program serving up to 56 children as part of the privately run Roots & Wings child-care center on Calle Tulipan in June 1996.

A recent state grant of $230,000 allows the city to relocate and expand its program. The funds require that at least 51% of the children served come from low-income families.

The Open House and Family Day is scheduled from 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday. Parents are encouraged to inspect the facility--which includes indoor and outdoor play areas, learning consoles and nap areas--while kids will be entertained by a local magician.

Lakeshore Learning from the Promenade at Westlake will sponsor a daylong arts and crafts workshop at the event.

“We invite residents to take this opportunity to tour this first-class facility,” said City Manager MaryJane Lazz.

Free parking will be available Sunday at the Civic Arts Plaza and a shuttle service will ferry visitors to the center.