ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT

Date: May 18, 2001
Author/Local: Carol Ann Young/

871-6042

RTS No. 1998

CC File No. 2402

CS&B: June 7, 2001

TO:	Standing Committee on City Services and Budgets
FROM:	Director of Social Planning
SUBJECT:	Childcare Endowment Reserve Report

CONSIDERATION

A. THAT Council authorize payment of an operating subsidy of up to $99,000 to the Vancouver Society for Children's Centres for the 60 infant/toddler spaces at Dorothy Lam Children's Centre, Quayside, and Library Square for the period January 1 - December 31, 2001; source of funds: City Childcare Endowment Reserve;

B. THAT Council authorize payment of an operating subsidy of up to $39,600 to the Vancouver YWCA for the 24 infant/toddler spaces at the Leslie Diamond Centre for the period January 1 - December 31, 2001; source of funds: City Childcare Endowment Reserve;

C. THAT Council authorize payment of an operating subsidy of up to $39,600 to Collingwood Neighbourhood House for the 24 infant/toddler spaces for the period January 1 - December 31, 2001; source of funds: City Childcare Endowment Reserve.

GENERAL MANAGER'S COMMENTS

The General Manager of Community Services submits Recommendations A to C for CONSIDERATION.

COUNCIL POLICY

The Civic Childcare Strategy, approved by Council October 1990, recognized the need to ensure the availability of start-up and operating subsidies to sustain those new childcarefacilities being opened in high density neighborhoods, as a result of rezoning negotiations or City initiated projects. In May 1991, Council approved the creation of the Childcare Endowment Reserve.

On December 15, 1994, Council approved the terms and conditions of the Childcare Endowment Reserve, including eligibility criteria and the process of accessing these funds.

In April 1996, Council clarified that the City Childcare Endowment Reserve was to be established as an interest bearing fund.

In January 2000, Council approved a strategy, in principle, of winding down the existing City Childcare Endowment Fund over the next ten years as outlined in the January 10, 2000 Administrative Report. Council approved the maximum rate for the infant/toddler operating subsidy at $1,650 per licensed infant/toddler space per annum for the period January 1, 2001 - December 31, 2002 from the Childcare Endowment Reserve.

Approval of grant recommendations requires eight affirmative votes.

PURPOSE

The purpose of this report is to authorize payment of operating subsidies to three societies. In each case, the amount authorized is up to the maximum available for 2001 as per the approved existing Operating Agreements.
BACKGROUND
On April 8, 1996, Council approved childcare agreements covering the period 1995 to 1998 with three eligible childcare operators, the Vancouver Society of Children's Centres (VSOCC), the Vancouver YWCA(YWCA) and the Collingwood Neighborhood House Society(CNH). The agreements laid out the terms and conditions for accessing infant and toddler operating subsidies and set the maximum contribution level per space per annum for the term of the agreements. In January 2000, Council directed the Law Department to renew operating agreements with the three eligible childcare operators. Collingwood Neighbourhood House Society agreement is completed and the remaining two are in process.

Social Planning was directed by Council to administer the Childcare Endowment Reserve funds, to report back on the actual funding spent each year and to seek Council annual authorization of payments up to the contribution limits for each eligible childcare operator. In January 2000, Council approved the maximum rate for the infant/toddler operatingsubsidy at $1,650 per licensed space per annum for the period January 1, 2001 - December 31, 2002 for all 3 centres. This was a reduction over the previous year allocation in keeping with Council's direction to wind down the endowment grant over 10 years.
As of April 1, 2001, there is approximately $1,725,188.29 in the Childcare Endowment Reserve.

DISCUSSION

The following chart sets out the approved and actual payments for the infant/toddler operating subsidies for the three VSOCC infant/toddler childcare programs Library Square (12 spaces), Dorothy Lam (24 spaces) and Quayside (24 spaces), Collingwood Neighborhood House Society (24 spaces) and YWCA (24 spaces) from January 1, 2000 to December 31, 2000.

2001 Maximum Subsidy Contribution
Operator	Eligible Spaces	2000 Max. Subsidy	2000 Actual	Recommended 2001 Max Subsidy
VSOCC	60	$114,000	$84,102*	$99,000
YWCA	24	$45,600	$45,600	$39,600
CNH	24	$45,600	$45,600	$39,600

VSOCC actuals were less than the maximum due to a carryover of funds from the previous year.

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

Total day care operating subsidies of $178,200 are to be funded by the Childcare Endowment Reserve.

CONCLUSION

The Childcare Endowment Reserve funds continue to be required to support the VSOCC infant and toddler programs at Library Square, Quayside, Dorothy Lam, and the infant/toddler programs at YWCA Leslie Diamond Centre and Collingwood Village. Social Planning recommends authorization of payments of the 2001 infant/toddler operating subsidy up to the contribution levels contained in this report, for the operators.

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(c) 1998 City of Vancouver