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1 conferees, their response had been "you know how to build fences, <br />2 don't you?" <br />3 Child Care Services Considered Essential in Many Areas of the Country <br />4 Councilmember Ranallo reported 18 states sponsor child care services <br />5 and the representative from California (which is considered the <br />6 leader in the child care area) was one of the main speakers. This <br />7 person told the conference "California couldn't be without child care <br />8 services." Councilmember Ranallo said he had become quite concerned <br />9 to learn just how much the scope of services provided by municipalit- <br />10 ies was changing with cities like Irvine, California, having to hire <br />11 a human development manager with the expertise and education necessary <br />12 to administrate social program which ranged from infant care to youth <br />13 services, and even alcohol and other chemical abuse as well as AIDS <br />14 programs. <br />15 In relation to child care programs in other states and communities, <br />16 the Councilmember said he had learned further that: <br />17 *social pressures from single and two wage parent families had <br />18 forced other cities to provide child care programs; <br />19 *other city representatives had found it hard to believe that <br />20 St. Anthony taxpayers were subsidizing child care for not only <br />21 its own residents but for families from adjoining municipali- <br />'2 ties; because <br />23 *most had found the best way to provide these services was to <br />24 establish non-profit child care programs to be run on a break - <br />25 even basis with city official and staff representation, but not <br />26 taxpayer subsidization; <br />27 *by going to non-profit services, funds could be sought from <br />28 private sources like the Lions, Kiwanis, etc.; foundations, <br />29 or even employers, without entanglement with public monies. <br />30 Conference Philosophv Not Completely Accepted by Councilmembers <br />31 Makowske said she had learned at one of the workshops that the <br />32 McKnight Foundation had given $2.7 million toward the purchase of the <br />33 vacant Regina High School Building for the Head Start Program. The <br />34 Councilmember wondered if the new trends might force the Council to <br />35 redefine St. Anthony's mission as a City when it came to providing <br />36 other services other than what are now provided towards parks, recrea- <br />37 tion, and snowplowing, etc. She indicated she perceived the question <br />38 still remained as to when a city is big enough to take on social <br />39 services. She also raised the question of whether the City, by <br />40 providing these services, might find itself in competition with <br />41 private providers. <br />