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1 conferees , their response had been "you know how to build fences , • 2 don' t you?" 3 Child Care Services Considered Essential in Many Areas of the Country 4 Councilmember Ranallo reported 18 states sponsor child care services 5 and the representative from California (which is considered the 6 leader in the child care area) was one of the main speakers. This 7 person told the conference "California couldn' t be without child care 8 services. " Councilmember Ranallo said he had become quite concerned 9 to learn just how much the scope of services provided by municipalit- 10 ies was changing with cities like Irvine, California, having to hire 11 a human development manager with the expertise and education necessary 12 to administrate social program which ranged from infant care to youth 13 services, and even alcohol and other chemical abuse as well as AIDS 14 programs. 15 In relation to child care programs in other states and communities, 16 the Councilmember said he had learned further that: 17 *social pressures from single and two wage parent families had 18 forced other cities to provide child care programs ; 19 *other city representatives had found it hard to believe that 20 St. Anthony taxpayers were subsidizing child care for not only 21 its own residents but for families from adjoining municipali- • 22 ties; because 23 *most had found the best way to provide these services was to 24 establish non-profit child care programs to be run on a break- 25 even basis with city official and staff representation, but not 26 taxpayer subsidization; 27 *by going to non-profit services, funds could be sought from 28 private sources like the Lions, Kiwanis, etc. ; foundations, 29 or even employers, without entanglement with public monies. 30 Conference Philosophy Not Completely Accepted by Councilmembers 31 Makowske said she had learned_ at one of the workshops that the 32 McKnight Foundation had given $2. 7 million toward the purchase of the 33 vacant Regina High School Building for the Head Start Program. The 34 Councilmember wondered if the new trends might force the Council to 35 redefine St. Anthony' s mission as a City when it came to providing 36 other services other than what are now provided towards parks, recrea- 37 tion, and snowplowing, etc. She indicated she perceived the question 38 still remained as to when a city is big enough to take on social 39 services. She also raised the question of whether the City, by 40 providing these services, might find itself in competition with 41 private providers. 8 •