HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda 12-10-19 Item 12-2 - Information Item - Memorandum - Child Care at Board of Commissioners Meetings ORANGE COUNTY
NORTH CAROLINA
SOCIAL SERVICES
Nancy Coston, Director 1 113 Mayo Street, Hillsborough, NC 27278 1 919.245.2800
December 3,2019
MEMORANDUM
TO: Bonnie Hammersley,County Manager
FROM: Nancy Coston, Social Services Director
SUBJECT: Child Care at Board of Commissioners Meetings
In response to a Board of County Commissioners'petition from June 18,2019,the Department of Social Services
(DSS)has explored the logistics of providing child care for attendees of meetings of the Board of County
Commissioners(BOCC). Several methods for providing this service were explored including use of a contract with
an approved child care provider or utilizing county staff.
There are some issues related to planning for"drop-in"child care that the county would want to consider before
moving forward:
• There may be a wide range of ages and needs.With no reservation requirement staff could not anticipate
the ages of children. More children could be dropped off than could be accommodated.
• The evening hours of the meetings may pose additional issues for children dropped off who could be
hungry or sleepy.
• There would need to be child-friendly dedicated space that included space for activities and for equipment
(cribs,highchairs,etc.)
• Certain supplies should be purchased and provided including snacks,diapers,wipes,games,and other
activities. School age children may need homework assistance.
• The space would need to be secure and should likely include security cameras for safety and liability
purposes.
• A registration system would be needed to ensure all children dropped off could be appropriately reunited
with their guardians. The system should include health information about the child in the event of allergies
or other medical needs.
• Staff would need to be CPR and First Aid certified and would need to pass criminal background checks.
• There are other liability issues that the County Attorney would need to address. Special insurance may also
be needed and the County Risk Manager could provide more information.
Given some of these concerns and the current demands on agency staff,DSS sought to find a child care provider
interested in providing this service. As of this date,none of those contacted have indicated the capacity or interest in
providing this service. I believe the concept of serving children who are not known to the provider and several of
the other issues outlined above make this a difficult service to provide appropriately and safely.
A related request suggested doing surveys to identify barriers for individuals who wish to attend meetings. After
talking with Todd McGee,I believe this doable and could inform the BOCC about the interests of the public and
find alternative ways to increase public participation. I recommend that we proceed with gathering this input so we
can find an effective way to offer families access to meetings. This could better inform us of strategies to address the
needs of families with children.
Orange County Government I www.orangecountync.gov 1 919.732.8181