The Union City Day Care Board of Directors, which consists of the city’s five commissioners and four city residents, received good news at their Feb. 14 board meeting.
Due to an increase in state funding and some cost-saving measures at the city’s day care program, the program was able to lower the amount of money it needed from the city by more than $100,000.
The state’s Division of Family Development, part of the Department of Human Services, has increased the center’s funding from approximately $990,000 to $1.8 million for next year.
Currently, the day care is partially funded by the state Department of Human Services and is partially paid for by the tuition of the young children whose parents enroll them in the program. Additionally, some money comes from the Union City Board of Education, which pays to send some of the district’s 3- and 4-year-olds there.
Union City also has contracted with 25 area day care centers to accept its students, but it sends the most to the Union City Day Care, which presently has 275 3- and 4-year-olds and 125 kindergarten students.
The Union City Day Care also receives a donor share contribution from the city each year. The city’s original donor share was $232,000. However, at the meeting the city found that its share was cut to $117,000.
The board of directors also approved a $1,500 raise for each of the day care employees at their Feb. 14 meeting. According to Adriana Birne, the day care’s director, this will be the first raise that the employees received since 1998.
The raise will be effective March 1.
Lowering costs with added services
According to Adriana Birne, the day care’s director, the state funding for the program was increased because of the center’s addition of wrap-around services this past September.
A New Jersey Supreme Court ruling has made it mandatory for Abbott (“special needs”) School Districts to provide a free, full-day, full-year program for preschool students wishing to attend public school.
Before Sept. 1 of last year, the state only mandated a three-hour day for preschoolers. However, starting Sept. 6, 2001, the district was expected to provide a 10-hour day. The school day starts at 7:30 a.m. and ends at 5:30 p.m., and includes six hours of educational instruction and four hours of other activities. The four hours of non-educational instruction are considered wrap-around hours.
Birne has also been able to open two additional classrooms at the daycare’s 35th Street location. Birne said that the day care has also been providing English as a Second Language classes to parents and employees at night and in the afternoon. An Even Start Federal Grant has also made it possible for the Day Care to begin Parenting Skills classes that include lessons in literacy.
These services have been added with 15 fewer employees than last year. According to Birne, 15 employees have either retired or found different jobs. These employees were not replaced.
Time is up
While Birne has been praised by Stack and Commissioner Michael Leggiero, the president of the Day Care Board of Directors, for her work at the Day Care, Birne’s time may be up as of May 1.
Birne was working as the director of language programs when she was granted a one-year leave of absence from the Board of Education to take the position of Director of Union City Day Care. Birne was appointed director on April 30, 2001 and began her position on May 1.
Since half of the children attending the day care are sent from the Board of Education, and Birne is on leave from her position with the board, the Board of Education has agreed to pay half of Birne’s salary. However, Birne’s one-year leave will be up on May 1.
“I cannot believe it has ended so quickly,” said Birne. “This has been as extremely rewarding experience.”
While no decision has been made as to whether Birne will remain with the day care center after May 1, Union City Mayor Brian Stack, who also sits on the Union City Day Care Board of Directors, said that he is hoping to get permission from the Board of Education to extend Birne’s leave of absence from the Board of Education for another year.