State Legislators Propose Child Care Linkage Bill

The state legislature will soon vote on a controversial child care linkage bill that requires developers to provide space or offer financial support for child care facilities in all new or renovated properties.

The bill, co-sponsored by State Sen. John W. Olver (D-Amherst) and state Rep. Saundra Graham (D-Cambridge), boasts to be the first state-wide effort in the nation to use linkage to increase the number of child care centers.

"[The senator] has been very interested in women's issues and child care is the major problem facing working women today," said Olver aide Kate J. Mehr. "There is an increasing number of women entering the work force every year, but there is still a serious conflict about how women will care for their children," Mehr said.

The proposed bill requires developers of community property over 50,000 sq. ft. to allocate proportional space for a child care fund that will find alternative solutions to the what has been labeled a daycare-problem.

The state bill was modeled from an ordinance adopted in San Francisco in 1985 which linked development of city buildings with the creation of child care centers. Massachusetts lawmakers are hoping to enforce state-wide development of such facilities.

The bill was passed with a favorable rating out of committee last summer, and is now in the House Ways and Means Committee awaiting further approval before debate on the House floor. Supporters of the legislation are hopeful the bill will be heard in the statehouse this year, but concede that it will be a "hard, uphill battle," for the proposal to pass.

"First we have to sell the idea of linkage, which is difficult because it is a progressive policy that is not a popular solution in the business community," Mehr said. "Then we have to sell the idea of child care linkage."

In most states, business lobbies have fought against linkage plans, arguing that the additional costs and responsibilties hinder business development.

Legislators in favor of the bill said the linkage clause will not resolve the entire child care problem, but will address the major crisis facing parents right now--the space crunch for daycare centers.

The bill has garnered support from an impressive number of state legislators, and many local citizen groups. Hap Tierney, the community representative for the Cambridge Council for Children (CCC) said the public sector can not resolve the child care problem alone.

Tierney said the CCC supports the linkage proposal because it will make the private sector share some of the costs for their own staff, and it will be an invaluable help in alleviating the problem for all employees.

"It very elementary," said Massachussetts Public Interest Research Group (MASSPIRG) Consumer Program Director Laura Barrett. "If you create a large plant, you will employ many new people, and thus increase the demand for childcare, so you have to help meet that demand."

MASSPIRG has been instrumental in researching and publicizing the child care issue, and the organization worked with state lawmakers on a child care report. The report, released two weeks ago, said parents pay most of the costs for child care, and the state contributes $100 million a year, while businesses donate a small voluntary amount.

"We feel society has reached a point where businesses must contribute more," Barrett said.

Acting Director of Parents United for Child Care Elaine P. Fresh said in Massachusetts 25 percent of families cannot find the child care they want at prices they can afford, and one-tenth of the families who are eligible for subsidized child care receive it.

"It is clearly in the interest of the business community to provide adequate child care because it adds to the stability of the work force," Fresh said. "Absenteeism will decrease and workers will be more confident and content," she said.

While many members of the business community said there is a serious crisis in child care, they opposed the linkage program.

"Linkage is a solution that will not solve the problem," said Jeffrey Ciuffreda, vice-president for government affairs at the Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce. "Any further encumberances on development could cause plans not to happen at all."

Ciuffreda said many small businesses cannot afford major child care programs and could be frightened by the imposed restrictions. Such fears could force small developers out of the industry, he said.

Instead, Ciuffreda suggested the government offer incentives for businesses to explore child care options, including tax incentives, subsidized daycare and salary reduction programs that would help employees pay for child care programs.

Assistant Vice-President of Signature Development Corp., in Springfield, James Moynihan, also oppsses linkage. "I am concerned about the constitutionality of requiring developers to follow such guidelines. What is to prevent [lawmakers] from spreading to all matters related to public works," he said.

Moynihan also criticised a clause in the bill which called for the creation of a new state board that has the power of review over all development. "It is a potentially horrendous situation." He raised concerns about how the committee would interact with developers and said he feared the outside group could hamper new development.

Monyihan said the business community must address the crisis, and said his company currently offers eligible employees a 30 percent subsidy on child care, and they are in the process of creating more programs.