Housing Authority To Provide More Child Care Facilities

The Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles (HACLA)

has been awarded $1,261,000 by the Los Angeles City Council to construct

childcare center in housing development in Pico Aliso and Imperial

Courts. Both facilities address the critical need for childcare as

residents increasingly attain employment.

“Childcare, or the lack of child care, is one of the most obvious

barriers to self-sufficiency,” noted Executive Director Don Smith. “The

child care center will provide an invaluable service for parents who

want to work and give them peace of mind in knowing that while they

work, their children are in good and capable hands.”

Each of the two centers will provide 60 childcare slots, with reputable

childcare providers handling the day-to-day operation management of the

centers. Imperial Courts will partner with Kedren Community Health

Center, Inc. while Pico Aliso works with the Foundation for early

Childhood Education.

“Reliable childcare is more important now than ever at our housing

developments,” said Ozzie B. Gonzaque, Chair of HACLA Board of

Commissioners. “Innovative programs, such as Jobs-Plus, have long

provided residents with the skills and experience necessary to attain

employment.

In addition, HACLA has been awarded a $5 million grant for its

Welfare-to-Work program, which aims to help residents attain employment

through a combination of eliminating barriers that prevents residents

from work and linking residents to jobs and job skills. “The childcare

centers will make these programs even more effective and accessible to

more residents,” explained Gonzaque.

In Pico Aliso, the childcare facility will complement the

Welfare-to-Work program on site to help parents with small children

transition into work. In Imperial Courts, the childcare center will

enhance the effectiveness of Jobs-Plus, another program designed to link

residents with jobs.

The childcare facilities are expected to make a big difference for the

residents. “The residents are looking forward to it,” said Robert Ayala,

Manager of Pico Aliso Gardens. “For our residents who work, childcare

has been an issue in the past. Now they can just drop their kids off and

go. I think there are a lot of residents who will really take advantage

of this resource.”

The Housing Authority employs more than 1,500 people and has a

consolidated budget of nearly $500 million. Its contribution to the

local economy is estimated to be at least $1.5 billion in direct and

indirect jobs, vendor products and services, mortgage payments, taxes,

and fees. HACLA has recently earned its fourth consecutive “high

performer status” from HUD for its overall management of 20 public

housing developments in Los Angeles.