Preschools Prevail Despite State Budget Cuts

Though the state cuts for state-subsidized childcare, these 35 organizations are still serving Redwood City residents.

Tonight, Redwood City’s annual will be a resource fair that helps parents choose the right child care, preschool, or other early-development program for their child. The free open house, put on by the city’s , the Redwood City Mother’s Club, and Bay Area Parent Magazine, will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. at the at 1400 Roosevelt Avenue.

“This is very useful for parents to talk face-to-face with some directors, especially with first time parents,” said Childcare Coordinator Kristen Anderson.

Parents can also take in a special presentation on Choosing Quality Preschool and Child Care (courtesy of the Child Care Coordinating Council) at 5:30 pm or at 6:30 pm.

Questions about family child care homes, State licensing, in-home care, quality indicators, or accreditation?

Representatives from a variety of early care and education programs in the mid-Peninsula region (Belmont to Palo Alto) will be there to talk with parents to provide them more information.

“Parents can come anytime within the two-hour block,” Anderson said. “And they can stay for as long as they like and bring their child too, although it does tend to get noisy and crowded.”

Based on , Anderson estimates that hundreds of parents will be going in and out of the building.

Currently, the ’s child development center and the Redwood City Child Development Program at the are the two state-subsidized programs that additionally took a 15 percent cut from their annual budgets last summer. To cope, the programs had to dis-enroll some students and enroll full-fee families.

The was unable to withstand the devastating state budget cuts and .

General information on the 17th annual Preschool Preview Night is available by calling 650-780-7311 or by emailing schoolevent@rwcmc.org.