In October of 2001 Santa Cruz Community Ventures, Inc and ChildCare Ventures (CCV) joined together with the Santa Cruz Community Credit Union to undertake a massive project that would regrant funds in support of the renovation and replacement of old and unsafe playground equipment located on childcare sites. This project was initiated because of a new California law that required all public playgrounds to come into compliance with the Handbook for Public Safety. Realizing that this law provided no funding to make its mandate possible The David and Lucile Packard Foundation stepped up to the plate and funded this bold and creative proposal.
The project's intent was not only to help provide funding for the need playgrounds but to provide the Technical Assistance that would be required to understand what is involved in a major capitol improvement, implement the requirements of the law, to understand what is needed to work with contractors and to create the needed budgets. To spearhead this project, Bill Leland, CVI Executive Director and Marcia Meyer, CCV Executive Director hired individuals with child development backgrounds. They knew that this project would require someone to understand the developmental needs of each program. To round out their education the Program Coordinator, Wendy Woods, underwent intensive training and certification as playground inspectors. CCPSI has entered its second year of funding. Currently funding has been provided to 63 playgrounds. This represents safe and fun playgrounds being available for almost 4,000 children licensed to play on them each and every day! The centers were given up to 60% of the cost of the playground project and so far this has meant a whooping $1,316,857 in grant money distributed. As if that was not wonderful enough, we still have more to give out. We are planning on funding centers as long as the money lasts and anticipate that the funding cycle will run through 2004. Our hope is to provide funds to 100 centers by the time the grant funds have been expended.
This grant is serving four Counties: Santa Cruz, San Mateo, Santa Clara and Monterey. We have currently funded 18 centers in Santa Cruz, 7 centers in San Mateo, 31 in Santa Clara, and 9 in Monterey. These centers are all non-profit 501 (c) (3), licensed or license exempt child care centers (not home day cares), and serve preschoolers or provide after-school care.
For more information on the grant process email childcareconsul@ebold.com