Funds Approved for Child-Care Center

A new child care center at the Tarzana Recreation Center moved a step closer to reality Tuesday as the Los Angeles City Council agreed to a contract with the county that will provide start-up money for the project.

The $1.3-million Tarzana center will be one of three child care facilities citywide to split a $1.05-million Proposition A grant under the agreement approved Tuesday. The other two facilities will be located in Palms and Echo Park.

The county grant will provide $350,000 each for the design and planning of the three facilities, officials said. The remaining costs will be covered by Proposition K funds.

Proposition A, a $540-million bond measure for county parks, was passed by voters in 1992. Proposition K, which was approved in 1996, is a city measure that also provides money for parks.

“This is a nice, round sum of money that will provide a quality child care facility at one of our parks,” said Councilman Laura Chick, who district includes the Tarzana park.

“There has been a very successful program there, but it had no room to grow,” Chick said.

Vicki Israel, West Valley district supervisor for the Dept. of Recreation and Parks, said that limited space at the Tarzana Recreation Center has forced the child care program to use space originally designed for recreational activities.

“The idea is to give the rec center back to the community,” Israel said. “When the new facility is built the rec center will have its space back and they can build up their cultural and sports programs.”

With final Proposition K funding expected to be approved by the council later this year, Israel said her department was planning to begin construction of the Tarzana facility by June 1998. It will take roughly one year to build.

When it is complete, the child care center will have space for 50 or more children, officials said. The 3,000- to 3,500-square-foot facility will include a crafts room, a kitchen, storage facilities and an outdoor play area.