CCCYO taking away childcare from its own low-income teachers

Sadly, despite great efforts and even changes to SF legislation to help protect childcare facilities in the future, it appears that the Children’s Village in SOMA will close after today, Friday, August 27, 2010.

There is still work to be done to help the Children’s Village teachers – many of whom are also parents, who are transitioning to the CCCYO facility on Treasure Island.

Many of the teachers currently working at the Children’s Village will move to the Treasure Island facility starting September 1. These teachers are themselves making a very low income and up until now, have at least had the benefit of putting their own children into the childcare facility. Yet, in addition to the turmoil and change imposed on them, CCCYO is not offering this critical benefit to the low income teachers transitioning to Treasure Island: It’s taking it away.
CCCYO had an entire year to make accommodations for the children of teachers planning to transition to the Treasure Island facility – why is it now claiming there is no room for their children? This action is completely counter to CCCYO mission statements, goals and messages. I personally intend to hold them to it and urge you to do the same.

To put this in perspective, low income workers will now need to commute (without bus service for kids) from SF to Treasure Island. The fact that there is “no room” for their children is a greater hardship given the longer commute to work – this means not only will they have to pay for services/daycare/babysitting they will not see their children as much.

How can CCCYO so blatantly exploit its own low income workforce and still maintain its mission statement of helping low income families?

I am urging you – to personally step in and do what you can to make a difference for these families, whose lives have already been turned upside down – while the sale of this land has greatly benefited both CCCYO and the Catholic Church.
This is wrong. Can you help? Please contact your local representatives and CCCYO San Francisco to let them know you think this is wrong.