TOWN OF FAIRFAX
142 BOLINAS ROAD, FAIRFAX, CALIFORNIA 94930
PHONE (415) 453-1584 / FAX (415) 453-1618
March 7, 2023
The Honorable Senator Alex Padilla
United States Senate
331 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
Subject: Letter of Support for the County of Marin's $2,500,000 Congressionally Directed Spending Request for the Fairfax-San Anselmo Children's Center, a low-income-serving childcare center
Dear Senator Padilla,
On behalf of the Town of Fairfax California, I would like to express our support for the County of Marin's project request of $2.5 million for much-needed capital improvements for the Fairfax-San Anselmo Children's Center, which provides subsidized childcare to more than 110 low-income children in Marin.
On February 7, 2024, the Fairfax Town Council pledged a donation of $25,000 to the Fairfax- Anselmo Children's Center (FSACC) solely for the purpose of purchasing the property at 199 Porteous Avenue, Fairfax, from the Ross Valley School District so they may continue to operate the FSACC at the location, and the Council adopted a Resolution making findings appropriate to the agenda item.
We know how expensive the cost of living in the Bay Area is, especially in Marin County. This is why safety-net, public assistance programs are essential to ensure that those in Marin's service economy, education, nonprofits, and other low-wage jobs are able to live in the communities they serve.
State-subsidized childcare slots for low-income families are a critical safety net. Marin County has the second highest cost of childcare in the state; $2,600/month for infant care and $2,315 for preschool. A state-subsidized childcare slot therefore provides essential support for parents who may otherwise not be able to afford childcare; enabling them to continue employment, education, or pursue other opportunities while ensuring their children receive high-quality care and early childhood education. To qualify for a subsidized childcare slot, a family of four must earn less than $96,300, which is 47% lowerthan the Marin countywide household median income of $142,019.
income families with year-round childcare. More than 3 in 4 of the children served by the Children's Center are children of color, compared with just 20% of residents countywide.
Children served by the SACC come from the Ross Valley and other parts of central Marin, including the working-class Canal neighborhood in San Rafael. More than 90% of Canal residents are Hispanic - compared with 66% of all Marin residents who identify as White. The average household income in the Canal is roughly a third of the rest of the County.
Last year, the future of the Fairfax-San Anselmo Children's Center was in peril. The Center, which does not own its property, but leases it from the Ross Valley School District - faced possible closure when the school district moved to terminate the Center's lease. The property needs major renovations to address deferred maintenance, ensure future seismic and fire safety for long-term sustainability. Without an identified funding source for needed facility renovations, the School District voted to evict the Center from the property.
The community rallied around the Center, and to prevent closure and the loss of its 110 subsidized childcare slots, a deal is being negotiated to have the school district sell the property to an intermediary nonprofit, which will then lease it to the SACC, to ensure its continued operation as a subsidized childcare center.
The project has broad local support, and the County of Marin, Marin Community Foundation, and the Town of Fairfax have contributed significant funding towards the purchase of the property and immediate repairs needed (Phase 1). However, funding is needed for Phase 2 renovations which include seismic retrofitting, HVAC, abatement, and other upgrades which will ensure the Center can continue to serve thousands of children in Marin for years to come. Marin cannot afford to lose the Fairfax-San Anselmo Children's Center, and the 110 subsidized slots it provides (12% of the 950 total slots in Marin). Especially when more than 900 eligible, low- income children in Marin remain on the waiting list for a subsidized slot.
We support this project and the $2.5 million in federal funds requested that would fill the Center's critical funding gap for the second phase of needed renovations. I urge your full and fair consideration of the importance of this funding request. Please contact Town Manager Heather Abrams at [email protected] if you need more information.
Sincerely,
Bella
Barbara Coler
Mayor of Fairfax
Enclosure
Supervisor Katie Rice, Marin County Board of Supervisors Fairfax Town Council
Fairfax-San Anselmo Children's Center
$2.5M CONGRESSIONALLY DIRECTED SPENDING REQUEST FOR
CENTER WHICH SERVES 110 LOW-INCOME CHILDCARE SLOTS
COUNTY OF MARIN
County of Marin Serving Marin's low-income Facility renovations needed 3501 Civic Center Drive families for more than 50 years San Rafael, CA 94903 There is a commitment that, after the 415 473 6358 T property transfer, the facility and campus Since 1973, the Fairfax San Anselmo enovations will commence. The childcare www.marincounty.gov Children's Center has been one of few facility needs major renovations to address ubsidized childcare centers in Marir deferred maintenance and ensure future urrently serving 110, or 12% of th seismic and fire safety for long-term Katie Rice County's total subsidized childcare slots. sustainability.
COUNTY SUPERVISOR, To qualify for a subsidized childcare slot, a DISTRICT 2 family of 4 must earn less than $96,300;
47% lower than the countywide median of
Stephanie Hellman $142,019. More than 75% of those served PROJECT CONSULTANT by the Center are children of color.
Subsidized slots critically enable lower-
Heidi Tomsky income families to afford to stay in Marin DIRECTOR, FAIRFAX-SAN and in the workforce, whereas otherwise, The 50-year old facility needs major renovations. childcare for them would be unaffordable.
ANSELMO CHILDREN'S CENTER From October 2023 to January 2024 the Community effort to save Center Center had more than 15 site visits by architects, engineers and construction
Federal funding request Last year, the future of the Center was in experts to design a renovations plan to contact: peril. The Center leases the property from modernize the facility. This plan allows Talia Smith, the Ross Valley School District (RVSD). continuous childcare operations without Principal Analyst Without funding for needed repairs, RVSD relocating or use of temporary buildings; issued a termination to the lease and in renovations will prioritize safety and Talia. [email protected] early 2024 voted to evict the Center. Marin accessibility work in two phases:
cannot afford to lose the Center and its Phase 1 (2024-25): redesign of the 110 subsidized childcare slots, when more parking lot, fire access, ADA upgrades, than 800 eligible, low-income children bathrooms and lower wing ($3M) are currently on the countywide waitlist.
Phase 2(2025-26): Upper wing and
After a long period of exploring alternative multi-purpose room, including roof, sites and options, a group of community bathrooms, HVAC, abatement, members convened to develop a creative electrical and lighting ($3-5M) funding and sale proposal. To prevent
closure, the RVSD and the Center agreed to $2.5M Federal funds requested a path forward which includes selling the
property to an intermediary nonprofit, which The project has broad local support, and to date, funding contributed to it has all
will then lease the facility to the Center to
allow it to continue its operations. The been local dollars from the County, cities, County, Marin Community Foundation, Town Community Foundation, and private of Fairfax and other benefactors raised more donations. However, there is a significant than $2M for the property purchase. funding gap for the needed renovations. $2.5M of federal funding is respectfully
requested to support Phase 2:
Illarin Independent Journal
$2,0M Acquisition (underway) Local
$3,0 Phase 1 renovations Local
Offer could save children's center $1,0 Phase 2 renovations Local $2,5 Phase 2 renovations Federal
$8,5M| TOTAL
Updated 3-4-2024