After-School Care, Aid for Parents

Re “County to Launch Major Child Care Effort in Schools,” May 12: Young children need supervision and guidance from adults who understand child development and early learning. Whether we are building child-care capacity for infants, preschoolers or after-school kids, we will need to address the issue of quality.

Inadequate compensation drives the most capable caregivers out of this profession. We pay people to watch our cars more than we pay teachers to care for our youngest children. The question is not where to put the children but with whom.

ELLEN KHOKHA, Director

Growing Place, Santa Monica

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A promise of supervision, help with homework in a safe environment--this is truly a paradigm shift as the educational system takes more responsibility for after-school care. A number of children will not have to go home to empty houses while parents become proficient in job skills.

Let’s widen the scope. How about a major effort to launch a county project for adults to become proficient in parenting skills? Parents are their children’s mirrors of motivation to achieve in school and in life. Where is the money to provide parent and child places--parent centers and parent groups where spirits can be renewed and people can improve the vision of themselves as parents?

JUDY BUHLER

San Pedro

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Re “A Gift That Honors Moms and Families,” Commentary, May 9: Rather than focus on the reason why so many families need both parents working, Ruth Rosen wants to pass a law that will make liberals feel better but will do nothing but create a new group of litigants. With taxes consuming a greater percentage of personal income than at any time in our country’s history, save WWII, it is not hard understanding why so many two-income families are having a tough time making ends meet.

Instead of making working parents part of a new “protected class,” why not cut taxes so more families can afford to have one parent stay at home?

WILLIAM P. McGOWAN

Ventura