YWCA Children’s Alley’s ‘drop-in’ policy sets it apart

BOULDER — For hundreds of families and children, the Children’s Alley at the YWCA of Boulder County is a godsend.

The Children’s Alley has been the sole provider of emergency, drop-in child-care in Boulder for approximately the past 30 years. Its innovative and unduplicated approach to day care garnered a 2003 IQ Award in the nonprofit category.

Children’s Alley, run by Director Jacqui Lopez, is also one of the only options for evening and weekend child-care.

“What’s unique about Children’s Alley is that it’s drop-in care,´ said Janet Beardsley, executive director of the YWCA in Boulder, who has been with the nonprofit for 17 years. “Typically, child-care centers want to know who will be there and when, so they can create a curriculum around that and watch the children grow. We’re a drop-in center, designed as a place for families in crisis or for those who need some sort of respite care.

“There are many others that offer sliding scale,” she continued. “But we are the only one that is this flexible and is open as late as we are.” While most child-care centers require a minimum stay, the Children’s Alley does not. Children may stay as little as a half-hour — whatever works for the parents.

The YWCA of Boulder County staff and board created Children’s Alley to meet the increasing demand for drop-in, flexible child-care as more women entered the workforce in the late 1970s. To fund its operations, the daycare relies on financing from individuals, corporations, United Way, government, foundations and program fees.

“We don’t make money, which is probably why there aren’t any other providers who do this,” Beardsley said. “It requires solid funding.” In 2002, the Children’s Alley generated revenues of $292,600, which enables the center to remain open six days a week and retain an experienced staff.

Since its launch, the Children’s Alley has evolved to better meet the growing needs of its constituency. In the 1970s, it started out small as a children’s home licensed for six children, Beardsley said. It was later upgraded to a mid-size children’s center. The existing center can oversee as many as 15 children per hour.

“We’re on a capital campaign to raise $1.5 million for it to be classified as a large-size children’s center, which will allow the YWCA to double its capacity in emergency situations,” she added. Building of the expanded facility is set to begin in April 2004, with completion by April 2005.

Also, when Children’s Alley first began, it did not offer Saturday or evening care. Through additional funding, the center has since extended its hours to be open from 7:30 a.m. to 9:45 p.m., Monday through Thursday, and until 5:45 p.m. on Friday. The center also is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays.

On average, Children’s Alley receives approximately 5,000 child visits annually. In the past nine years, Children’s Alley has served more than 4,000 children. However, last year, nearly 900 children were turned away because of lack of space.

“The economy is driving a rise in need for our services. Families are looking for work. Parents can’t take their children with them to a job interview. Or, they’re taking classes to improve their job skills and can’t take their children with them,” Beardsley said. “Children’s Alley is a place for children whose parents don’t have other options.”

The center primarily provides care for children from lower-income and single-parent homes. In 2002, nearly 70 percent of parents who used Children’s Alley earned less than $26,000 per year.

At the facility, children can come for as little as one hour at a time, or parents can arrange short-term daily care with a contract that can extend to six weeks. Children’s Alley serves children aged 3 weeks to 13 years on a sliding scale of $1.60 to $5 per hour, per child, depending on family annual income. The day care averages a six-to-one ratio for children to adults.

“We have children who are homeless,” Beardsley said. “Their parents bring them in, and we feed them, bathe them, give them naps. And then their parents come pick them up, and they go sleep in a car.”

The nontraditional day-care center is also one of the few providers with experience caring for children with special needs, such as cerebral palsy, autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and hearing impairments.

“We take a lot of social service children or foster parents who need a break from taking care of children with special needs,” she said.

on Facebook on LinkedIn