Latinos Rally for Bilingual Preschool

An outpouring of concern from parents and staff convinced the City Council Tuesday to table two resolutions that would shift the Bilingual Daycare Center from city control.

Though it was unique when first begun 37 years ago, the center is now one of many agencies offering bilingual education. While some speakers admitted as much, others called it an institution too beloved to be subsumed under some other leadership. One resolution was to enter into a "transition period memorandum of agreement" with HOPES, which already has four locations in Plainfield. But at last week's agenda-fixing session, Neighborhood House Director Carol Presley gave numerous reasons why her agency should have been chosen instead.

Markette Harris, grandmother of a preschool child, asked the council Tuesday to table the resolution so the city can issue a request for proposals. Others called for tabling, each getting applause from the large crowd of Latinos. Public comment extended past 10 p.m. as speakers asked what will become of the program's staff, who are civil service employees making more than other childcare workers.

City officials have long sought to disengage from providing social services and successfully spun off a city-run  residential program for men recovering from substance abuse.  The WIC (Women, Infants & Children) nutrition program is a federally-funded agency with city employees that officials have often talked about relocating.

Council President Bridget Rivers asked Finance Director Ron West how long he had been talking to HOPES and the Neighborhood House. West said it was over a year ago for Neighborhood House and the Bilingual Daycare, and eight months ago for HOPES.

Even after nearly an hour of comments on the issue, Rivers allowed Bilingual Daycare Director Eva Rosas-Amirault to speak again.

"Table it," Rosas-Amirault said, suggesting otherwise "children will be sitting in front of City Hall" making national news.

"Do it right and we don't have any problems," she said. "Table it and do it right."

The vote to table, with Vera Greaves, Gloria Taylor, Diane Toliver, Cory Storch, Tracey Brown and Council President Bridget Rivers saying "yes" and Rebecca Williams saying "no," drew a standing ovation from the crowd. The council then had to table the resolution to submit a layoff plan to the state for the daycare employees.

West said putting off the vote will leave the Plainfield Board of Education in a quandary, as they need to know where the children will be. The city's 2015 budget passed Tuesday, but funds will end on Dec 31.

"It would put these 69 children with a big question mark," he said.

Preschool education is federally funded, but administered through the school district's Early Childhood Program.

Cynthia Smith, president of the Plainfield Municipal Employees Association, had asked the council to table the plan"until the employees have an opportunity to have everything explained to them." Smith said maybe the council could hold a special meeting to explain things.

As city employees, the Bilingual Daycare workers would be entitled to "terminal leave," using up all sick and vacation time. If they did so, she said, the program would have "barely any employees."

--Bernice