December 3,2013 MEMORANDUM November...
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AGENDA ITEM #8 December 3,2013 MEMORANDUM November 27,2013 TO: County Council FROM: Marlene Michaelson, Senior Legislative Analyst Jacob Sesker, Senior Legislati ve Analyst SUBJECT: Wheaton Redevelopment Program This is the third briefing from the Executive regarding the status of implementation of the Wheaton Redevelopment Program. A memorandum from Department of Transportation (DOT) Deputy Director Al Roshdieh is attached at © 1 - 5. Since Staff will not have the opportunity to review the memorandum before circulating it to the Council, Staff will present any comments orally at the Council meeting. Council Staff understand that the memorandum will contain the Executive's recommendation as to whether to include a child care center in the office building as recommended by the Planning Board. Attached on © 6 to lOis a study prepared by Planning Department Staff regarding the feasibility of a child care center in the office building. The study concluded that "a child care center could be an appropriate and viable use of space at the proposed facility." As a result, the Planning Board recommended including it in their program of requirements (POR). Since several decisions regarding the function and design of the office building will depend on whether the project includes a child care center, a decision should be made soon to allow negotiations with the selected developer to proceed on schedule. Staff recommends the Council address it at the December 3 meeting. F:\Michaelson\MNCPPC\Wheaton Redevelopment\Council Update 12-3-13.doc
Transcript of December 3,2013 MEMORANDUM November...
AGENDA ITEM 8 December 32013
MEMORANDUM
November 272013
TO County Council
FROM Marlene Michaelson Senior Legislative Analyst Jacob Sesker Senior Legislati ve Analyst
SUBJECT Wheaton Redevelopment Program
This is the third briefing from the Executive regarding the status of implementation of the Wheaton Redevelopment Program A memorandum from Department of Transportation (DOT) Deputy Director Al Roshdieh is attached at copy 1 - 5 Since Staff will not have the opportunity to review the memorandum before circulating it to the Council Staff will present any comments orally at the Council meeting
Council Staff understand that the memorandum will contain the Executives recommendation as to whether to include a child care center in the office building as recommended by the Planning Board Attached on copy 6 to lOis a study prepared by Planning Department Staff regarding the feasibility of a child care center in the office building The study concluded that a child care center could be an appropriate and viable use of space at the proposed facility As a result the Planning Board recommended including it in their program of requirements (POR)
Since several decisions regarding the function and design of the office building will depend on whether the project includes a child care center a decision should be made soon to allow negotiations with the selected developer to proceed on schedule Staff recommends the Council address it at the December 3 meeting
FMichaelsonMNCPPCWheaton RedevelopmentCouncil Update 12-3-13doc
DLPARj IT ll- 11lt
blah Leggett Ar~hur Hl)lme~ J 1((1111middot Ducror
MEMORANDlJM
November 27 2013
TO Nancy Navarro President Montgomery County Council
FROM Department ~
SUBJECT Wheaton ~velopment Program (P1S040l)
On September 24 201 I updated the County Council on the Wheaton Redevelopment Program (PI 504(1) At that time I reported the selection of Stone bridge CarrdsfBozzuto LLC as the proposed developer for the redevelopment ufthe Wheaton and Silver Spring properties
We are in negotiation pha~e conducting weekly meetings with the proposed developer the Development Team and [he ExecutivefM-NCPPCCouncii Team The specific actions we continue to pursue include
bull The evaluation and consolidation of the originally separate PORs for MshyNCPPC RSC DEP and DPS The objective of the review is a clear understanding of the space needs of eaeh organization in a shared use building
bull Incorporating the comment- of the community and M-NCPPC on the concept design of the exterior of the office building
bull Similarly reviewing and designing in concept the TO11 Square hased on input from all the stakeholders
bull We are actively working ith WMATA with the goal of obtaining an easement incorporating the adjoining WMATA green space in the Tov11 Square to improve access to the Metro Station and the redevelopment area
bull The County and M-NCPPC are working on the development of an MOU regarding ownership and maintenance issues of the oftice building and Town Square
Offiet of till ninctor
Nancy Navarro December 11 2013 page 2
We will be presenting the revised concepts for the entire project to the Wheaton community on December II 2013 in order to obtain their continued feedback on the project
One item we have been reviewing relates to the original Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission Program of Requirements (M-NCPPC POR) for the office building As part of the POR M-NCPPC included a recommendation for a child care center in the proposed office building The center was planned to be 6000 square feet designed to serve 60 infants and children of 5 years ofage and under The Executive staff has analyzed the feasibility of including a child care center as part of the proposed office building The multiple needs ofthe building and specific requirements related to the safety and security of the children make the inclusion of child care space impractical
One of the objectives oftrus project is to leverage public land and resources to revitalize the economy of Wheaton and activate a 24 hour economy through public and private development The ground floor of the office building must accommodate the entrance to the parking garage the loading docks and customer entrances Even using creative design to minimize and share these mandatory activities there are very limited areas remaining for other uses The remaining ground floor space should be reserved for retail activity to maximize the opportunities to fulfill the purpose of economic revitalization Using part of this first floor space for a child care center may be considered a retail use but it will be dark in the evening Such a use obviously runs counter to the evening revitalization effort
Given the various competing requirements for first floor uses a logical alternative might be to locate the child care center on an upper floor of the building The NFPA Life Safety Code includes specific requirements related to child care occupancies with clients who are 24 months or less in age where the use is located one or more stories above the level of exit discharge Specific NFPA requirements related to smoke partitions would need to be met which would add significant costs to the construction of the building An upper floor location also adds to the challenge of moving children in an emergency It creates additional egress requirements and impacts staffing levels to assure the ability to safely evacuate the children The Developer has included the required space for the child care center in the overall size of the building but based on the challenges with identifying a proper space for the center and the playground the Developer opted to exclude any Tenant improvement and the playground from their proposed cost for the building In addition to the opportunity cost of forgoing a retail presence it would cost in excess of $1 million to finish the child care center space on the first tloor This is without consideration of the additional cost of the pLay area or any annual operating subsidy A second floor location could easily double the construction costs
Nancy Navarro December 11 2013 page 3
The attached Health and Hwnan Services (HHS) report on Child Care Factors for Consideration indicates a nwnber of requirements for a quality child care facility that would be problematic for this site Maryland EXCELS requires an on-site playground that is developmentally appropriate for the age groups served In the interests of safety the play space should be enclosed The proposed child care center would require 2250 square feet ofplay space for a 60 client center As indicated in the M-NCPPC POR the only logical location for the playground would be as part of the Town Square space Removing and enclosing a space of this size would be detrimental to the overall plan for activating this important public gathering place
A survey of existing child care facilities in the area would suggest that there is limited need for another facility integrated into this project The M-NCPPC POR only counted day care centers within 15 miles of the office building The HHS standard when evaluating the requirement for child care always considers all centers within five miles Within zip code 20902 there are 65 licensed family child care homes 14 licensed child care centers 3 public Pre-K programs and 1 Head Start Program The M-NCPPC POR also seems to fail to take into account home based programs HHS staff indicate that the licensing requirements for home child care is as stringent as that for center care and horne care programs may provide an equal to or an even greater level of service In addition the County is currently supporting the construction of a child care center at Wheaton Woods Elementary School scheduled to open in August 2017 Lastly any County subsidized child care would of course place existing licensed child care in the area at a competitive disadvantage and could cause existing private businesses to close
All of these factors evaluated together indicate that including a child care facility within this project is impractical is not cost effective and is not necessary from a service point of view In addition adding the child care center would require space to be taken from the Tm71 Square that the community has repeatedly requested
We look forward to keeping the Council ful1y updated on our progress on this project of vital interest to the County as a whole
ARlswl
Attachment
cc Francoise Carrier Chair Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission
(j)
Attachment
Child Care in MmiddotNCPPC Wheaton IIHeadquarters Factors for Consideration 111513
Required for Child Care in Public Space
bull An HHS managed selection process for the provider to operate the space
bull The provider must accept 20 subsidy payments (both State and WPA) from families and this would require enrollment to be open to the community
bull The provider must adhere to licensing requirements and specific quality components as defined by HHS
bull Additional requirements exist in fire zoning and permit regulations in the County
bull Increased quality requirements (Maryland EXCELS) requires an on-site playground that is developmentally appropriate for the age groups served
bull Playground in high quality child care programs are used throughout the day as part of the curriculum
Quality Requirements
bull It is highly recommended due to increased security concerns and the location of the building that the playground be enclosed
bull Also due to heightened security awareness - the child care program and the drop offpick-up and parking areas need to be secure
bull The child care space should be placed on the first floor of the building and have
first floor egress
bull The building should have easy access to sidewalks
bull COMAR describes basic staffing and space requirements Quality programs exceed these requirements and a child care center license is considered basic
entry level to the operation of a child care program
bull This location requires a provider that speaks English and Spanish
Data regarding number of child care providers and the level of low-income families in
the area
Zip code 20902 65 licensed family child care homes 14 licensed child care centers
3 Public Pre-K programs
1 Head Start program
Child Care in M-NCPPC Wheaton Headquarters page 2
Zip code 20902 MCPS elementary school FARMS data Glenallan ES 679
Glen Haven ES 677
Kemp Mill ES 757
Zip code 20902 MCPS elementary school ESOL data Glenallan 387
Glen Haven 368 Kemp Mill ES 551
Adjacent zip code 20853
40 licensed family child care homes 14 licensed child care centers
3 public pre-k programs
Zip code 20853 MCPS elementary school FARMS data
Brookhaven ES 646 Cashell ES 212
Wheaton Woods ES 811
Zip code 20853 MCPS elementary school ESOL data
Brookhaven ES 241 Cashell ES 101 Wheaton Woods ES 537
The information above indicates high levels of low-income families as well as English
Language Learners County Council Bill 38-12 Capitallmprovements Program-Child Care Assessment attempts to increase the child care space to communities at large This requirement would need to be reconciled should MNCPPC decide to limit the facility only to public agency staff
Preliminary study of a child care center in the proposed new
M-NCPPC headquarters building in downtown Wheaton
April 17 2013
Lisa Madigan Tate Center for Research amp Information Systems (CRIS)
M-NCPPC
Overview
Objective
This report assesses the general feasibility of building and operating a child care facility in the proposed M-NCPPC headquarters building in downtown Wheaton Staff prepared this analysis at the Planning Boards request to provide background information on the potential need requirements costs and options for including child care in the Program of Requirements
Background
The Planning Board is seeking to determine if space for a child day care facility should be included in the Program of Requirements for a new M-NCPPC Regional Headquarters Building The new headquarters building along with a new town square and parking would be the centerpiece of a proposed multi-user government complex that is intended to spur redevelopment in downtown Wheaton The County Council has committed $662 million in this proposal to jump-start private office development and provide a draw for local shops and restaurants
In November 2012 M-NCPPC staff and its consultant presented the board with a draft space program for a 132000 square foot office building including a 6000 square foot child day care center for an estimated 60 children (assuming 904 square feet of interior space per child) Not included in the building gross square footage is another 2260 square feet of exterior play space that would be required for a center of that size
Planning Board members expressed concerns that including a child care center would add risks costs and complexity to the headquarters project that would outweigh the benefits of the amenity and potential jeopardize the projects financial feasibility They also questioned whether a child care center would be an appropriate use of expensive prime retail or office space The Board directed staff to gather information
legislation that the County Council approved on March 5 2013 may be relevant to the Boards decision about integrating child care into a downtown Wheaton headquarters 1 The bill requires the Office of Management and Budget to submit a child care facilities impact statement analyzing the feasibility of including child care in certain capital projects proposed in the countys Capital Improvements Program While child day care centers have been built in several County government facilities in the past few years there has not been a routine or mandatory assessment of the potential for adding child care to projects built with County funding
1 Bill 38-12 Capital Improvements Program -Child Care Assessment
llPage
Scope and method
This report provides an array of background information on trends and conditions that would have an impact on the value and cost-effectiveness of a child care facility in an M-NCPPC building at a downtown Wheaton site The study covers the following topics
bull Child care industry trends
bull Preliminary needs assessment
bull Existing market conditions in Wheaton
bull Operating requirements
bull Child care in government spaces
bull Transit-oriented child care
bull Conclusion
If the Board chooses to incorporate child care into its facility planning this information could support a more detailed feasibility analysis
Staff interviewed a variety of individuals including local and national child care providers and staff members public officials who have built child care centers in government space and state child care licensing staff Staff also reviewed literature and compiled data on regulatory standards child care economics and industry best practices from various online sources
Child care industry trends
Demand for child care is high and rising
Demographics job growth and economic necessity are driving demand for child care nationwide The need for child care has increased steadily each decade since World War II as career opportunities for women have expanded Population growth the rising cost of living and other factors have accelerated this trend
Demand is especially high in this region Compared to the nation as a whole mothers with young children in Montgomery County and in the Washington DC metro area are more likely to remain in the labor force This partly reflects comparatively high education levels among women living here as well as the continuing demand for skilled workers in this region The regions high cost of living also makes it challenging for many low and moderate income families to have a parent stay at home
There is a growing array of child care options
Child care is a growth industry Child day care services (NAICS 6244) is a $33 billion industry with 74000 establishments employing more than 850000 workers nationwide The projected annual job growth rate is 26 percent-double the pace of job growth overal12
Child care may be family-based or center-based In Montgomery County there were 456 centershybased child care programs serving 29118 children (including 17383 children in 8- to 12-hour child care centers) in 2011 The countys 1000 family-based child care providers supplied another 7308 child care spaces3
Centers are the fastest growing market segment Child care centers have several advantages over inshyhome providers including a large stable cash flow to cover startup and operating costs attract qualified staff and offer amenities such as extended hours and accredited learning In-home
2 Child Care Services Industry Profile (1212013) First Research wwwfirstresearchcom Employment Outlook 2010-2020 Us Bureau of Labor Statistics January 2012 middotChild Care Demographics 2011 Montgomery County Report Montgomery County Child Care Resource and Referral Center et 01
21Page
providers (who must be licensed in Maryland to care full-time for any children outside their family) also face stiff price competition from illegal unlicensed home-based providers Between 2006 and 2015 the number of centers is projected to increase by 30 percent in Montgomery County while the number of small family-based licensed providers is projected to remain flat at around 10004
There are many different organizational models for child care centers The majority (72 percent) of centers in the US are commercial for-profit enterprises with non-profits and government providers accounting for most of the remaining market share 5 Child care centers can be locally-based enterprises with one or more locations or franchises of large national corporate chains Most centers in Montgomery County are either independent businesses in self-leased or owned space or service contractors operating facilities in public community or privately-owned space
Child care can be found in more places
Child care centers have flexible location options No longer relegated to homes suburbs or church basements child care is an increasingly visible part of the urban mix In Montgomery County there are child care facilities in office buildings libraries mixed-use developments transit centers community centers and hospitals The range of neighborhood care options has expanded as well with MCPS creating spaces in area schools for full-time infant toddler and preschool care and early education
Child care centers generate strong co-location advantages More developers around the country are building space for child care centers into their commercial and mixed-use projects with the expectation that a quality child care center will attract employers and skilled workers Shopping center owners are finding that leasing space to child care providers boosts retail traffic and occupancy rates with minimal parking impacts6
Child care space is adaptable While it may have more exacting safety and location requirements than other uses quality child care can be accommodated in a variety of new or retrofitted spaces If need be child care spaces can be expanded subdivided or converted to office retail school recreational or other uses Good design and flexible architecture help balance existing and future needs
More employers are supporting child care
Employers have become a critical feature in the child care landscape Child care is viewed by many employers as an important perk to help them attract and retain employees Employers have reported that offering child care support to their employees boosts recruitment reduces turnover and absenteeism and increased productivity On the downside some companies scaled back their support along with other benefits during the recession
Employer support takes many forms More employers especially large corporate institutional and government employers are creating space on-site for child care Where this is not feasible employers may contract with outside centers to offer discounts preferred access or other advantages to their employers Flexible spending accounts and direct subsidies are additional ways that employers can support the child care needs of employee families
The need for affordable quality care has outpaced supply
The cost of child care is high and rising Despite the recession average child care costs have risen steadily in Montgomery County In 2011 the average weekly cost of full-time center-based care for an infant or toddler in the County was $30669-a 136 percent increase over 2008 A family with
4 Montgomery County Child Care Resource and Referral Center S First Research
6 Ronald Reim Childcare centers taking bigger role in retail leasing mix Midwest Real Estate News May 2008
31Page ~
ct
both an infant and a preschooler in child care earning the Countywide median income for a family of four ($106248) currently would need to spend more than 22 percent of their income on child care 7
lower and moderate income families are especially challenged More than half (56 percent) of parents who reported they could not find child care in Montgomery County cited cost as the reason s
Many parents in the County face a difficult tradeoff between affordability and quality
long waiting lists are commonplace for quality affordable and conveniently located centers There is intense competition throughout the region for accredited moderately-priced centers that are located near higher density residential areas job and transit centers and schools Centers that offer infant and toddler care extended hours and other options are especially sought-after
Cost-containment options are limited Child care centers today can tap into a solid base of experienced managers trained professionals technical standards best practices advocacy and other resources to help them operate stable efficient and profitable businesses Even so establishing a child care center is a complex undertaking that can require substantial upfront knowledge planning and financial investment In addition some costs associated with providing quality care in a convenient location are unavoidable including regulatory compliance costs accreditation requirements lease costs and training and salary expenses
Young children in workingfamilies_ United States Montgomery County Wheaton COP
Children underage 61iving with parents 23347026 74235 5446 Parents in labor force 15077268 52979 3832
65 71 70 Two-parent families
Children under age 6 living with two parents 15015157 57271 3396 Both pa rents in I a bor force 8753696 38026 1972
58 66 58 Single-parent families
Children under age 6Iiving with one parent 8331869 16964 2050 Si ngl e pa rent in I a bor force 6323572 14953 1860
76 88 91
Source Montgomery County Planning Department analysis of US Census Bureau 2009-2011
American Community Su data
7 Montgomery County Child Care Resource and Referral Center 2011shybull Montgomery County Child Care Resource and Referral Center 2011
41Page
Preliminary need assessment
Potential demand for a child care center among M-NCPPC employees
An early first step would be to conduct a formal survey of M-NCPPC staff (and in any other partner organizations if relevant) to assess the potential level of interest in a center and identify programming special services and features that would best serve the target population
GSA recommends that needs assessment surveys be used with caution only 20 percent of interested users become actual users According to GSA 2 to 5 percent of federal employees currently use federal child care centers
Given the size of the commissions staff and likely fluctuations child day care requirements at any given time the Commission probably could not cost-effectively support a child care center for the dedicated use of county employees It should be assumed that capacity should be backfilled by opening spaces to families working in other government agencies organizations or business establishments especially those with which the Commission might partner in this project such as Montgomery County Government WMATA etc
Community need
The need assessment should include an analysis of community demographics in the vicinity of the proposed facility In particular this assessment should examine incomes female labor force participation rates and transit use
Data for Montgomery County as a whole suggests that most families with young children use or need child care services Seventy-one percent of children under the age of six in Montgomery County need a caregiver for at least a portion of the day so their parents can work This translates to around 53000 infants toddlers and preschoolers countywide needing child care services in some form or another For single parents there is very little choice 88 percent of children under age six living with one parent in Montgomery County require child care so the parent can work
Unmet demand is especially acute for certain age categories Most child care centers have very long wait lists for infant and toddler care Low mandatory staffchild ratios (13) make it more difficult for providers to serve families with children under the age of 2
Wait lists are commonplace for all age groups for many centers in the County Ucensed accredited centers tend to have competitive enrollment and wait lists for most age groups This is more likely to be the case for centers that are moderately-priced located in densely populated areas convenient to jobs homes or transit employer-sponsored or serving special needs children
Maryland staffchild ratios and maxiumum group size
Age Grou) Ratio Children per Classroom
0-18months 13 6
18 - 24 months 13 9
2 years 16 12
3-4 years 110 20
Syears orolder 115 30
Source Maryl and State Department of Education Division of Earlv Chil dhood Devei opmem
51Page
Existing market conditions in Wheaton
There is a dearth of licensed child care in downtown Wheaton
The map below shows the location and size of licensed 8-12 hour child care centers within a Yz 1 and 1 Yz mile radius of the Wheaton downtown area None of these centers are located at the Wheaton Metro Center
The Wheaton market probably could support a child care center
One non-profit child care chain in the County interviewed for this report indicated that they already have identified Wheaton as a prospective expansion site given the areas existing supply deficit transit-access and rising population and income forecasts
While a further analysis would be needed this suggests that it is highly likely that M-NCPPC could attract competitive bids from child care providers especially given the potential location of the facility
Licensed child care centers in vicinity of proposed Wheaton site
by capa city
bull 12 - 20
21 - 40
41 - 80
81 - 114
115-174
SOlJce M onl9011 County Planring Department Maryland State Department of Educaol LOCATE datligtase
61Pa ge
Operating requirements
Licensing
bull The Maryland State Department of Educations Office of Child Care (Ocq regulates most child care centers under COMAR 13A16 (Licensed Child Care Centers) The OCC Licensing Branch sets the maximum child capacity for each center individually within established guidelines
bull A minimum of 35 square feet of floor space must be provided for each child in care
bull A center shall have an outdoor activity area on the premises of adjacent to or near and safely accessible to the center that provides adequate usable play space for the approved capacity of the center The size of the outdoor play area must be at least 75 square feet of usable play space for one half of the approved capacity of the center Centers may secure a permit to use nearby parks and other green spaces to supply some of the required outdoor space subject to site-specific conditions such as traffic levels on any roads that must be crossed
bull The facility must pass OCC Fire Safety and all other required inspections before OCCwill issue a facility license Routine inspections are conducted at least three times every two years
ZoningFire SafetyPermitting
bull The possible site for the headquarters project is located in a CommercialResidential zone and day care center is a by-right use No special exception would be required for the facility
bull The Fire Marshal has detailed specifications governing child care centers One of the most significant is that infant and toddler rooms must be designed with direct outdoor egress to enable staff to roll evacuation cribs out of the building to the designated evacuation site
bull The Department of Permitting Services would require a parking analysis for the property to ensure that parking for child care center employees as well as short-term pickups and drop-offs can be accommodated along with other uses on the property
Scale requirements
bull To minimize the need for subsidy it is important that a child care provider be able to operate a viable business at the site Center operators that were interviewed for this report suggested that the minimum operating size for a child care center to be stable and profitable would be between 70 to 100 children
bull The number of children that can be accommodated in a facility depends in large part on the specific age mix Younger children require more intensive staffing making these age groups more costly to serve Centers that offer infant and toddler care typically cross-subsidize younger age classrooms with income from higher age groups that have lower staffchild ratios Providers that operate more than one site also may subSidize the cost of infant care at one site with revenue from another
71Page
- a
- b
- c
-
DLPARj IT ll- 11lt
blah Leggett Ar~hur Hl)lme~ J 1((1111middot Ducror
MEMORANDlJM
November 27 2013
TO Nancy Navarro President Montgomery County Council
FROM Department ~
SUBJECT Wheaton ~velopment Program (P1S040l)
On September 24 201 I updated the County Council on the Wheaton Redevelopment Program (PI 504(1) At that time I reported the selection of Stone bridge CarrdsfBozzuto LLC as the proposed developer for the redevelopment ufthe Wheaton and Silver Spring properties
We are in negotiation pha~e conducting weekly meetings with the proposed developer the Development Team and [he ExecutivefM-NCPPCCouncii Team The specific actions we continue to pursue include
bull The evaluation and consolidation of the originally separate PORs for MshyNCPPC RSC DEP and DPS The objective of the review is a clear understanding of the space needs of eaeh organization in a shared use building
bull Incorporating the comment- of the community and M-NCPPC on the concept design of the exterior of the office building
bull Similarly reviewing and designing in concept the TO11 Square hased on input from all the stakeholders
bull We are actively working ith WMATA with the goal of obtaining an easement incorporating the adjoining WMATA green space in the Tov11 Square to improve access to the Metro Station and the redevelopment area
bull The County and M-NCPPC are working on the development of an MOU regarding ownership and maintenance issues of the oftice building and Town Square
Offiet of till ninctor
Nancy Navarro December 11 2013 page 2
We will be presenting the revised concepts for the entire project to the Wheaton community on December II 2013 in order to obtain their continued feedback on the project
One item we have been reviewing relates to the original Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission Program of Requirements (M-NCPPC POR) for the office building As part of the POR M-NCPPC included a recommendation for a child care center in the proposed office building The center was planned to be 6000 square feet designed to serve 60 infants and children of 5 years ofage and under The Executive staff has analyzed the feasibility of including a child care center as part of the proposed office building The multiple needs ofthe building and specific requirements related to the safety and security of the children make the inclusion of child care space impractical
One of the objectives oftrus project is to leverage public land and resources to revitalize the economy of Wheaton and activate a 24 hour economy through public and private development The ground floor of the office building must accommodate the entrance to the parking garage the loading docks and customer entrances Even using creative design to minimize and share these mandatory activities there are very limited areas remaining for other uses The remaining ground floor space should be reserved for retail activity to maximize the opportunities to fulfill the purpose of economic revitalization Using part of this first floor space for a child care center may be considered a retail use but it will be dark in the evening Such a use obviously runs counter to the evening revitalization effort
Given the various competing requirements for first floor uses a logical alternative might be to locate the child care center on an upper floor of the building The NFPA Life Safety Code includes specific requirements related to child care occupancies with clients who are 24 months or less in age where the use is located one or more stories above the level of exit discharge Specific NFPA requirements related to smoke partitions would need to be met which would add significant costs to the construction of the building An upper floor location also adds to the challenge of moving children in an emergency It creates additional egress requirements and impacts staffing levels to assure the ability to safely evacuate the children The Developer has included the required space for the child care center in the overall size of the building but based on the challenges with identifying a proper space for the center and the playground the Developer opted to exclude any Tenant improvement and the playground from their proposed cost for the building In addition to the opportunity cost of forgoing a retail presence it would cost in excess of $1 million to finish the child care center space on the first tloor This is without consideration of the additional cost of the pLay area or any annual operating subsidy A second floor location could easily double the construction costs
Nancy Navarro December 11 2013 page 3
The attached Health and Hwnan Services (HHS) report on Child Care Factors for Consideration indicates a nwnber of requirements for a quality child care facility that would be problematic for this site Maryland EXCELS requires an on-site playground that is developmentally appropriate for the age groups served In the interests of safety the play space should be enclosed The proposed child care center would require 2250 square feet ofplay space for a 60 client center As indicated in the M-NCPPC POR the only logical location for the playground would be as part of the Town Square space Removing and enclosing a space of this size would be detrimental to the overall plan for activating this important public gathering place
A survey of existing child care facilities in the area would suggest that there is limited need for another facility integrated into this project The M-NCPPC POR only counted day care centers within 15 miles of the office building The HHS standard when evaluating the requirement for child care always considers all centers within five miles Within zip code 20902 there are 65 licensed family child care homes 14 licensed child care centers 3 public Pre-K programs and 1 Head Start Program The M-NCPPC POR also seems to fail to take into account home based programs HHS staff indicate that the licensing requirements for home child care is as stringent as that for center care and horne care programs may provide an equal to or an even greater level of service In addition the County is currently supporting the construction of a child care center at Wheaton Woods Elementary School scheduled to open in August 2017 Lastly any County subsidized child care would of course place existing licensed child care in the area at a competitive disadvantage and could cause existing private businesses to close
All of these factors evaluated together indicate that including a child care facility within this project is impractical is not cost effective and is not necessary from a service point of view In addition adding the child care center would require space to be taken from the Tm71 Square that the community has repeatedly requested
We look forward to keeping the Council ful1y updated on our progress on this project of vital interest to the County as a whole
ARlswl
Attachment
cc Francoise Carrier Chair Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission
(j)
Attachment
Child Care in MmiddotNCPPC Wheaton IIHeadquarters Factors for Consideration 111513
Required for Child Care in Public Space
bull An HHS managed selection process for the provider to operate the space
bull The provider must accept 20 subsidy payments (both State and WPA) from families and this would require enrollment to be open to the community
bull The provider must adhere to licensing requirements and specific quality components as defined by HHS
bull Additional requirements exist in fire zoning and permit regulations in the County
bull Increased quality requirements (Maryland EXCELS) requires an on-site playground that is developmentally appropriate for the age groups served
bull Playground in high quality child care programs are used throughout the day as part of the curriculum
Quality Requirements
bull It is highly recommended due to increased security concerns and the location of the building that the playground be enclosed
bull Also due to heightened security awareness - the child care program and the drop offpick-up and parking areas need to be secure
bull The child care space should be placed on the first floor of the building and have
first floor egress
bull The building should have easy access to sidewalks
bull COMAR describes basic staffing and space requirements Quality programs exceed these requirements and a child care center license is considered basic
entry level to the operation of a child care program
bull This location requires a provider that speaks English and Spanish
Data regarding number of child care providers and the level of low-income families in
the area
Zip code 20902 65 licensed family child care homes 14 licensed child care centers
3 Public Pre-K programs
1 Head Start program
Child Care in M-NCPPC Wheaton Headquarters page 2
Zip code 20902 MCPS elementary school FARMS data Glenallan ES 679
Glen Haven ES 677
Kemp Mill ES 757
Zip code 20902 MCPS elementary school ESOL data Glenallan 387
Glen Haven 368 Kemp Mill ES 551
Adjacent zip code 20853
40 licensed family child care homes 14 licensed child care centers
3 public pre-k programs
Zip code 20853 MCPS elementary school FARMS data
Brookhaven ES 646 Cashell ES 212
Wheaton Woods ES 811
Zip code 20853 MCPS elementary school ESOL data
Brookhaven ES 241 Cashell ES 101 Wheaton Woods ES 537
The information above indicates high levels of low-income families as well as English
Language Learners County Council Bill 38-12 Capitallmprovements Program-Child Care Assessment attempts to increase the child care space to communities at large This requirement would need to be reconciled should MNCPPC decide to limit the facility only to public agency staff
Preliminary study of a child care center in the proposed new
M-NCPPC headquarters building in downtown Wheaton
April 17 2013
Lisa Madigan Tate Center for Research amp Information Systems (CRIS)
M-NCPPC
Overview
Objective
This report assesses the general feasibility of building and operating a child care facility in the proposed M-NCPPC headquarters building in downtown Wheaton Staff prepared this analysis at the Planning Boards request to provide background information on the potential need requirements costs and options for including child care in the Program of Requirements
Background
The Planning Board is seeking to determine if space for a child day care facility should be included in the Program of Requirements for a new M-NCPPC Regional Headquarters Building The new headquarters building along with a new town square and parking would be the centerpiece of a proposed multi-user government complex that is intended to spur redevelopment in downtown Wheaton The County Council has committed $662 million in this proposal to jump-start private office development and provide a draw for local shops and restaurants
In November 2012 M-NCPPC staff and its consultant presented the board with a draft space program for a 132000 square foot office building including a 6000 square foot child day care center for an estimated 60 children (assuming 904 square feet of interior space per child) Not included in the building gross square footage is another 2260 square feet of exterior play space that would be required for a center of that size
Planning Board members expressed concerns that including a child care center would add risks costs and complexity to the headquarters project that would outweigh the benefits of the amenity and potential jeopardize the projects financial feasibility They also questioned whether a child care center would be an appropriate use of expensive prime retail or office space The Board directed staff to gather information
legislation that the County Council approved on March 5 2013 may be relevant to the Boards decision about integrating child care into a downtown Wheaton headquarters 1 The bill requires the Office of Management and Budget to submit a child care facilities impact statement analyzing the feasibility of including child care in certain capital projects proposed in the countys Capital Improvements Program While child day care centers have been built in several County government facilities in the past few years there has not been a routine or mandatory assessment of the potential for adding child care to projects built with County funding
1 Bill 38-12 Capital Improvements Program -Child Care Assessment
llPage
Scope and method
This report provides an array of background information on trends and conditions that would have an impact on the value and cost-effectiveness of a child care facility in an M-NCPPC building at a downtown Wheaton site The study covers the following topics
bull Child care industry trends
bull Preliminary needs assessment
bull Existing market conditions in Wheaton
bull Operating requirements
bull Child care in government spaces
bull Transit-oriented child care
bull Conclusion
If the Board chooses to incorporate child care into its facility planning this information could support a more detailed feasibility analysis
Staff interviewed a variety of individuals including local and national child care providers and staff members public officials who have built child care centers in government space and state child care licensing staff Staff also reviewed literature and compiled data on regulatory standards child care economics and industry best practices from various online sources
Child care industry trends
Demand for child care is high and rising
Demographics job growth and economic necessity are driving demand for child care nationwide The need for child care has increased steadily each decade since World War II as career opportunities for women have expanded Population growth the rising cost of living and other factors have accelerated this trend
Demand is especially high in this region Compared to the nation as a whole mothers with young children in Montgomery County and in the Washington DC metro area are more likely to remain in the labor force This partly reflects comparatively high education levels among women living here as well as the continuing demand for skilled workers in this region The regions high cost of living also makes it challenging for many low and moderate income families to have a parent stay at home
There is a growing array of child care options
Child care is a growth industry Child day care services (NAICS 6244) is a $33 billion industry with 74000 establishments employing more than 850000 workers nationwide The projected annual job growth rate is 26 percent-double the pace of job growth overal12
Child care may be family-based or center-based In Montgomery County there were 456 centershybased child care programs serving 29118 children (including 17383 children in 8- to 12-hour child care centers) in 2011 The countys 1000 family-based child care providers supplied another 7308 child care spaces3
Centers are the fastest growing market segment Child care centers have several advantages over inshyhome providers including a large stable cash flow to cover startup and operating costs attract qualified staff and offer amenities such as extended hours and accredited learning In-home
2 Child Care Services Industry Profile (1212013) First Research wwwfirstresearchcom Employment Outlook 2010-2020 Us Bureau of Labor Statistics January 2012 middotChild Care Demographics 2011 Montgomery County Report Montgomery County Child Care Resource and Referral Center et 01
21Page
providers (who must be licensed in Maryland to care full-time for any children outside their family) also face stiff price competition from illegal unlicensed home-based providers Between 2006 and 2015 the number of centers is projected to increase by 30 percent in Montgomery County while the number of small family-based licensed providers is projected to remain flat at around 10004
There are many different organizational models for child care centers The majority (72 percent) of centers in the US are commercial for-profit enterprises with non-profits and government providers accounting for most of the remaining market share 5 Child care centers can be locally-based enterprises with one or more locations or franchises of large national corporate chains Most centers in Montgomery County are either independent businesses in self-leased or owned space or service contractors operating facilities in public community or privately-owned space
Child care can be found in more places
Child care centers have flexible location options No longer relegated to homes suburbs or church basements child care is an increasingly visible part of the urban mix In Montgomery County there are child care facilities in office buildings libraries mixed-use developments transit centers community centers and hospitals The range of neighborhood care options has expanded as well with MCPS creating spaces in area schools for full-time infant toddler and preschool care and early education
Child care centers generate strong co-location advantages More developers around the country are building space for child care centers into their commercial and mixed-use projects with the expectation that a quality child care center will attract employers and skilled workers Shopping center owners are finding that leasing space to child care providers boosts retail traffic and occupancy rates with minimal parking impacts6
Child care space is adaptable While it may have more exacting safety and location requirements than other uses quality child care can be accommodated in a variety of new or retrofitted spaces If need be child care spaces can be expanded subdivided or converted to office retail school recreational or other uses Good design and flexible architecture help balance existing and future needs
More employers are supporting child care
Employers have become a critical feature in the child care landscape Child care is viewed by many employers as an important perk to help them attract and retain employees Employers have reported that offering child care support to their employees boosts recruitment reduces turnover and absenteeism and increased productivity On the downside some companies scaled back their support along with other benefits during the recession
Employer support takes many forms More employers especially large corporate institutional and government employers are creating space on-site for child care Where this is not feasible employers may contract with outside centers to offer discounts preferred access or other advantages to their employers Flexible spending accounts and direct subsidies are additional ways that employers can support the child care needs of employee families
The need for affordable quality care has outpaced supply
The cost of child care is high and rising Despite the recession average child care costs have risen steadily in Montgomery County In 2011 the average weekly cost of full-time center-based care for an infant or toddler in the County was $30669-a 136 percent increase over 2008 A family with
4 Montgomery County Child Care Resource and Referral Center S First Research
6 Ronald Reim Childcare centers taking bigger role in retail leasing mix Midwest Real Estate News May 2008
31Page ~
ct
both an infant and a preschooler in child care earning the Countywide median income for a family of four ($106248) currently would need to spend more than 22 percent of their income on child care 7
lower and moderate income families are especially challenged More than half (56 percent) of parents who reported they could not find child care in Montgomery County cited cost as the reason s
Many parents in the County face a difficult tradeoff between affordability and quality
long waiting lists are commonplace for quality affordable and conveniently located centers There is intense competition throughout the region for accredited moderately-priced centers that are located near higher density residential areas job and transit centers and schools Centers that offer infant and toddler care extended hours and other options are especially sought-after
Cost-containment options are limited Child care centers today can tap into a solid base of experienced managers trained professionals technical standards best practices advocacy and other resources to help them operate stable efficient and profitable businesses Even so establishing a child care center is a complex undertaking that can require substantial upfront knowledge planning and financial investment In addition some costs associated with providing quality care in a convenient location are unavoidable including regulatory compliance costs accreditation requirements lease costs and training and salary expenses
Young children in workingfamilies_ United States Montgomery County Wheaton COP
Children underage 61iving with parents 23347026 74235 5446 Parents in labor force 15077268 52979 3832
65 71 70 Two-parent families
Children under age 6 living with two parents 15015157 57271 3396 Both pa rents in I a bor force 8753696 38026 1972
58 66 58 Single-parent families
Children under age 6Iiving with one parent 8331869 16964 2050 Si ngl e pa rent in I a bor force 6323572 14953 1860
76 88 91
Source Montgomery County Planning Department analysis of US Census Bureau 2009-2011
American Community Su data
7 Montgomery County Child Care Resource and Referral Center 2011shybull Montgomery County Child Care Resource and Referral Center 2011
41Page
Preliminary need assessment
Potential demand for a child care center among M-NCPPC employees
An early first step would be to conduct a formal survey of M-NCPPC staff (and in any other partner organizations if relevant) to assess the potential level of interest in a center and identify programming special services and features that would best serve the target population
GSA recommends that needs assessment surveys be used with caution only 20 percent of interested users become actual users According to GSA 2 to 5 percent of federal employees currently use federal child care centers
Given the size of the commissions staff and likely fluctuations child day care requirements at any given time the Commission probably could not cost-effectively support a child care center for the dedicated use of county employees It should be assumed that capacity should be backfilled by opening spaces to families working in other government agencies organizations or business establishments especially those with which the Commission might partner in this project such as Montgomery County Government WMATA etc
Community need
The need assessment should include an analysis of community demographics in the vicinity of the proposed facility In particular this assessment should examine incomes female labor force participation rates and transit use
Data for Montgomery County as a whole suggests that most families with young children use or need child care services Seventy-one percent of children under the age of six in Montgomery County need a caregiver for at least a portion of the day so their parents can work This translates to around 53000 infants toddlers and preschoolers countywide needing child care services in some form or another For single parents there is very little choice 88 percent of children under age six living with one parent in Montgomery County require child care so the parent can work
Unmet demand is especially acute for certain age categories Most child care centers have very long wait lists for infant and toddler care Low mandatory staffchild ratios (13) make it more difficult for providers to serve families with children under the age of 2
Wait lists are commonplace for all age groups for many centers in the County Ucensed accredited centers tend to have competitive enrollment and wait lists for most age groups This is more likely to be the case for centers that are moderately-priced located in densely populated areas convenient to jobs homes or transit employer-sponsored or serving special needs children
Maryland staffchild ratios and maxiumum group size
Age Grou) Ratio Children per Classroom
0-18months 13 6
18 - 24 months 13 9
2 years 16 12
3-4 years 110 20
Syears orolder 115 30
Source Maryl and State Department of Education Division of Earlv Chil dhood Devei opmem
51Page
Existing market conditions in Wheaton
There is a dearth of licensed child care in downtown Wheaton
The map below shows the location and size of licensed 8-12 hour child care centers within a Yz 1 and 1 Yz mile radius of the Wheaton downtown area None of these centers are located at the Wheaton Metro Center
The Wheaton market probably could support a child care center
One non-profit child care chain in the County interviewed for this report indicated that they already have identified Wheaton as a prospective expansion site given the areas existing supply deficit transit-access and rising population and income forecasts
While a further analysis would be needed this suggests that it is highly likely that M-NCPPC could attract competitive bids from child care providers especially given the potential location of the facility
Licensed child care centers in vicinity of proposed Wheaton site
by capa city
bull 12 - 20
21 - 40
41 - 80
81 - 114
115-174
SOlJce M onl9011 County Planring Department Maryland State Department of Educaol LOCATE datligtase
61Pa ge
Operating requirements
Licensing
bull The Maryland State Department of Educations Office of Child Care (Ocq regulates most child care centers under COMAR 13A16 (Licensed Child Care Centers) The OCC Licensing Branch sets the maximum child capacity for each center individually within established guidelines
bull A minimum of 35 square feet of floor space must be provided for each child in care
bull A center shall have an outdoor activity area on the premises of adjacent to or near and safely accessible to the center that provides adequate usable play space for the approved capacity of the center The size of the outdoor play area must be at least 75 square feet of usable play space for one half of the approved capacity of the center Centers may secure a permit to use nearby parks and other green spaces to supply some of the required outdoor space subject to site-specific conditions such as traffic levels on any roads that must be crossed
bull The facility must pass OCC Fire Safety and all other required inspections before OCCwill issue a facility license Routine inspections are conducted at least three times every two years
ZoningFire SafetyPermitting
bull The possible site for the headquarters project is located in a CommercialResidential zone and day care center is a by-right use No special exception would be required for the facility
bull The Fire Marshal has detailed specifications governing child care centers One of the most significant is that infant and toddler rooms must be designed with direct outdoor egress to enable staff to roll evacuation cribs out of the building to the designated evacuation site
bull The Department of Permitting Services would require a parking analysis for the property to ensure that parking for child care center employees as well as short-term pickups and drop-offs can be accommodated along with other uses on the property
Scale requirements
bull To minimize the need for subsidy it is important that a child care provider be able to operate a viable business at the site Center operators that were interviewed for this report suggested that the minimum operating size for a child care center to be stable and profitable would be between 70 to 100 children
bull The number of children that can be accommodated in a facility depends in large part on the specific age mix Younger children require more intensive staffing making these age groups more costly to serve Centers that offer infant and toddler care typically cross-subsidize younger age classrooms with income from higher age groups that have lower staffchild ratios Providers that operate more than one site also may subSidize the cost of infant care at one site with revenue from another
71Page
- a
- b
- c
-
Nancy Navarro December 11 2013 page 2
We will be presenting the revised concepts for the entire project to the Wheaton community on December II 2013 in order to obtain their continued feedback on the project
One item we have been reviewing relates to the original Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission Program of Requirements (M-NCPPC POR) for the office building As part of the POR M-NCPPC included a recommendation for a child care center in the proposed office building The center was planned to be 6000 square feet designed to serve 60 infants and children of 5 years ofage and under The Executive staff has analyzed the feasibility of including a child care center as part of the proposed office building The multiple needs ofthe building and specific requirements related to the safety and security of the children make the inclusion of child care space impractical
One of the objectives oftrus project is to leverage public land and resources to revitalize the economy of Wheaton and activate a 24 hour economy through public and private development The ground floor of the office building must accommodate the entrance to the parking garage the loading docks and customer entrances Even using creative design to minimize and share these mandatory activities there are very limited areas remaining for other uses The remaining ground floor space should be reserved for retail activity to maximize the opportunities to fulfill the purpose of economic revitalization Using part of this first floor space for a child care center may be considered a retail use but it will be dark in the evening Such a use obviously runs counter to the evening revitalization effort
Given the various competing requirements for first floor uses a logical alternative might be to locate the child care center on an upper floor of the building The NFPA Life Safety Code includes specific requirements related to child care occupancies with clients who are 24 months or less in age where the use is located one or more stories above the level of exit discharge Specific NFPA requirements related to smoke partitions would need to be met which would add significant costs to the construction of the building An upper floor location also adds to the challenge of moving children in an emergency It creates additional egress requirements and impacts staffing levels to assure the ability to safely evacuate the children The Developer has included the required space for the child care center in the overall size of the building but based on the challenges with identifying a proper space for the center and the playground the Developer opted to exclude any Tenant improvement and the playground from their proposed cost for the building In addition to the opportunity cost of forgoing a retail presence it would cost in excess of $1 million to finish the child care center space on the first tloor This is without consideration of the additional cost of the pLay area or any annual operating subsidy A second floor location could easily double the construction costs
Nancy Navarro December 11 2013 page 3
The attached Health and Hwnan Services (HHS) report on Child Care Factors for Consideration indicates a nwnber of requirements for a quality child care facility that would be problematic for this site Maryland EXCELS requires an on-site playground that is developmentally appropriate for the age groups served In the interests of safety the play space should be enclosed The proposed child care center would require 2250 square feet ofplay space for a 60 client center As indicated in the M-NCPPC POR the only logical location for the playground would be as part of the Town Square space Removing and enclosing a space of this size would be detrimental to the overall plan for activating this important public gathering place
A survey of existing child care facilities in the area would suggest that there is limited need for another facility integrated into this project The M-NCPPC POR only counted day care centers within 15 miles of the office building The HHS standard when evaluating the requirement for child care always considers all centers within five miles Within zip code 20902 there are 65 licensed family child care homes 14 licensed child care centers 3 public Pre-K programs and 1 Head Start Program The M-NCPPC POR also seems to fail to take into account home based programs HHS staff indicate that the licensing requirements for home child care is as stringent as that for center care and horne care programs may provide an equal to or an even greater level of service In addition the County is currently supporting the construction of a child care center at Wheaton Woods Elementary School scheduled to open in August 2017 Lastly any County subsidized child care would of course place existing licensed child care in the area at a competitive disadvantage and could cause existing private businesses to close
All of these factors evaluated together indicate that including a child care facility within this project is impractical is not cost effective and is not necessary from a service point of view In addition adding the child care center would require space to be taken from the Tm71 Square that the community has repeatedly requested
We look forward to keeping the Council ful1y updated on our progress on this project of vital interest to the County as a whole
ARlswl
Attachment
cc Francoise Carrier Chair Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission
(j)
Attachment
Child Care in MmiddotNCPPC Wheaton IIHeadquarters Factors for Consideration 111513
Required for Child Care in Public Space
bull An HHS managed selection process for the provider to operate the space
bull The provider must accept 20 subsidy payments (both State and WPA) from families and this would require enrollment to be open to the community
bull The provider must adhere to licensing requirements and specific quality components as defined by HHS
bull Additional requirements exist in fire zoning and permit regulations in the County
bull Increased quality requirements (Maryland EXCELS) requires an on-site playground that is developmentally appropriate for the age groups served
bull Playground in high quality child care programs are used throughout the day as part of the curriculum
Quality Requirements
bull It is highly recommended due to increased security concerns and the location of the building that the playground be enclosed
bull Also due to heightened security awareness - the child care program and the drop offpick-up and parking areas need to be secure
bull The child care space should be placed on the first floor of the building and have
first floor egress
bull The building should have easy access to sidewalks
bull COMAR describes basic staffing and space requirements Quality programs exceed these requirements and a child care center license is considered basic
entry level to the operation of a child care program
bull This location requires a provider that speaks English and Spanish
Data regarding number of child care providers and the level of low-income families in
the area
Zip code 20902 65 licensed family child care homes 14 licensed child care centers
3 Public Pre-K programs
1 Head Start program
Child Care in M-NCPPC Wheaton Headquarters page 2
Zip code 20902 MCPS elementary school FARMS data Glenallan ES 679
Glen Haven ES 677
Kemp Mill ES 757
Zip code 20902 MCPS elementary school ESOL data Glenallan 387
Glen Haven 368 Kemp Mill ES 551
Adjacent zip code 20853
40 licensed family child care homes 14 licensed child care centers
3 public pre-k programs
Zip code 20853 MCPS elementary school FARMS data
Brookhaven ES 646 Cashell ES 212
Wheaton Woods ES 811
Zip code 20853 MCPS elementary school ESOL data
Brookhaven ES 241 Cashell ES 101 Wheaton Woods ES 537
The information above indicates high levels of low-income families as well as English
Language Learners County Council Bill 38-12 Capitallmprovements Program-Child Care Assessment attempts to increase the child care space to communities at large This requirement would need to be reconciled should MNCPPC decide to limit the facility only to public agency staff
Preliminary study of a child care center in the proposed new
M-NCPPC headquarters building in downtown Wheaton
April 17 2013
Lisa Madigan Tate Center for Research amp Information Systems (CRIS)
M-NCPPC
Overview
Objective
This report assesses the general feasibility of building and operating a child care facility in the proposed M-NCPPC headquarters building in downtown Wheaton Staff prepared this analysis at the Planning Boards request to provide background information on the potential need requirements costs and options for including child care in the Program of Requirements
Background
The Planning Board is seeking to determine if space for a child day care facility should be included in the Program of Requirements for a new M-NCPPC Regional Headquarters Building The new headquarters building along with a new town square and parking would be the centerpiece of a proposed multi-user government complex that is intended to spur redevelopment in downtown Wheaton The County Council has committed $662 million in this proposal to jump-start private office development and provide a draw for local shops and restaurants
In November 2012 M-NCPPC staff and its consultant presented the board with a draft space program for a 132000 square foot office building including a 6000 square foot child day care center for an estimated 60 children (assuming 904 square feet of interior space per child) Not included in the building gross square footage is another 2260 square feet of exterior play space that would be required for a center of that size
Planning Board members expressed concerns that including a child care center would add risks costs and complexity to the headquarters project that would outweigh the benefits of the amenity and potential jeopardize the projects financial feasibility They also questioned whether a child care center would be an appropriate use of expensive prime retail or office space The Board directed staff to gather information
legislation that the County Council approved on March 5 2013 may be relevant to the Boards decision about integrating child care into a downtown Wheaton headquarters 1 The bill requires the Office of Management and Budget to submit a child care facilities impact statement analyzing the feasibility of including child care in certain capital projects proposed in the countys Capital Improvements Program While child day care centers have been built in several County government facilities in the past few years there has not been a routine or mandatory assessment of the potential for adding child care to projects built with County funding
1 Bill 38-12 Capital Improvements Program -Child Care Assessment
llPage
Scope and method
This report provides an array of background information on trends and conditions that would have an impact on the value and cost-effectiveness of a child care facility in an M-NCPPC building at a downtown Wheaton site The study covers the following topics
bull Child care industry trends
bull Preliminary needs assessment
bull Existing market conditions in Wheaton
bull Operating requirements
bull Child care in government spaces
bull Transit-oriented child care
bull Conclusion
If the Board chooses to incorporate child care into its facility planning this information could support a more detailed feasibility analysis
Staff interviewed a variety of individuals including local and national child care providers and staff members public officials who have built child care centers in government space and state child care licensing staff Staff also reviewed literature and compiled data on regulatory standards child care economics and industry best practices from various online sources
Child care industry trends
Demand for child care is high and rising
Demographics job growth and economic necessity are driving demand for child care nationwide The need for child care has increased steadily each decade since World War II as career opportunities for women have expanded Population growth the rising cost of living and other factors have accelerated this trend
Demand is especially high in this region Compared to the nation as a whole mothers with young children in Montgomery County and in the Washington DC metro area are more likely to remain in the labor force This partly reflects comparatively high education levels among women living here as well as the continuing demand for skilled workers in this region The regions high cost of living also makes it challenging for many low and moderate income families to have a parent stay at home
There is a growing array of child care options
Child care is a growth industry Child day care services (NAICS 6244) is a $33 billion industry with 74000 establishments employing more than 850000 workers nationwide The projected annual job growth rate is 26 percent-double the pace of job growth overal12
Child care may be family-based or center-based In Montgomery County there were 456 centershybased child care programs serving 29118 children (including 17383 children in 8- to 12-hour child care centers) in 2011 The countys 1000 family-based child care providers supplied another 7308 child care spaces3
Centers are the fastest growing market segment Child care centers have several advantages over inshyhome providers including a large stable cash flow to cover startup and operating costs attract qualified staff and offer amenities such as extended hours and accredited learning In-home
2 Child Care Services Industry Profile (1212013) First Research wwwfirstresearchcom Employment Outlook 2010-2020 Us Bureau of Labor Statistics January 2012 middotChild Care Demographics 2011 Montgomery County Report Montgomery County Child Care Resource and Referral Center et 01
21Page
providers (who must be licensed in Maryland to care full-time for any children outside their family) also face stiff price competition from illegal unlicensed home-based providers Between 2006 and 2015 the number of centers is projected to increase by 30 percent in Montgomery County while the number of small family-based licensed providers is projected to remain flat at around 10004
There are many different organizational models for child care centers The majority (72 percent) of centers in the US are commercial for-profit enterprises with non-profits and government providers accounting for most of the remaining market share 5 Child care centers can be locally-based enterprises with one or more locations or franchises of large national corporate chains Most centers in Montgomery County are either independent businesses in self-leased or owned space or service contractors operating facilities in public community or privately-owned space
Child care can be found in more places
Child care centers have flexible location options No longer relegated to homes suburbs or church basements child care is an increasingly visible part of the urban mix In Montgomery County there are child care facilities in office buildings libraries mixed-use developments transit centers community centers and hospitals The range of neighborhood care options has expanded as well with MCPS creating spaces in area schools for full-time infant toddler and preschool care and early education
Child care centers generate strong co-location advantages More developers around the country are building space for child care centers into their commercial and mixed-use projects with the expectation that a quality child care center will attract employers and skilled workers Shopping center owners are finding that leasing space to child care providers boosts retail traffic and occupancy rates with minimal parking impacts6
Child care space is adaptable While it may have more exacting safety and location requirements than other uses quality child care can be accommodated in a variety of new or retrofitted spaces If need be child care spaces can be expanded subdivided or converted to office retail school recreational or other uses Good design and flexible architecture help balance existing and future needs
More employers are supporting child care
Employers have become a critical feature in the child care landscape Child care is viewed by many employers as an important perk to help them attract and retain employees Employers have reported that offering child care support to their employees boosts recruitment reduces turnover and absenteeism and increased productivity On the downside some companies scaled back their support along with other benefits during the recession
Employer support takes many forms More employers especially large corporate institutional and government employers are creating space on-site for child care Where this is not feasible employers may contract with outside centers to offer discounts preferred access or other advantages to their employers Flexible spending accounts and direct subsidies are additional ways that employers can support the child care needs of employee families
The need for affordable quality care has outpaced supply
The cost of child care is high and rising Despite the recession average child care costs have risen steadily in Montgomery County In 2011 the average weekly cost of full-time center-based care for an infant or toddler in the County was $30669-a 136 percent increase over 2008 A family with
4 Montgomery County Child Care Resource and Referral Center S First Research
6 Ronald Reim Childcare centers taking bigger role in retail leasing mix Midwest Real Estate News May 2008
31Page ~
ct
both an infant and a preschooler in child care earning the Countywide median income for a family of four ($106248) currently would need to spend more than 22 percent of their income on child care 7
lower and moderate income families are especially challenged More than half (56 percent) of parents who reported they could not find child care in Montgomery County cited cost as the reason s
Many parents in the County face a difficult tradeoff between affordability and quality
long waiting lists are commonplace for quality affordable and conveniently located centers There is intense competition throughout the region for accredited moderately-priced centers that are located near higher density residential areas job and transit centers and schools Centers that offer infant and toddler care extended hours and other options are especially sought-after
Cost-containment options are limited Child care centers today can tap into a solid base of experienced managers trained professionals technical standards best practices advocacy and other resources to help them operate stable efficient and profitable businesses Even so establishing a child care center is a complex undertaking that can require substantial upfront knowledge planning and financial investment In addition some costs associated with providing quality care in a convenient location are unavoidable including regulatory compliance costs accreditation requirements lease costs and training and salary expenses
Young children in workingfamilies_ United States Montgomery County Wheaton COP
Children underage 61iving with parents 23347026 74235 5446 Parents in labor force 15077268 52979 3832
65 71 70 Two-parent families
Children under age 6 living with two parents 15015157 57271 3396 Both pa rents in I a bor force 8753696 38026 1972
58 66 58 Single-parent families
Children under age 6Iiving with one parent 8331869 16964 2050 Si ngl e pa rent in I a bor force 6323572 14953 1860
76 88 91
Source Montgomery County Planning Department analysis of US Census Bureau 2009-2011
American Community Su data
7 Montgomery County Child Care Resource and Referral Center 2011shybull Montgomery County Child Care Resource and Referral Center 2011
41Page
Preliminary need assessment
Potential demand for a child care center among M-NCPPC employees
An early first step would be to conduct a formal survey of M-NCPPC staff (and in any other partner organizations if relevant) to assess the potential level of interest in a center and identify programming special services and features that would best serve the target population
GSA recommends that needs assessment surveys be used with caution only 20 percent of interested users become actual users According to GSA 2 to 5 percent of federal employees currently use federal child care centers
Given the size of the commissions staff and likely fluctuations child day care requirements at any given time the Commission probably could not cost-effectively support a child care center for the dedicated use of county employees It should be assumed that capacity should be backfilled by opening spaces to families working in other government agencies organizations or business establishments especially those with which the Commission might partner in this project such as Montgomery County Government WMATA etc
Community need
The need assessment should include an analysis of community demographics in the vicinity of the proposed facility In particular this assessment should examine incomes female labor force participation rates and transit use
Data for Montgomery County as a whole suggests that most families with young children use or need child care services Seventy-one percent of children under the age of six in Montgomery County need a caregiver for at least a portion of the day so their parents can work This translates to around 53000 infants toddlers and preschoolers countywide needing child care services in some form or another For single parents there is very little choice 88 percent of children under age six living with one parent in Montgomery County require child care so the parent can work
Unmet demand is especially acute for certain age categories Most child care centers have very long wait lists for infant and toddler care Low mandatory staffchild ratios (13) make it more difficult for providers to serve families with children under the age of 2
Wait lists are commonplace for all age groups for many centers in the County Ucensed accredited centers tend to have competitive enrollment and wait lists for most age groups This is more likely to be the case for centers that are moderately-priced located in densely populated areas convenient to jobs homes or transit employer-sponsored or serving special needs children
Maryland staffchild ratios and maxiumum group size
Age Grou) Ratio Children per Classroom
0-18months 13 6
18 - 24 months 13 9
2 years 16 12
3-4 years 110 20
Syears orolder 115 30
Source Maryl and State Department of Education Division of Earlv Chil dhood Devei opmem
51Page
Existing market conditions in Wheaton
There is a dearth of licensed child care in downtown Wheaton
The map below shows the location and size of licensed 8-12 hour child care centers within a Yz 1 and 1 Yz mile radius of the Wheaton downtown area None of these centers are located at the Wheaton Metro Center
The Wheaton market probably could support a child care center
One non-profit child care chain in the County interviewed for this report indicated that they already have identified Wheaton as a prospective expansion site given the areas existing supply deficit transit-access and rising population and income forecasts
While a further analysis would be needed this suggests that it is highly likely that M-NCPPC could attract competitive bids from child care providers especially given the potential location of the facility
Licensed child care centers in vicinity of proposed Wheaton site
by capa city
bull 12 - 20
21 - 40
41 - 80
81 - 114
115-174
SOlJce M onl9011 County Planring Department Maryland State Department of Educaol LOCATE datligtase
61Pa ge
Operating requirements
Licensing
bull The Maryland State Department of Educations Office of Child Care (Ocq regulates most child care centers under COMAR 13A16 (Licensed Child Care Centers) The OCC Licensing Branch sets the maximum child capacity for each center individually within established guidelines
bull A minimum of 35 square feet of floor space must be provided for each child in care
bull A center shall have an outdoor activity area on the premises of adjacent to or near and safely accessible to the center that provides adequate usable play space for the approved capacity of the center The size of the outdoor play area must be at least 75 square feet of usable play space for one half of the approved capacity of the center Centers may secure a permit to use nearby parks and other green spaces to supply some of the required outdoor space subject to site-specific conditions such as traffic levels on any roads that must be crossed
bull The facility must pass OCC Fire Safety and all other required inspections before OCCwill issue a facility license Routine inspections are conducted at least three times every two years
ZoningFire SafetyPermitting
bull The possible site for the headquarters project is located in a CommercialResidential zone and day care center is a by-right use No special exception would be required for the facility
bull The Fire Marshal has detailed specifications governing child care centers One of the most significant is that infant and toddler rooms must be designed with direct outdoor egress to enable staff to roll evacuation cribs out of the building to the designated evacuation site
bull The Department of Permitting Services would require a parking analysis for the property to ensure that parking for child care center employees as well as short-term pickups and drop-offs can be accommodated along with other uses on the property
Scale requirements
bull To minimize the need for subsidy it is important that a child care provider be able to operate a viable business at the site Center operators that were interviewed for this report suggested that the minimum operating size for a child care center to be stable and profitable would be between 70 to 100 children
bull The number of children that can be accommodated in a facility depends in large part on the specific age mix Younger children require more intensive staffing making these age groups more costly to serve Centers that offer infant and toddler care typically cross-subsidize younger age classrooms with income from higher age groups that have lower staffchild ratios Providers that operate more than one site also may subSidize the cost of infant care at one site with revenue from another
71Page
- a
- b
- c
-
Nancy Navarro December 11 2013 page 3
The attached Health and Hwnan Services (HHS) report on Child Care Factors for Consideration indicates a nwnber of requirements for a quality child care facility that would be problematic for this site Maryland EXCELS requires an on-site playground that is developmentally appropriate for the age groups served In the interests of safety the play space should be enclosed The proposed child care center would require 2250 square feet ofplay space for a 60 client center As indicated in the M-NCPPC POR the only logical location for the playground would be as part of the Town Square space Removing and enclosing a space of this size would be detrimental to the overall plan for activating this important public gathering place
A survey of existing child care facilities in the area would suggest that there is limited need for another facility integrated into this project The M-NCPPC POR only counted day care centers within 15 miles of the office building The HHS standard when evaluating the requirement for child care always considers all centers within five miles Within zip code 20902 there are 65 licensed family child care homes 14 licensed child care centers 3 public Pre-K programs and 1 Head Start Program The M-NCPPC POR also seems to fail to take into account home based programs HHS staff indicate that the licensing requirements for home child care is as stringent as that for center care and horne care programs may provide an equal to or an even greater level of service In addition the County is currently supporting the construction of a child care center at Wheaton Woods Elementary School scheduled to open in August 2017 Lastly any County subsidized child care would of course place existing licensed child care in the area at a competitive disadvantage and could cause existing private businesses to close
All of these factors evaluated together indicate that including a child care facility within this project is impractical is not cost effective and is not necessary from a service point of view In addition adding the child care center would require space to be taken from the Tm71 Square that the community has repeatedly requested
We look forward to keeping the Council ful1y updated on our progress on this project of vital interest to the County as a whole
ARlswl
Attachment
cc Francoise Carrier Chair Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission
(j)
Attachment
Child Care in MmiddotNCPPC Wheaton IIHeadquarters Factors for Consideration 111513
Required for Child Care in Public Space
bull An HHS managed selection process for the provider to operate the space
bull The provider must accept 20 subsidy payments (both State and WPA) from families and this would require enrollment to be open to the community
bull The provider must adhere to licensing requirements and specific quality components as defined by HHS
bull Additional requirements exist in fire zoning and permit regulations in the County
bull Increased quality requirements (Maryland EXCELS) requires an on-site playground that is developmentally appropriate for the age groups served
bull Playground in high quality child care programs are used throughout the day as part of the curriculum
Quality Requirements
bull It is highly recommended due to increased security concerns and the location of the building that the playground be enclosed
bull Also due to heightened security awareness - the child care program and the drop offpick-up and parking areas need to be secure
bull The child care space should be placed on the first floor of the building and have
first floor egress
bull The building should have easy access to sidewalks
bull COMAR describes basic staffing and space requirements Quality programs exceed these requirements and a child care center license is considered basic
entry level to the operation of a child care program
bull This location requires a provider that speaks English and Spanish
Data regarding number of child care providers and the level of low-income families in
the area
Zip code 20902 65 licensed family child care homes 14 licensed child care centers
3 Public Pre-K programs
1 Head Start program
Child Care in M-NCPPC Wheaton Headquarters page 2
Zip code 20902 MCPS elementary school FARMS data Glenallan ES 679
Glen Haven ES 677
Kemp Mill ES 757
Zip code 20902 MCPS elementary school ESOL data Glenallan 387
Glen Haven 368 Kemp Mill ES 551
Adjacent zip code 20853
40 licensed family child care homes 14 licensed child care centers
3 public pre-k programs
Zip code 20853 MCPS elementary school FARMS data
Brookhaven ES 646 Cashell ES 212
Wheaton Woods ES 811
Zip code 20853 MCPS elementary school ESOL data
Brookhaven ES 241 Cashell ES 101 Wheaton Woods ES 537
The information above indicates high levels of low-income families as well as English
Language Learners County Council Bill 38-12 Capitallmprovements Program-Child Care Assessment attempts to increase the child care space to communities at large This requirement would need to be reconciled should MNCPPC decide to limit the facility only to public agency staff
Preliminary study of a child care center in the proposed new
M-NCPPC headquarters building in downtown Wheaton
April 17 2013
Lisa Madigan Tate Center for Research amp Information Systems (CRIS)
M-NCPPC
Overview
Objective
This report assesses the general feasibility of building and operating a child care facility in the proposed M-NCPPC headquarters building in downtown Wheaton Staff prepared this analysis at the Planning Boards request to provide background information on the potential need requirements costs and options for including child care in the Program of Requirements
Background
The Planning Board is seeking to determine if space for a child day care facility should be included in the Program of Requirements for a new M-NCPPC Regional Headquarters Building The new headquarters building along with a new town square and parking would be the centerpiece of a proposed multi-user government complex that is intended to spur redevelopment in downtown Wheaton The County Council has committed $662 million in this proposal to jump-start private office development and provide a draw for local shops and restaurants
In November 2012 M-NCPPC staff and its consultant presented the board with a draft space program for a 132000 square foot office building including a 6000 square foot child day care center for an estimated 60 children (assuming 904 square feet of interior space per child) Not included in the building gross square footage is another 2260 square feet of exterior play space that would be required for a center of that size
Planning Board members expressed concerns that including a child care center would add risks costs and complexity to the headquarters project that would outweigh the benefits of the amenity and potential jeopardize the projects financial feasibility They also questioned whether a child care center would be an appropriate use of expensive prime retail or office space The Board directed staff to gather information
legislation that the County Council approved on March 5 2013 may be relevant to the Boards decision about integrating child care into a downtown Wheaton headquarters 1 The bill requires the Office of Management and Budget to submit a child care facilities impact statement analyzing the feasibility of including child care in certain capital projects proposed in the countys Capital Improvements Program While child day care centers have been built in several County government facilities in the past few years there has not been a routine or mandatory assessment of the potential for adding child care to projects built with County funding
1 Bill 38-12 Capital Improvements Program -Child Care Assessment
llPage
Scope and method
This report provides an array of background information on trends and conditions that would have an impact on the value and cost-effectiveness of a child care facility in an M-NCPPC building at a downtown Wheaton site The study covers the following topics
bull Child care industry trends
bull Preliminary needs assessment
bull Existing market conditions in Wheaton
bull Operating requirements
bull Child care in government spaces
bull Transit-oriented child care
bull Conclusion
If the Board chooses to incorporate child care into its facility planning this information could support a more detailed feasibility analysis
Staff interviewed a variety of individuals including local and national child care providers and staff members public officials who have built child care centers in government space and state child care licensing staff Staff also reviewed literature and compiled data on regulatory standards child care economics and industry best practices from various online sources
Child care industry trends
Demand for child care is high and rising
Demographics job growth and economic necessity are driving demand for child care nationwide The need for child care has increased steadily each decade since World War II as career opportunities for women have expanded Population growth the rising cost of living and other factors have accelerated this trend
Demand is especially high in this region Compared to the nation as a whole mothers with young children in Montgomery County and in the Washington DC metro area are more likely to remain in the labor force This partly reflects comparatively high education levels among women living here as well as the continuing demand for skilled workers in this region The regions high cost of living also makes it challenging for many low and moderate income families to have a parent stay at home
There is a growing array of child care options
Child care is a growth industry Child day care services (NAICS 6244) is a $33 billion industry with 74000 establishments employing more than 850000 workers nationwide The projected annual job growth rate is 26 percent-double the pace of job growth overal12
Child care may be family-based or center-based In Montgomery County there were 456 centershybased child care programs serving 29118 children (including 17383 children in 8- to 12-hour child care centers) in 2011 The countys 1000 family-based child care providers supplied another 7308 child care spaces3
Centers are the fastest growing market segment Child care centers have several advantages over inshyhome providers including a large stable cash flow to cover startup and operating costs attract qualified staff and offer amenities such as extended hours and accredited learning In-home
2 Child Care Services Industry Profile (1212013) First Research wwwfirstresearchcom Employment Outlook 2010-2020 Us Bureau of Labor Statistics January 2012 middotChild Care Demographics 2011 Montgomery County Report Montgomery County Child Care Resource and Referral Center et 01
21Page
providers (who must be licensed in Maryland to care full-time for any children outside their family) also face stiff price competition from illegal unlicensed home-based providers Between 2006 and 2015 the number of centers is projected to increase by 30 percent in Montgomery County while the number of small family-based licensed providers is projected to remain flat at around 10004
There are many different organizational models for child care centers The majority (72 percent) of centers in the US are commercial for-profit enterprises with non-profits and government providers accounting for most of the remaining market share 5 Child care centers can be locally-based enterprises with one or more locations or franchises of large national corporate chains Most centers in Montgomery County are either independent businesses in self-leased or owned space or service contractors operating facilities in public community or privately-owned space
Child care can be found in more places
Child care centers have flexible location options No longer relegated to homes suburbs or church basements child care is an increasingly visible part of the urban mix In Montgomery County there are child care facilities in office buildings libraries mixed-use developments transit centers community centers and hospitals The range of neighborhood care options has expanded as well with MCPS creating spaces in area schools for full-time infant toddler and preschool care and early education
Child care centers generate strong co-location advantages More developers around the country are building space for child care centers into their commercial and mixed-use projects with the expectation that a quality child care center will attract employers and skilled workers Shopping center owners are finding that leasing space to child care providers boosts retail traffic and occupancy rates with minimal parking impacts6
Child care space is adaptable While it may have more exacting safety and location requirements than other uses quality child care can be accommodated in a variety of new or retrofitted spaces If need be child care spaces can be expanded subdivided or converted to office retail school recreational or other uses Good design and flexible architecture help balance existing and future needs
More employers are supporting child care
Employers have become a critical feature in the child care landscape Child care is viewed by many employers as an important perk to help them attract and retain employees Employers have reported that offering child care support to their employees boosts recruitment reduces turnover and absenteeism and increased productivity On the downside some companies scaled back their support along with other benefits during the recession
Employer support takes many forms More employers especially large corporate institutional and government employers are creating space on-site for child care Where this is not feasible employers may contract with outside centers to offer discounts preferred access or other advantages to their employers Flexible spending accounts and direct subsidies are additional ways that employers can support the child care needs of employee families
The need for affordable quality care has outpaced supply
The cost of child care is high and rising Despite the recession average child care costs have risen steadily in Montgomery County In 2011 the average weekly cost of full-time center-based care for an infant or toddler in the County was $30669-a 136 percent increase over 2008 A family with
4 Montgomery County Child Care Resource and Referral Center S First Research
6 Ronald Reim Childcare centers taking bigger role in retail leasing mix Midwest Real Estate News May 2008
31Page ~
ct
both an infant and a preschooler in child care earning the Countywide median income for a family of four ($106248) currently would need to spend more than 22 percent of their income on child care 7
lower and moderate income families are especially challenged More than half (56 percent) of parents who reported they could not find child care in Montgomery County cited cost as the reason s
Many parents in the County face a difficult tradeoff between affordability and quality
long waiting lists are commonplace for quality affordable and conveniently located centers There is intense competition throughout the region for accredited moderately-priced centers that are located near higher density residential areas job and transit centers and schools Centers that offer infant and toddler care extended hours and other options are especially sought-after
Cost-containment options are limited Child care centers today can tap into a solid base of experienced managers trained professionals technical standards best practices advocacy and other resources to help them operate stable efficient and profitable businesses Even so establishing a child care center is a complex undertaking that can require substantial upfront knowledge planning and financial investment In addition some costs associated with providing quality care in a convenient location are unavoidable including regulatory compliance costs accreditation requirements lease costs and training and salary expenses
Young children in workingfamilies_ United States Montgomery County Wheaton COP
Children underage 61iving with parents 23347026 74235 5446 Parents in labor force 15077268 52979 3832
65 71 70 Two-parent families
Children under age 6 living with two parents 15015157 57271 3396 Both pa rents in I a bor force 8753696 38026 1972
58 66 58 Single-parent families
Children under age 6Iiving with one parent 8331869 16964 2050 Si ngl e pa rent in I a bor force 6323572 14953 1860
76 88 91
Source Montgomery County Planning Department analysis of US Census Bureau 2009-2011
American Community Su data
7 Montgomery County Child Care Resource and Referral Center 2011shybull Montgomery County Child Care Resource and Referral Center 2011
41Page
Preliminary need assessment
Potential demand for a child care center among M-NCPPC employees
An early first step would be to conduct a formal survey of M-NCPPC staff (and in any other partner organizations if relevant) to assess the potential level of interest in a center and identify programming special services and features that would best serve the target population
GSA recommends that needs assessment surveys be used with caution only 20 percent of interested users become actual users According to GSA 2 to 5 percent of federal employees currently use federal child care centers
Given the size of the commissions staff and likely fluctuations child day care requirements at any given time the Commission probably could not cost-effectively support a child care center for the dedicated use of county employees It should be assumed that capacity should be backfilled by opening spaces to families working in other government agencies organizations or business establishments especially those with which the Commission might partner in this project such as Montgomery County Government WMATA etc
Community need
The need assessment should include an analysis of community demographics in the vicinity of the proposed facility In particular this assessment should examine incomes female labor force participation rates and transit use
Data for Montgomery County as a whole suggests that most families with young children use or need child care services Seventy-one percent of children under the age of six in Montgomery County need a caregiver for at least a portion of the day so their parents can work This translates to around 53000 infants toddlers and preschoolers countywide needing child care services in some form or another For single parents there is very little choice 88 percent of children under age six living with one parent in Montgomery County require child care so the parent can work
Unmet demand is especially acute for certain age categories Most child care centers have very long wait lists for infant and toddler care Low mandatory staffchild ratios (13) make it more difficult for providers to serve families with children under the age of 2
Wait lists are commonplace for all age groups for many centers in the County Ucensed accredited centers tend to have competitive enrollment and wait lists for most age groups This is more likely to be the case for centers that are moderately-priced located in densely populated areas convenient to jobs homes or transit employer-sponsored or serving special needs children
Maryland staffchild ratios and maxiumum group size
Age Grou) Ratio Children per Classroom
0-18months 13 6
18 - 24 months 13 9
2 years 16 12
3-4 years 110 20
Syears orolder 115 30
Source Maryl and State Department of Education Division of Earlv Chil dhood Devei opmem
51Page
Existing market conditions in Wheaton
There is a dearth of licensed child care in downtown Wheaton
The map below shows the location and size of licensed 8-12 hour child care centers within a Yz 1 and 1 Yz mile radius of the Wheaton downtown area None of these centers are located at the Wheaton Metro Center
The Wheaton market probably could support a child care center
One non-profit child care chain in the County interviewed for this report indicated that they already have identified Wheaton as a prospective expansion site given the areas existing supply deficit transit-access and rising population and income forecasts
While a further analysis would be needed this suggests that it is highly likely that M-NCPPC could attract competitive bids from child care providers especially given the potential location of the facility
Licensed child care centers in vicinity of proposed Wheaton site
by capa city
bull 12 - 20
21 - 40
41 - 80
81 - 114
115-174
SOlJce M onl9011 County Planring Department Maryland State Department of Educaol LOCATE datligtase
61Pa ge
Operating requirements
Licensing
bull The Maryland State Department of Educations Office of Child Care (Ocq regulates most child care centers under COMAR 13A16 (Licensed Child Care Centers) The OCC Licensing Branch sets the maximum child capacity for each center individually within established guidelines
bull A minimum of 35 square feet of floor space must be provided for each child in care
bull A center shall have an outdoor activity area on the premises of adjacent to or near and safely accessible to the center that provides adequate usable play space for the approved capacity of the center The size of the outdoor play area must be at least 75 square feet of usable play space for one half of the approved capacity of the center Centers may secure a permit to use nearby parks and other green spaces to supply some of the required outdoor space subject to site-specific conditions such as traffic levels on any roads that must be crossed
bull The facility must pass OCC Fire Safety and all other required inspections before OCCwill issue a facility license Routine inspections are conducted at least three times every two years
ZoningFire SafetyPermitting
bull The possible site for the headquarters project is located in a CommercialResidential zone and day care center is a by-right use No special exception would be required for the facility
bull The Fire Marshal has detailed specifications governing child care centers One of the most significant is that infant and toddler rooms must be designed with direct outdoor egress to enable staff to roll evacuation cribs out of the building to the designated evacuation site
bull The Department of Permitting Services would require a parking analysis for the property to ensure that parking for child care center employees as well as short-term pickups and drop-offs can be accommodated along with other uses on the property
Scale requirements
bull To minimize the need for subsidy it is important that a child care provider be able to operate a viable business at the site Center operators that were interviewed for this report suggested that the minimum operating size for a child care center to be stable and profitable would be between 70 to 100 children
bull The number of children that can be accommodated in a facility depends in large part on the specific age mix Younger children require more intensive staffing making these age groups more costly to serve Centers that offer infant and toddler care typically cross-subsidize younger age classrooms with income from higher age groups that have lower staffchild ratios Providers that operate more than one site also may subSidize the cost of infant care at one site with revenue from another
71Page
- a
- b
- c
-
Attachment
Child Care in MmiddotNCPPC Wheaton IIHeadquarters Factors for Consideration 111513
Required for Child Care in Public Space
bull An HHS managed selection process for the provider to operate the space
bull The provider must accept 20 subsidy payments (both State and WPA) from families and this would require enrollment to be open to the community
bull The provider must adhere to licensing requirements and specific quality components as defined by HHS
bull Additional requirements exist in fire zoning and permit regulations in the County
bull Increased quality requirements (Maryland EXCELS) requires an on-site playground that is developmentally appropriate for the age groups served
bull Playground in high quality child care programs are used throughout the day as part of the curriculum
Quality Requirements
bull It is highly recommended due to increased security concerns and the location of the building that the playground be enclosed
bull Also due to heightened security awareness - the child care program and the drop offpick-up and parking areas need to be secure
bull The child care space should be placed on the first floor of the building and have
first floor egress
bull The building should have easy access to sidewalks
bull COMAR describes basic staffing and space requirements Quality programs exceed these requirements and a child care center license is considered basic
entry level to the operation of a child care program
bull This location requires a provider that speaks English and Spanish
Data regarding number of child care providers and the level of low-income families in
the area
Zip code 20902 65 licensed family child care homes 14 licensed child care centers
3 Public Pre-K programs
1 Head Start program
Child Care in M-NCPPC Wheaton Headquarters page 2
Zip code 20902 MCPS elementary school FARMS data Glenallan ES 679
Glen Haven ES 677
Kemp Mill ES 757
Zip code 20902 MCPS elementary school ESOL data Glenallan 387
Glen Haven 368 Kemp Mill ES 551
Adjacent zip code 20853
40 licensed family child care homes 14 licensed child care centers
3 public pre-k programs
Zip code 20853 MCPS elementary school FARMS data
Brookhaven ES 646 Cashell ES 212
Wheaton Woods ES 811
Zip code 20853 MCPS elementary school ESOL data
Brookhaven ES 241 Cashell ES 101 Wheaton Woods ES 537
The information above indicates high levels of low-income families as well as English
Language Learners County Council Bill 38-12 Capitallmprovements Program-Child Care Assessment attempts to increase the child care space to communities at large This requirement would need to be reconciled should MNCPPC decide to limit the facility only to public agency staff
Preliminary study of a child care center in the proposed new
M-NCPPC headquarters building in downtown Wheaton
April 17 2013
Lisa Madigan Tate Center for Research amp Information Systems (CRIS)
M-NCPPC
Overview
Objective
This report assesses the general feasibility of building and operating a child care facility in the proposed M-NCPPC headquarters building in downtown Wheaton Staff prepared this analysis at the Planning Boards request to provide background information on the potential need requirements costs and options for including child care in the Program of Requirements
Background
The Planning Board is seeking to determine if space for a child day care facility should be included in the Program of Requirements for a new M-NCPPC Regional Headquarters Building The new headquarters building along with a new town square and parking would be the centerpiece of a proposed multi-user government complex that is intended to spur redevelopment in downtown Wheaton The County Council has committed $662 million in this proposal to jump-start private office development and provide a draw for local shops and restaurants
In November 2012 M-NCPPC staff and its consultant presented the board with a draft space program for a 132000 square foot office building including a 6000 square foot child day care center for an estimated 60 children (assuming 904 square feet of interior space per child) Not included in the building gross square footage is another 2260 square feet of exterior play space that would be required for a center of that size
Planning Board members expressed concerns that including a child care center would add risks costs and complexity to the headquarters project that would outweigh the benefits of the amenity and potential jeopardize the projects financial feasibility They also questioned whether a child care center would be an appropriate use of expensive prime retail or office space The Board directed staff to gather information
legislation that the County Council approved on March 5 2013 may be relevant to the Boards decision about integrating child care into a downtown Wheaton headquarters 1 The bill requires the Office of Management and Budget to submit a child care facilities impact statement analyzing the feasibility of including child care in certain capital projects proposed in the countys Capital Improvements Program While child day care centers have been built in several County government facilities in the past few years there has not been a routine or mandatory assessment of the potential for adding child care to projects built with County funding
1 Bill 38-12 Capital Improvements Program -Child Care Assessment
llPage
Scope and method
This report provides an array of background information on trends and conditions that would have an impact on the value and cost-effectiveness of a child care facility in an M-NCPPC building at a downtown Wheaton site The study covers the following topics
bull Child care industry trends
bull Preliminary needs assessment
bull Existing market conditions in Wheaton
bull Operating requirements
bull Child care in government spaces
bull Transit-oriented child care
bull Conclusion
If the Board chooses to incorporate child care into its facility planning this information could support a more detailed feasibility analysis
Staff interviewed a variety of individuals including local and national child care providers and staff members public officials who have built child care centers in government space and state child care licensing staff Staff also reviewed literature and compiled data on regulatory standards child care economics and industry best practices from various online sources
Child care industry trends
Demand for child care is high and rising
Demographics job growth and economic necessity are driving demand for child care nationwide The need for child care has increased steadily each decade since World War II as career opportunities for women have expanded Population growth the rising cost of living and other factors have accelerated this trend
Demand is especially high in this region Compared to the nation as a whole mothers with young children in Montgomery County and in the Washington DC metro area are more likely to remain in the labor force This partly reflects comparatively high education levels among women living here as well as the continuing demand for skilled workers in this region The regions high cost of living also makes it challenging for many low and moderate income families to have a parent stay at home
There is a growing array of child care options
Child care is a growth industry Child day care services (NAICS 6244) is a $33 billion industry with 74000 establishments employing more than 850000 workers nationwide The projected annual job growth rate is 26 percent-double the pace of job growth overal12
Child care may be family-based or center-based In Montgomery County there were 456 centershybased child care programs serving 29118 children (including 17383 children in 8- to 12-hour child care centers) in 2011 The countys 1000 family-based child care providers supplied another 7308 child care spaces3
Centers are the fastest growing market segment Child care centers have several advantages over inshyhome providers including a large stable cash flow to cover startup and operating costs attract qualified staff and offer amenities such as extended hours and accredited learning In-home
2 Child Care Services Industry Profile (1212013) First Research wwwfirstresearchcom Employment Outlook 2010-2020 Us Bureau of Labor Statistics January 2012 middotChild Care Demographics 2011 Montgomery County Report Montgomery County Child Care Resource and Referral Center et 01
21Page
providers (who must be licensed in Maryland to care full-time for any children outside their family) also face stiff price competition from illegal unlicensed home-based providers Between 2006 and 2015 the number of centers is projected to increase by 30 percent in Montgomery County while the number of small family-based licensed providers is projected to remain flat at around 10004
There are many different organizational models for child care centers The majority (72 percent) of centers in the US are commercial for-profit enterprises with non-profits and government providers accounting for most of the remaining market share 5 Child care centers can be locally-based enterprises with one or more locations or franchises of large national corporate chains Most centers in Montgomery County are either independent businesses in self-leased or owned space or service contractors operating facilities in public community or privately-owned space
Child care can be found in more places
Child care centers have flexible location options No longer relegated to homes suburbs or church basements child care is an increasingly visible part of the urban mix In Montgomery County there are child care facilities in office buildings libraries mixed-use developments transit centers community centers and hospitals The range of neighborhood care options has expanded as well with MCPS creating spaces in area schools for full-time infant toddler and preschool care and early education
Child care centers generate strong co-location advantages More developers around the country are building space for child care centers into their commercial and mixed-use projects with the expectation that a quality child care center will attract employers and skilled workers Shopping center owners are finding that leasing space to child care providers boosts retail traffic and occupancy rates with minimal parking impacts6
Child care space is adaptable While it may have more exacting safety and location requirements than other uses quality child care can be accommodated in a variety of new or retrofitted spaces If need be child care spaces can be expanded subdivided or converted to office retail school recreational or other uses Good design and flexible architecture help balance existing and future needs
More employers are supporting child care
Employers have become a critical feature in the child care landscape Child care is viewed by many employers as an important perk to help them attract and retain employees Employers have reported that offering child care support to their employees boosts recruitment reduces turnover and absenteeism and increased productivity On the downside some companies scaled back their support along with other benefits during the recession
Employer support takes many forms More employers especially large corporate institutional and government employers are creating space on-site for child care Where this is not feasible employers may contract with outside centers to offer discounts preferred access or other advantages to their employers Flexible spending accounts and direct subsidies are additional ways that employers can support the child care needs of employee families
The need for affordable quality care has outpaced supply
The cost of child care is high and rising Despite the recession average child care costs have risen steadily in Montgomery County In 2011 the average weekly cost of full-time center-based care for an infant or toddler in the County was $30669-a 136 percent increase over 2008 A family with
4 Montgomery County Child Care Resource and Referral Center S First Research
6 Ronald Reim Childcare centers taking bigger role in retail leasing mix Midwest Real Estate News May 2008
31Page ~
ct
both an infant and a preschooler in child care earning the Countywide median income for a family of four ($106248) currently would need to spend more than 22 percent of their income on child care 7
lower and moderate income families are especially challenged More than half (56 percent) of parents who reported they could not find child care in Montgomery County cited cost as the reason s
Many parents in the County face a difficult tradeoff between affordability and quality
long waiting lists are commonplace for quality affordable and conveniently located centers There is intense competition throughout the region for accredited moderately-priced centers that are located near higher density residential areas job and transit centers and schools Centers that offer infant and toddler care extended hours and other options are especially sought-after
Cost-containment options are limited Child care centers today can tap into a solid base of experienced managers trained professionals technical standards best practices advocacy and other resources to help them operate stable efficient and profitable businesses Even so establishing a child care center is a complex undertaking that can require substantial upfront knowledge planning and financial investment In addition some costs associated with providing quality care in a convenient location are unavoidable including regulatory compliance costs accreditation requirements lease costs and training and salary expenses
Young children in workingfamilies_ United States Montgomery County Wheaton COP
Children underage 61iving with parents 23347026 74235 5446 Parents in labor force 15077268 52979 3832
65 71 70 Two-parent families
Children under age 6 living with two parents 15015157 57271 3396 Both pa rents in I a bor force 8753696 38026 1972
58 66 58 Single-parent families
Children under age 6Iiving with one parent 8331869 16964 2050 Si ngl e pa rent in I a bor force 6323572 14953 1860
76 88 91
Source Montgomery County Planning Department analysis of US Census Bureau 2009-2011
American Community Su data
7 Montgomery County Child Care Resource and Referral Center 2011shybull Montgomery County Child Care Resource and Referral Center 2011
41Page
Preliminary need assessment
Potential demand for a child care center among M-NCPPC employees
An early first step would be to conduct a formal survey of M-NCPPC staff (and in any other partner organizations if relevant) to assess the potential level of interest in a center and identify programming special services and features that would best serve the target population
GSA recommends that needs assessment surveys be used with caution only 20 percent of interested users become actual users According to GSA 2 to 5 percent of federal employees currently use federal child care centers
Given the size of the commissions staff and likely fluctuations child day care requirements at any given time the Commission probably could not cost-effectively support a child care center for the dedicated use of county employees It should be assumed that capacity should be backfilled by opening spaces to families working in other government agencies organizations or business establishments especially those with which the Commission might partner in this project such as Montgomery County Government WMATA etc
Community need
The need assessment should include an analysis of community demographics in the vicinity of the proposed facility In particular this assessment should examine incomes female labor force participation rates and transit use
Data for Montgomery County as a whole suggests that most families with young children use or need child care services Seventy-one percent of children under the age of six in Montgomery County need a caregiver for at least a portion of the day so their parents can work This translates to around 53000 infants toddlers and preschoolers countywide needing child care services in some form or another For single parents there is very little choice 88 percent of children under age six living with one parent in Montgomery County require child care so the parent can work
Unmet demand is especially acute for certain age categories Most child care centers have very long wait lists for infant and toddler care Low mandatory staffchild ratios (13) make it more difficult for providers to serve families with children under the age of 2
Wait lists are commonplace for all age groups for many centers in the County Ucensed accredited centers tend to have competitive enrollment and wait lists for most age groups This is more likely to be the case for centers that are moderately-priced located in densely populated areas convenient to jobs homes or transit employer-sponsored or serving special needs children
Maryland staffchild ratios and maxiumum group size
Age Grou) Ratio Children per Classroom
0-18months 13 6
18 - 24 months 13 9
2 years 16 12
3-4 years 110 20
Syears orolder 115 30
Source Maryl and State Department of Education Division of Earlv Chil dhood Devei opmem
51Page
Existing market conditions in Wheaton
There is a dearth of licensed child care in downtown Wheaton
The map below shows the location and size of licensed 8-12 hour child care centers within a Yz 1 and 1 Yz mile radius of the Wheaton downtown area None of these centers are located at the Wheaton Metro Center
The Wheaton market probably could support a child care center
One non-profit child care chain in the County interviewed for this report indicated that they already have identified Wheaton as a prospective expansion site given the areas existing supply deficit transit-access and rising population and income forecasts
While a further analysis would be needed this suggests that it is highly likely that M-NCPPC could attract competitive bids from child care providers especially given the potential location of the facility
Licensed child care centers in vicinity of proposed Wheaton site
by capa city
bull 12 - 20
21 - 40
41 - 80
81 - 114
115-174
SOlJce M onl9011 County Planring Department Maryland State Department of Educaol LOCATE datligtase
61Pa ge
Operating requirements
Licensing
bull The Maryland State Department of Educations Office of Child Care (Ocq regulates most child care centers under COMAR 13A16 (Licensed Child Care Centers) The OCC Licensing Branch sets the maximum child capacity for each center individually within established guidelines
bull A minimum of 35 square feet of floor space must be provided for each child in care
bull A center shall have an outdoor activity area on the premises of adjacent to or near and safely accessible to the center that provides adequate usable play space for the approved capacity of the center The size of the outdoor play area must be at least 75 square feet of usable play space for one half of the approved capacity of the center Centers may secure a permit to use nearby parks and other green spaces to supply some of the required outdoor space subject to site-specific conditions such as traffic levels on any roads that must be crossed
bull The facility must pass OCC Fire Safety and all other required inspections before OCCwill issue a facility license Routine inspections are conducted at least three times every two years
ZoningFire SafetyPermitting
bull The possible site for the headquarters project is located in a CommercialResidential zone and day care center is a by-right use No special exception would be required for the facility
bull The Fire Marshal has detailed specifications governing child care centers One of the most significant is that infant and toddler rooms must be designed with direct outdoor egress to enable staff to roll evacuation cribs out of the building to the designated evacuation site
bull The Department of Permitting Services would require a parking analysis for the property to ensure that parking for child care center employees as well as short-term pickups and drop-offs can be accommodated along with other uses on the property
Scale requirements
bull To minimize the need for subsidy it is important that a child care provider be able to operate a viable business at the site Center operators that were interviewed for this report suggested that the minimum operating size for a child care center to be stable and profitable would be between 70 to 100 children
bull The number of children that can be accommodated in a facility depends in large part on the specific age mix Younger children require more intensive staffing making these age groups more costly to serve Centers that offer infant and toddler care typically cross-subsidize younger age classrooms with income from higher age groups that have lower staffchild ratios Providers that operate more than one site also may subSidize the cost of infant care at one site with revenue from another
71Page
- a
- b
- c
-
Child Care in M-NCPPC Wheaton Headquarters page 2
Zip code 20902 MCPS elementary school FARMS data Glenallan ES 679
Glen Haven ES 677
Kemp Mill ES 757
Zip code 20902 MCPS elementary school ESOL data Glenallan 387
Glen Haven 368 Kemp Mill ES 551
Adjacent zip code 20853
40 licensed family child care homes 14 licensed child care centers
3 public pre-k programs
Zip code 20853 MCPS elementary school FARMS data
Brookhaven ES 646 Cashell ES 212
Wheaton Woods ES 811
Zip code 20853 MCPS elementary school ESOL data
Brookhaven ES 241 Cashell ES 101 Wheaton Woods ES 537
The information above indicates high levels of low-income families as well as English
Language Learners County Council Bill 38-12 Capitallmprovements Program-Child Care Assessment attempts to increase the child care space to communities at large This requirement would need to be reconciled should MNCPPC decide to limit the facility only to public agency staff
Preliminary study of a child care center in the proposed new
M-NCPPC headquarters building in downtown Wheaton
April 17 2013
Lisa Madigan Tate Center for Research amp Information Systems (CRIS)
M-NCPPC
Overview
Objective
This report assesses the general feasibility of building and operating a child care facility in the proposed M-NCPPC headquarters building in downtown Wheaton Staff prepared this analysis at the Planning Boards request to provide background information on the potential need requirements costs and options for including child care in the Program of Requirements
Background
The Planning Board is seeking to determine if space for a child day care facility should be included in the Program of Requirements for a new M-NCPPC Regional Headquarters Building The new headquarters building along with a new town square and parking would be the centerpiece of a proposed multi-user government complex that is intended to spur redevelopment in downtown Wheaton The County Council has committed $662 million in this proposal to jump-start private office development and provide a draw for local shops and restaurants
In November 2012 M-NCPPC staff and its consultant presented the board with a draft space program for a 132000 square foot office building including a 6000 square foot child day care center for an estimated 60 children (assuming 904 square feet of interior space per child) Not included in the building gross square footage is another 2260 square feet of exterior play space that would be required for a center of that size
Planning Board members expressed concerns that including a child care center would add risks costs and complexity to the headquarters project that would outweigh the benefits of the amenity and potential jeopardize the projects financial feasibility They also questioned whether a child care center would be an appropriate use of expensive prime retail or office space The Board directed staff to gather information
legislation that the County Council approved on March 5 2013 may be relevant to the Boards decision about integrating child care into a downtown Wheaton headquarters 1 The bill requires the Office of Management and Budget to submit a child care facilities impact statement analyzing the feasibility of including child care in certain capital projects proposed in the countys Capital Improvements Program While child day care centers have been built in several County government facilities in the past few years there has not been a routine or mandatory assessment of the potential for adding child care to projects built with County funding
1 Bill 38-12 Capital Improvements Program -Child Care Assessment
llPage
Scope and method
This report provides an array of background information on trends and conditions that would have an impact on the value and cost-effectiveness of a child care facility in an M-NCPPC building at a downtown Wheaton site The study covers the following topics
bull Child care industry trends
bull Preliminary needs assessment
bull Existing market conditions in Wheaton
bull Operating requirements
bull Child care in government spaces
bull Transit-oriented child care
bull Conclusion
If the Board chooses to incorporate child care into its facility planning this information could support a more detailed feasibility analysis
Staff interviewed a variety of individuals including local and national child care providers and staff members public officials who have built child care centers in government space and state child care licensing staff Staff also reviewed literature and compiled data on regulatory standards child care economics and industry best practices from various online sources
Child care industry trends
Demand for child care is high and rising
Demographics job growth and economic necessity are driving demand for child care nationwide The need for child care has increased steadily each decade since World War II as career opportunities for women have expanded Population growth the rising cost of living and other factors have accelerated this trend
Demand is especially high in this region Compared to the nation as a whole mothers with young children in Montgomery County and in the Washington DC metro area are more likely to remain in the labor force This partly reflects comparatively high education levels among women living here as well as the continuing demand for skilled workers in this region The regions high cost of living also makes it challenging for many low and moderate income families to have a parent stay at home
There is a growing array of child care options
Child care is a growth industry Child day care services (NAICS 6244) is a $33 billion industry with 74000 establishments employing more than 850000 workers nationwide The projected annual job growth rate is 26 percent-double the pace of job growth overal12
Child care may be family-based or center-based In Montgomery County there were 456 centershybased child care programs serving 29118 children (including 17383 children in 8- to 12-hour child care centers) in 2011 The countys 1000 family-based child care providers supplied another 7308 child care spaces3
Centers are the fastest growing market segment Child care centers have several advantages over inshyhome providers including a large stable cash flow to cover startup and operating costs attract qualified staff and offer amenities such as extended hours and accredited learning In-home
2 Child Care Services Industry Profile (1212013) First Research wwwfirstresearchcom Employment Outlook 2010-2020 Us Bureau of Labor Statistics January 2012 middotChild Care Demographics 2011 Montgomery County Report Montgomery County Child Care Resource and Referral Center et 01
21Page
providers (who must be licensed in Maryland to care full-time for any children outside their family) also face stiff price competition from illegal unlicensed home-based providers Between 2006 and 2015 the number of centers is projected to increase by 30 percent in Montgomery County while the number of small family-based licensed providers is projected to remain flat at around 10004
There are many different organizational models for child care centers The majority (72 percent) of centers in the US are commercial for-profit enterprises with non-profits and government providers accounting for most of the remaining market share 5 Child care centers can be locally-based enterprises with one or more locations or franchises of large national corporate chains Most centers in Montgomery County are either independent businesses in self-leased or owned space or service contractors operating facilities in public community or privately-owned space
Child care can be found in more places
Child care centers have flexible location options No longer relegated to homes suburbs or church basements child care is an increasingly visible part of the urban mix In Montgomery County there are child care facilities in office buildings libraries mixed-use developments transit centers community centers and hospitals The range of neighborhood care options has expanded as well with MCPS creating spaces in area schools for full-time infant toddler and preschool care and early education
Child care centers generate strong co-location advantages More developers around the country are building space for child care centers into their commercial and mixed-use projects with the expectation that a quality child care center will attract employers and skilled workers Shopping center owners are finding that leasing space to child care providers boosts retail traffic and occupancy rates with minimal parking impacts6
Child care space is adaptable While it may have more exacting safety and location requirements than other uses quality child care can be accommodated in a variety of new or retrofitted spaces If need be child care spaces can be expanded subdivided or converted to office retail school recreational or other uses Good design and flexible architecture help balance existing and future needs
More employers are supporting child care
Employers have become a critical feature in the child care landscape Child care is viewed by many employers as an important perk to help them attract and retain employees Employers have reported that offering child care support to their employees boosts recruitment reduces turnover and absenteeism and increased productivity On the downside some companies scaled back their support along with other benefits during the recession
Employer support takes many forms More employers especially large corporate institutional and government employers are creating space on-site for child care Where this is not feasible employers may contract with outside centers to offer discounts preferred access or other advantages to their employers Flexible spending accounts and direct subsidies are additional ways that employers can support the child care needs of employee families
The need for affordable quality care has outpaced supply
The cost of child care is high and rising Despite the recession average child care costs have risen steadily in Montgomery County In 2011 the average weekly cost of full-time center-based care for an infant or toddler in the County was $30669-a 136 percent increase over 2008 A family with
4 Montgomery County Child Care Resource and Referral Center S First Research
6 Ronald Reim Childcare centers taking bigger role in retail leasing mix Midwest Real Estate News May 2008
31Page ~
ct
both an infant and a preschooler in child care earning the Countywide median income for a family of four ($106248) currently would need to spend more than 22 percent of their income on child care 7
lower and moderate income families are especially challenged More than half (56 percent) of parents who reported they could not find child care in Montgomery County cited cost as the reason s
Many parents in the County face a difficult tradeoff between affordability and quality
long waiting lists are commonplace for quality affordable and conveniently located centers There is intense competition throughout the region for accredited moderately-priced centers that are located near higher density residential areas job and transit centers and schools Centers that offer infant and toddler care extended hours and other options are especially sought-after
Cost-containment options are limited Child care centers today can tap into a solid base of experienced managers trained professionals technical standards best practices advocacy and other resources to help them operate stable efficient and profitable businesses Even so establishing a child care center is a complex undertaking that can require substantial upfront knowledge planning and financial investment In addition some costs associated with providing quality care in a convenient location are unavoidable including regulatory compliance costs accreditation requirements lease costs and training and salary expenses
Young children in workingfamilies_ United States Montgomery County Wheaton COP
Children underage 61iving with parents 23347026 74235 5446 Parents in labor force 15077268 52979 3832
65 71 70 Two-parent families
Children under age 6 living with two parents 15015157 57271 3396 Both pa rents in I a bor force 8753696 38026 1972
58 66 58 Single-parent families
Children under age 6Iiving with one parent 8331869 16964 2050 Si ngl e pa rent in I a bor force 6323572 14953 1860
76 88 91
Source Montgomery County Planning Department analysis of US Census Bureau 2009-2011
American Community Su data
7 Montgomery County Child Care Resource and Referral Center 2011shybull Montgomery County Child Care Resource and Referral Center 2011
41Page
Preliminary need assessment
Potential demand for a child care center among M-NCPPC employees
An early first step would be to conduct a formal survey of M-NCPPC staff (and in any other partner organizations if relevant) to assess the potential level of interest in a center and identify programming special services and features that would best serve the target population
GSA recommends that needs assessment surveys be used with caution only 20 percent of interested users become actual users According to GSA 2 to 5 percent of federal employees currently use federal child care centers
Given the size of the commissions staff and likely fluctuations child day care requirements at any given time the Commission probably could not cost-effectively support a child care center for the dedicated use of county employees It should be assumed that capacity should be backfilled by opening spaces to families working in other government agencies organizations or business establishments especially those with which the Commission might partner in this project such as Montgomery County Government WMATA etc
Community need
The need assessment should include an analysis of community demographics in the vicinity of the proposed facility In particular this assessment should examine incomes female labor force participation rates and transit use
Data for Montgomery County as a whole suggests that most families with young children use or need child care services Seventy-one percent of children under the age of six in Montgomery County need a caregiver for at least a portion of the day so their parents can work This translates to around 53000 infants toddlers and preschoolers countywide needing child care services in some form or another For single parents there is very little choice 88 percent of children under age six living with one parent in Montgomery County require child care so the parent can work
Unmet demand is especially acute for certain age categories Most child care centers have very long wait lists for infant and toddler care Low mandatory staffchild ratios (13) make it more difficult for providers to serve families with children under the age of 2
Wait lists are commonplace for all age groups for many centers in the County Ucensed accredited centers tend to have competitive enrollment and wait lists for most age groups This is more likely to be the case for centers that are moderately-priced located in densely populated areas convenient to jobs homes or transit employer-sponsored or serving special needs children
Maryland staffchild ratios and maxiumum group size
Age Grou) Ratio Children per Classroom
0-18months 13 6
18 - 24 months 13 9
2 years 16 12
3-4 years 110 20
Syears orolder 115 30
Source Maryl and State Department of Education Division of Earlv Chil dhood Devei opmem
51Page
Existing market conditions in Wheaton
There is a dearth of licensed child care in downtown Wheaton
The map below shows the location and size of licensed 8-12 hour child care centers within a Yz 1 and 1 Yz mile radius of the Wheaton downtown area None of these centers are located at the Wheaton Metro Center
The Wheaton market probably could support a child care center
One non-profit child care chain in the County interviewed for this report indicated that they already have identified Wheaton as a prospective expansion site given the areas existing supply deficit transit-access and rising population and income forecasts
While a further analysis would be needed this suggests that it is highly likely that M-NCPPC could attract competitive bids from child care providers especially given the potential location of the facility
Licensed child care centers in vicinity of proposed Wheaton site
by capa city
bull 12 - 20
21 - 40
41 - 80
81 - 114
115-174
SOlJce M onl9011 County Planring Department Maryland State Department of Educaol LOCATE datligtase
61Pa ge
Operating requirements
Licensing
bull The Maryland State Department of Educations Office of Child Care (Ocq regulates most child care centers under COMAR 13A16 (Licensed Child Care Centers) The OCC Licensing Branch sets the maximum child capacity for each center individually within established guidelines
bull A minimum of 35 square feet of floor space must be provided for each child in care
bull A center shall have an outdoor activity area on the premises of adjacent to or near and safely accessible to the center that provides adequate usable play space for the approved capacity of the center The size of the outdoor play area must be at least 75 square feet of usable play space for one half of the approved capacity of the center Centers may secure a permit to use nearby parks and other green spaces to supply some of the required outdoor space subject to site-specific conditions such as traffic levels on any roads that must be crossed
bull The facility must pass OCC Fire Safety and all other required inspections before OCCwill issue a facility license Routine inspections are conducted at least three times every two years
ZoningFire SafetyPermitting
bull The possible site for the headquarters project is located in a CommercialResidential zone and day care center is a by-right use No special exception would be required for the facility
bull The Fire Marshal has detailed specifications governing child care centers One of the most significant is that infant and toddler rooms must be designed with direct outdoor egress to enable staff to roll evacuation cribs out of the building to the designated evacuation site
bull The Department of Permitting Services would require a parking analysis for the property to ensure that parking for child care center employees as well as short-term pickups and drop-offs can be accommodated along with other uses on the property
Scale requirements
bull To minimize the need for subsidy it is important that a child care provider be able to operate a viable business at the site Center operators that were interviewed for this report suggested that the minimum operating size for a child care center to be stable and profitable would be between 70 to 100 children
bull The number of children that can be accommodated in a facility depends in large part on the specific age mix Younger children require more intensive staffing making these age groups more costly to serve Centers that offer infant and toddler care typically cross-subsidize younger age classrooms with income from higher age groups that have lower staffchild ratios Providers that operate more than one site also may subSidize the cost of infant care at one site with revenue from another
71Page
- a
- b
- c
-
Preliminary study of a child care center in the proposed new
M-NCPPC headquarters building in downtown Wheaton
April 17 2013
Lisa Madigan Tate Center for Research amp Information Systems (CRIS)
M-NCPPC
Overview
Objective
This report assesses the general feasibility of building and operating a child care facility in the proposed M-NCPPC headquarters building in downtown Wheaton Staff prepared this analysis at the Planning Boards request to provide background information on the potential need requirements costs and options for including child care in the Program of Requirements
Background
The Planning Board is seeking to determine if space for a child day care facility should be included in the Program of Requirements for a new M-NCPPC Regional Headquarters Building The new headquarters building along with a new town square and parking would be the centerpiece of a proposed multi-user government complex that is intended to spur redevelopment in downtown Wheaton The County Council has committed $662 million in this proposal to jump-start private office development and provide a draw for local shops and restaurants
In November 2012 M-NCPPC staff and its consultant presented the board with a draft space program for a 132000 square foot office building including a 6000 square foot child day care center for an estimated 60 children (assuming 904 square feet of interior space per child) Not included in the building gross square footage is another 2260 square feet of exterior play space that would be required for a center of that size
Planning Board members expressed concerns that including a child care center would add risks costs and complexity to the headquarters project that would outweigh the benefits of the amenity and potential jeopardize the projects financial feasibility They also questioned whether a child care center would be an appropriate use of expensive prime retail or office space The Board directed staff to gather information
legislation that the County Council approved on March 5 2013 may be relevant to the Boards decision about integrating child care into a downtown Wheaton headquarters 1 The bill requires the Office of Management and Budget to submit a child care facilities impact statement analyzing the feasibility of including child care in certain capital projects proposed in the countys Capital Improvements Program While child day care centers have been built in several County government facilities in the past few years there has not been a routine or mandatory assessment of the potential for adding child care to projects built with County funding
1 Bill 38-12 Capital Improvements Program -Child Care Assessment
llPage
Scope and method
This report provides an array of background information on trends and conditions that would have an impact on the value and cost-effectiveness of a child care facility in an M-NCPPC building at a downtown Wheaton site The study covers the following topics
bull Child care industry trends
bull Preliminary needs assessment
bull Existing market conditions in Wheaton
bull Operating requirements
bull Child care in government spaces
bull Transit-oriented child care
bull Conclusion
If the Board chooses to incorporate child care into its facility planning this information could support a more detailed feasibility analysis
Staff interviewed a variety of individuals including local and national child care providers and staff members public officials who have built child care centers in government space and state child care licensing staff Staff also reviewed literature and compiled data on regulatory standards child care economics and industry best practices from various online sources
Child care industry trends
Demand for child care is high and rising
Demographics job growth and economic necessity are driving demand for child care nationwide The need for child care has increased steadily each decade since World War II as career opportunities for women have expanded Population growth the rising cost of living and other factors have accelerated this trend
Demand is especially high in this region Compared to the nation as a whole mothers with young children in Montgomery County and in the Washington DC metro area are more likely to remain in the labor force This partly reflects comparatively high education levels among women living here as well as the continuing demand for skilled workers in this region The regions high cost of living also makes it challenging for many low and moderate income families to have a parent stay at home
There is a growing array of child care options
Child care is a growth industry Child day care services (NAICS 6244) is a $33 billion industry with 74000 establishments employing more than 850000 workers nationwide The projected annual job growth rate is 26 percent-double the pace of job growth overal12
Child care may be family-based or center-based In Montgomery County there were 456 centershybased child care programs serving 29118 children (including 17383 children in 8- to 12-hour child care centers) in 2011 The countys 1000 family-based child care providers supplied another 7308 child care spaces3
Centers are the fastest growing market segment Child care centers have several advantages over inshyhome providers including a large stable cash flow to cover startup and operating costs attract qualified staff and offer amenities such as extended hours and accredited learning In-home
2 Child Care Services Industry Profile (1212013) First Research wwwfirstresearchcom Employment Outlook 2010-2020 Us Bureau of Labor Statistics January 2012 middotChild Care Demographics 2011 Montgomery County Report Montgomery County Child Care Resource and Referral Center et 01
21Page
providers (who must be licensed in Maryland to care full-time for any children outside their family) also face stiff price competition from illegal unlicensed home-based providers Between 2006 and 2015 the number of centers is projected to increase by 30 percent in Montgomery County while the number of small family-based licensed providers is projected to remain flat at around 10004
There are many different organizational models for child care centers The majority (72 percent) of centers in the US are commercial for-profit enterprises with non-profits and government providers accounting for most of the remaining market share 5 Child care centers can be locally-based enterprises with one or more locations or franchises of large national corporate chains Most centers in Montgomery County are either independent businesses in self-leased or owned space or service contractors operating facilities in public community or privately-owned space
Child care can be found in more places
Child care centers have flexible location options No longer relegated to homes suburbs or church basements child care is an increasingly visible part of the urban mix In Montgomery County there are child care facilities in office buildings libraries mixed-use developments transit centers community centers and hospitals The range of neighborhood care options has expanded as well with MCPS creating spaces in area schools for full-time infant toddler and preschool care and early education
Child care centers generate strong co-location advantages More developers around the country are building space for child care centers into their commercial and mixed-use projects with the expectation that a quality child care center will attract employers and skilled workers Shopping center owners are finding that leasing space to child care providers boosts retail traffic and occupancy rates with minimal parking impacts6
Child care space is adaptable While it may have more exacting safety and location requirements than other uses quality child care can be accommodated in a variety of new or retrofitted spaces If need be child care spaces can be expanded subdivided or converted to office retail school recreational or other uses Good design and flexible architecture help balance existing and future needs
More employers are supporting child care
Employers have become a critical feature in the child care landscape Child care is viewed by many employers as an important perk to help them attract and retain employees Employers have reported that offering child care support to their employees boosts recruitment reduces turnover and absenteeism and increased productivity On the downside some companies scaled back their support along with other benefits during the recession
Employer support takes many forms More employers especially large corporate institutional and government employers are creating space on-site for child care Where this is not feasible employers may contract with outside centers to offer discounts preferred access or other advantages to their employers Flexible spending accounts and direct subsidies are additional ways that employers can support the child care needs of employee families
The need for affordable quality care has outpaced supply
The cost of child care is high and rising Despite the recession average child care costs have risen steadily in Montgomery County In 2011 the average weekly cost of full-time center-based care for an infant or toddler in the County was $30669-a 136 percent increase over 2008 A family with
4 Montgomery County Child Care Resource and Referral Center S First Research
6 Ronald Reim Childcare centers taking bigger role in retail leasing mix Midwest Real Estate News May 2008
31Page ~
ct
both an infant and a preschooler in child care earning the Countywide median income for a family of four ($106248) currently would need to spend more than 22 percent of their income on child care 7
lower and moderate income families are especially challenged More than half (56 percent) of parents who reported they could not find child care in Montgomery County cited cost as the reason s
Many parents in the County face a difficult tradeoff between affordability and quality
long waiting lists are commonplace for quality affordable and conveniently located centers There is intense competition throughout the region for accredited moderately-priced centers that are located near higher density residential areas job and transit centers and schools Centers that offer infant and toddler care extended hours and other options are especially sought-after
Cost-containment options are limited Child care centers today can tap into a solid base of experienced managers trained professionals technical standards best practices advocacy and other resources to help them operate stable efficient and profitable businesses Even so establishing a child care center is a complex undertaking that can require substantial upfront knowledge planning and financial investment In addition some costs associated with providing quality care in a convenient location are unavoidable including regulatory compliance costs accreditation requirements lease costs and training and salary expenses
Young children in workingfamilies_ United States Montgomery County Wheaton COP
Children underage 61iving with parents 23347026 74235 5446 Parents in labor force 15077268 52979 3832
65 71 70 Two-parent families
Children under age 6 living with two parents 15015157 57271 3396 Both pa rents in I a bor force 8753696 38026 1972
58 66 58 Single-parent families
Children under age 6Iiving with one parent 8331869 16964 2050 Si ngl e pa rent in I a bor force 6323572 14953 1860
76 88 91
Source Montgomery County Planning Department analysis of US Census Bureau 2009-2011
American Community Su data
7 Montgomery County Child Care Resource and Referral Center 2011shybull Montgomery County Child Care Resource and Referral Center 2011
41Page
Preliminary need assessment
Potential demand for a child care center among M-NCPPC employees
An early first step would be to conduct a formal survey of M-NCPPC staff (and in any other partner organizations if relevant) to assess the potential level of interest in a center and identify programming special services and features that would best serve the target population
GSA recommends that needs assessment surveys be used with caution only 20 percent of interested users become actual users According to GSA 2 to 5 percent of federal employees currently use federal child care centers
Given the size of the commissions staff and likely fluctuations child day care requirements at any given time the Commission probably could not cost-effectively support a child care center for the dedicated use of county employees It should be assumed that capacity should be backfilled by opening spaces to families working in other government agencies organizations or business establishments especially those with which the Commission might partner in this project such as Montgomery County Government WMATA etc
Community need
The need assessment should include an analysis of community demographics in the vicinity of the proposed facility In particular this assessment should examine incomes female labor force participation rates and transit use
Data for Montgomery County as a whole suggests that most families with young children use or need child care services Seventy-one percent of children under the age of six in Montgomery County need a caregiver for at least a portion of the day so their parents can work This translates to around 53000 infants toddlers and preschoolers countywide needing child care services in some form or another For single parents there is very little choice 88 percent of children under age six living with one parent in Montgomery County require child care so the parent can work
Unmet demand is especially acute for certain age categories Most child care centers have very long wait lists for infant and toddler care Low mandatory staffchild ratios (13) make it more difficult for providers to serve families with children under the age of 2
Wait lists are commonplace for all age groups for many centers in the County Ucensed accredited centers tend to have competitive enrollment and wait lists for most age groups This is more likely to be the case for centers that are moderately-priced located in densely populated areas convenient to jobs homes or transit employer-sponsored or serving special needs children
Maryland staffchild ratios and maxiumum group size
Age Grou) Ratio Children per Classroom
0-18months 13 6
18 - 24 months 13 9
2 years 16 12
3-4 years 110 20
Syears orolder 115 30
Source Maryl and State Department of Education Division of Earlv Chil dhood Devei opmem
51Page
Existing market conditions in Wheaton
There is a dearth of licensed child care in downtown Wheaton
The map below shows the location and size of licensed 8-12 hour child care centers within a Yz 1 and 1 Yz mile radius of the Wheaton downtown area None of these centers are located at the Wheaton Metro Center
The Wheaton market probably could support a child care center
One non-profit child care chain in the County interviewed for this report indicated that they already have identified Wheaton as a prospective expansion site given the areas existing supply deficit transit-access and rising population and income forecasts
While a further analysis would be needed this suggests that it is highly likely that M-NCPPC could attract competitive bids from child care providers especially given the potential location of the facility
Licensed child care centers in vicinity of proposed Wheaton site
by capa city
bull 12 - 20
21 - 40
41 - 80
81 - 114
115-174
SOlJce M onl9011 County Planring Department Maryland State Department of Educaol LOCATE datligtase
61Pa ge
Operating requirements
Licensing
bull The Maryland State Department of Educations Office of Child Care (Ocq regulates most child care centers under COMAR 13A16 (Licensed Child Care Centers) The OCC Licensing Branch sets the maximum child capacity for each center individually within established guidelines
bull A minimum of 35 square feet of floor space must be provided for each child in care
bull A center shall have an outdoor activity area on the premises of adjacent to or near and safely accessible to the center that provides adequate usable play space for the approved capacity of the center The size of the outdoor play area must be at least 75 square feet of usable play space for one half of the approved capacity of the center Centers may secure a permit to use nearby parks and other green spaces to supply some of the required outdoor space subject to site-specific conditions such as traffic levels on any roads that must be crossed
bull The facility must pass OCC Fire Safety and all other required inspections before OCCwill issue a facility license Routine inspections are conducted at least three times every two years
ZoningFire SafetyPermitting
bull The possible site for the headquarters project is located in a CommercialResidential zone and day care center is a by-right use No special exception would be required for the facility
bull The Fire Marshal has detailed specifications governing child care centers One of the most significant is that infant and toddler rooms must be designed with direct outdoor egress to enable staff to roll evacuation cribs out of the building to the designated evacuation site
bull The Department of Permitting Services would require a parking analysis for the property to ensure that parking for child care center employees as well as short-term pickups and drop-offs can be accommodated along with other uses on the property
Scale requirements
bull To minimize the need for subsidy it is important that a child care provider be able to operate a viable business at the site Center operators that were interviewed for this report suggested that the minimum operating size for a child care center to be stable and profitable would be between 70 to 100 children
bull The number of children that can be accommodated in a facility depends in large part on the specific age mix Younger children require more intensive staffing making these age groups more costly to serve Centers that offer infant and toddler care typically cross-subsidize younger age classrooms with income from higher age groups that have lower staffchild ratios Providers that operate more than one site also may subSidize the cost of infant care at one site with revenue from another
71Page
- a
- b
- c
-
Scope and method
This report provides an array of background information on trends and conditions that would have an impact on the value and cost-effectiveness of a child care facility in an M-NCPPC building at a downtown Wheaton site The study covers the following topics
bull Child care industry trends
bull Preliminary needs assessment
bull Existing market conditions in Wheaton
bull Operating requirements
bull Child care in government spaces
bull Transit-oriented child care
bull Conclusion
If the Board chooses to incorporate child care into its facility planning this information could support a more detailed feasibility analysis
Staff interviewed a variety of individuals including local and national child care providers and staff members public officials who have built child care centers in government space and state child care licensing staff Staff also reviewed literature and compiled data on regulatory standards child care economics and industry best practices from various online sources
Child care industry trends
Demand for child care is high and rising
Demographics job growth and economic necessity are driving demand for child care nationwide The need for child care has increased steadily each decade since World War II as career opportunities for women have expanded Population growth the rising cost of living and other factors have accelerated this trend
Demand is especially high in this region Compared to the nation as a whole mothers with young children in Montgomery County and in the Washington DC metro area are more likely to remain in the labor force This partly reflects comparatively high education levels among women living here as well as the continuing demand for skilled workers in this region The regions high cost of living also makes it challenging for many low and moderate income families to have a parent stay at home
There is a growing array of child care options
Child care is a growth industry Child day care services (NAICS 6244) is a $33 billion industry with 74000 establishments employing more than 850000 workers nationwide The projected annual job growth rate is 26 percent-double the pace of job growth overal12
Child care may be family-based or center-based In Montgomery County there were 456 centershybased child care programs serving 29118 children (including 17383 children in 8- to 12-hour child care centers) in 2011 The countys 1000 family-based child care providers supplied another 7308 child care spaces3
Centers are the fastest growing market segment Child care centers have several advantages over inshyhome providers including a large stable cash flow to cover startup and operating costs attract qualified staff and offer amenities such as extended hours and accredited learning In-home
2 Child Care Services Industry Profile (1212013) First Research wwwfirstresearchcom Employment Outlook 2010-2020 Us Bureau of Labor Statistics January 2012 middotChild Care Demographics 2011 Montgomery County Report Montgomery County Child Care Resource and Referral Center et 01
21Page
providers (who must be licensed in Maryland to care full-time for any children outside their family) also face stiff price competition from illegal unlicensed home-based providers Between 2006 and 2015 the number of centers is projected to increase by 30 percent in Montgomery County while the number of small family-based licensed providers is projected to remain flat at around 10004
There are many different organizational models for child care centers The majority (72 percent) of centers in the US are commercial for-profit enterprises with non-profits and government providers accounting for most of the remaining market share 5 Child care centers can be locally-based enterprises with one or more locations or franchises of large national corporate chains Most centers in Montgomery County are either independent businesses in self-leased or owned space or service contractors operating facilities in public community or privately-owned space
Child care can be found in more places
Child care centers have flexible location options No longer relegated to homes suburbs or church basements child care is an increasingly visible part of the urban mix In Montgomery County there are child care facilities in office buildings libraries mixed-use developments transit centers community centers and hospitals The range of neighborhood care options has expanded as well with MCPS creating spaces in area schools for full-time infant toddler and preschool care and early education
Child care centers generate strong co-location advantages More developers around the country are building space for child care centers into their commercial and mixed-use projects with the expectation that a quality child care center will attract employers and skilled workers Shopping center owners are finding that leasing space to child care providers boosts retail traffic and occupancy rates with minimal parking impacts6
Child care space is adaptable While it may have more exacting safety and location requirements than other uses quality child care can be accommodated in a variety of new or retrofitted spaces If need be child care spaces can be expanded subdivided or converted to office retail school recreational or other uses Good design and flexible architecture help balance existing and future needs
More employers are supporting child care
Employers have become a critical feature in the child care landscape Child care is viewed by many employers as an important perk to help them attract and retain employees Employers have reported that offering child care support to their employees boosts recruitment reduces turnover and absenteeism and increased productivity On the downside some companies scaled back their support along with other benefits during the recession
Employer support takes many forms More employers especially large corporate institutional and government employers are creating space on-site for child care Where this is not feasible employers may contract with outside centers to offer discounts preferred access or other advantages to their employers Flexible spending accounts and direct subsidies are additional ways that employers can support the child care needs of employee families
The need for affordable quality care has outpaced supply
The cost of child care is high and rising Despite the recession average child care costs have risen steadily in Montgomery County In 2011 the average weekly cost of full-time center-based care for an infant or toddler in the County was $30669-a 136 percent increase over 2008 A family with
4 Montgomery County Child Care Resource and Referral Center S First Research
6 Ronald Reim Childcare centers taking bigger role in retail leasing mix Midwest Real Estate News May 2008
31Page ~
ct
both an infant and a preschooler in child care earning the Countywide median income for a family of four ($106248) currently would need to spend more than 22 percent of their income on child care 7
lower and moderate income families are especially challenged More than half (56 percent) of parents who reported they could not find child care in Montgomery County cited cost as the reason s
Many parents in the County face a difficult tradeoff between affordability and quality
long waiting lists are commonplace for quality affordable and conveniently located centers There is intense competition throughout the region for accredited moderately-priced centers that are located near higher density residential areas job and transit centers and schools Centers that offer infant and toddler care extended hours and other options are especially sought-after
Cost-containment options are limited Child care centers today can tap into a solid base of experienced managers trained professionals technical standards best practices advocacy and other resources to help them operate stable efficient and profitable businesses Even so establishing a child care center is a complex undertaking that can require substantial upfront knowledge planning and financial investment In addition some costs associated with providing quality care in a convenient location are unavoidable including regulatory compliance costs accreditation requirements lease costs and training and salary expenses
Young children in workingfamilies_ United States Montgomery County Wheaton COP
Children underage 61iving with parents 23347026 74235 5446 Parents in labor force 15077268 52979 3832
65 71 70 Two-parent families
Children under age 6 living with two parents 15015157 57271 3396 Both pa rents in I a bor force 8753696 38026 1972
58 66 58 Single-parent families
Children under age 6Iiving with one parent 8331869 16964 2050 Si ngl e pa rent in I a bor force 6323572 14953 1860
76 88 91
Source Montgomery County Planning Department analysis of US Census Bureau 2009-2011
American Community Su data
7 Montgomery County Child Care Resource and Referral Center 2011shybull Montgomery County Child Care Resource and Referral Center 2011
41Page
Preliminary need assessment
Potential demand for a child care center among M-NCPPC employees
An early first step would be to conduct a formal survey of M-NCPPC staff (and in any other partner organizations if relevant) to assess the potential level of interest in a center and identify programming special services and features that would best serve the target population
GSA recommends that needs assessment surveys be used with caution only 20 percent of interested users become actual users According to GSA 2 to 5 percent of federal employees currently use federal child care centers
Given the size of the commissions staff and likely fluctuations child day care requirements at any given time the Commission probably could not cost-effectively support a child care center for the dedicated use of county employees It should be assumed that capacity should be backfilled by opening spaces to families working in other government agencies organizations or business establishments especially those with which the Commission might partner in this project such as Montgomery County Government WMATA etc
Community need
The need assessment should include an analysis of community demographics in the vicinity of the proposed facility In particular this assessment should examine incomes female labor force participation rates and transit use
Data for Montgomery County as a whole suggests that most families with young children use or need child care services Seventy-one percent of children under the age of six in Montgomery County need a caregiver for at least a portion of the day so their parents can work This translates to around 53000 infants toddlers and preschoolers countywide needing child care services in some form or another For single parents there is very little choice 88 percent of children under age six living with one parent in Montgomery County require child care so the parent can work
Unmet demand is especially acute for certain age categories Most child care centers have very long wait lists for infant and toddler care Low mandatory staffchild ratios (13) make it more difficult for providers to serve families with children under the age of 2
Wait lists are commonplace for all age groups for many centers in the County Ucensed accredited centers tend to have competitive enrollment and wait lists for most age groups This is more likely to be the case for centers that are moderately-priced located in densely populated areas convenient to jobs homes or transit employer-sponsored or serving special needs children
Maryland staffchild ratios and maxiumum group size
Age Grou) Ratio Children per Classroom
0-18months 13 6
18 - 24 months 13 9
2 years 16 12
3-4 years 110 20
Syears orolder 115 30
Source Maryl and State Department of Education Division of Earlv Chil dhood Devei opmem
51Page
Existing market conditions in Wheaton
There is a dearth of licensed child care in downtown Wheaton
The map below shows the location and size of licensed 8-12 hour child care centers within a Yz 1 and 1 Yz mile radius of the Wheaton downtown area None of these centers are located at the Wheaton Metro Center
The Wheaton market probably could support a child care center
One non-profit child care chain in the County interviewed for this report indicated that they already have identified Wheaton as a prospective expansion site given the areas existing supply deficit transit-access and rising population and income forecasts
While a further analysis would be needed this suggests that it is highly likely that M-NCPPC could attract competitive bids from child care providers especially given the potential location of the facility
Licensed child care centers in vicinity of proposed Wheaton site
by capa city
bull 12 - 20
21 - 40
41 - 80
81 - 114
115-174
SOlJce M onl9011 County Planring Department Maryland State Department of Educaol LOCATE datligtase
61Pa ge
Operating requirements
Licensing
bull The Maryland State Department of Educations Office of Child Care (Ocq regulates most child care centers under COMAR 13A16 (Licensed Child Care Centers) The OCC Licensing Branch sets the maximum child capacity for each center individually within established guidelines
bull A minimum of 35 square feet of floor space must be provided for each child in care
bull A center shall have an outdoor activity area on the premises of adjacent to or near and safely accessible to the center that provides adequate usable play space for the approved capacity of the center The size of the outdoor play area must be at least 75 square feet of usable play space for one half of the approved capacity of the center Centers may secure a permit to use nearby parks and other green spaces to supply some of the required outdoor space subject to site-specific conditions such as traffic levels on any roads that must be crossed
bull The facility must pass OCC Fire Safety and all other required inspections before OCCwill issue a facility license Routine inspections are conducted at least three times every two years
ZoningFire SafetyPermitting
bull The possible site for the headquarters project is located in a CommercialResidential zone and day care center is a by-right use No special exception would be required for the facility
bull The Fire Marshal has detailed specifications governing child care centers One of the most significant is that infant and toddler rooms must be designed with direct outdoor egress to enable staff to roll evacuation cribs out of the building to the designated evacuation site
bull The Department of Permitting Services would require a parking analysis for the property to ensure that parking for child care center employees as well as short-term pickups and drop-offs can be accommodated along with other uses on the property
Scale requirements
bull To minimize the need for subsidy it is important that a child care provider be able to operate a viable business at the site Center operators that were interviewed for this report suggested that the minimum operating size for a child care center to be stable and profitable would be between 70 to 100 children
bull The number of children that can be accommodated in a facility depends in large part on the specific age mix Younger children require more intensive staffing making these age groups more costly to serve Centers that offer infant and toddler care typically cross-subsidize younger age classrooms with income from higher age groups that have lower staffchild ratios Providers that operate more than one site also may subSidize the cost of infant care at one site with revenue from another
71Page
- a
- b
- c
-
providers (who must be licensed in Maryland to care full-time for any children outside their family) also face stiff price competition from illegal unlicensed home-based providers Between 2006 and 2015 the number of centers is projected to increase by 30 percent in Montgomery County while the number of small family-based licensed providers is projected to remain flat at around 10004
There are many different organizational models for child care centers The majority (72 percent) of centers in the US are commercial for-profit enterprises with non-profits and government providers accounting for most of the remaining market share 5 Child care centers can be locally-based enterprises with one or more locations or franchises of large national corporate chains Most centers in Montgomery County are either independent businesses in self-leased or owned space or service contractors operating facilities in public community or privately-owned space
Child care can be found in more places
Child care centers have flexible location options No longer relegated to homes suburbs or church basements child care is an increasingly visible part of the urban mix In Montgomery County there are child care facilities in office buildings libraries mixed-use developments transit centers community centers and hospitals The range of neighborhood care options has expanded as well with MCPS creating spaces in area schools for full-time infant toddler and preschool care and early education
Child care centers generate strong co-location advantages More developers around the country are building space for child care centers into their commercial and mixed-use projects with the expectation that a quality child care center will attract employers and skilled workers Shopping center owners are finding that leasing space to child care providers boosts retail traffic and occupancy rates with minimal parking impacts6
Child care space is adaptable While it may have more exacting safety and location requirements than other uses quality child care can be accommodated in a variety of new or retrofitted spaces If need be child care spaces can be expanded subdivided or converted to office retail school recreational or other uses Good design and flexible architecture help balance existing and future needs
More employers are supporting child care
Employers have become a critical feature in the child care landscape Child care is viewed by many employers as an important perk to help them attract and retain employees Employers have reported that offering child care support to their employees boosts recruitment reduces turnover and absenteeism and increased productivity On the downside some companies scaled back their support along with other benefits during the recession
Employer support takes many forms More employers especially large corporate institutional and government employers are creating space on-site for child care Where this is not feasible employers may contract with outside centers to offer discounts preferred access or other advantages to their employers Flexible spending accounts and direct subsidies are additional ways that employers can support the child care needs of employee families
The need for affordable quality care has outpaced supply
The cost of child care is high and rising Despite the recession average child care costs have risen steadily in Montgomery County In 2011 the average weekly cost of full-time center-based care for an infant or toddler in the County was $30669-a 136 percent increase over 2008 A family with
4 Montgomery County Child Care Resource and Referral Center S First Research
6 Ronald Reim Childcare centers taking bigger role in retail leasing mix Midwest Real Estate News May 2008
31Page ~
ct
both an infant and a preschooler in child care earning the Countywide median income for a family of four ($106248) currently would need to spend more than 22 percent of their income on child care 7
lower and moderate income families are especially challenged More than half (56 percent) of parents who reported they could not find child care in Montgomery County cited cost as the reason s
Many parents in the County face a difficult tradeoff between affordability and quality
long waiting lists are commonplace for quality affordable and conveniently located centers There is intense competition throughout the region for accredited moderately-priced centers that are located near higher density residential areas job and transit centers and schools Centers that offer infant and toddler care extended hours and other options are especially sought-after
Cost-containment options are limited Child care centers today can tap into a solid base of experienced managers trained professionals technical standards best practices advocacy and other resources to help them operate stable efficient and profitable businesses Even so establishing a child care center is a complex undertaking that can require substantial upfront knowledge planning and financial investment In addition some costs associated with providing quality care in a convenient location are unavoidable including regulatory compliance costs accreditation requirements lease costs and training and salary expenses
Young children in workingfamilies_ United States Montgomery County Wheaton COP
Children underage 61iving with parents 23347026 74235 5446 Parents in labor force 15077268 52979 3832
65 71 70 Two-parent families
Children under age 6 living with two parents 15015157 57271 3396 Both pa rents in I a bor force 8753696 38026 1972
58 66 58 Single-parent families
Children under age 6Iiving with one parent 8331869 16964 2050 Si ngl e pa rent in I a bor force 6323572 14953 1860
76 88 91
Source Montgomery County Planning Department analysis of US Census Bureau 2009-2011
American Community Su data
7 Montgomery County Child Care Resource and Referral Center 2011shybull Montgomery County Child Care Resource and Referral Center 2011
41Page
Preliminary need assessment
Potential demand for a child care center among M-NCPPC employees
An early first step would be to conduct a formal survey of M-NCPPC staff (and in any other partner organizations if relevant) to assess the potential level of interest in a center and identify programming special services and features that would best serve the target population
GSA recommends that needs assessment surveys be used with caution only 20 percent of interested users become actual users According to GSA 2 to 5 percent of federal employees currently use federal child care centers
Given the size of the commissions staff and likely fluctuations child day care requirements at any given time the Commission probably could not cost-effectively support a child care center for the dedicated use of county employees It should be assumed that capacity should be backfilled by opening spaces to families working in other government agencies organizations or business establishments especially those with which the Commission might partner in this project such as Montgomery County Government WMATA etc
Community need
The need assessment should include an analysis of community demographics in the vicinity of the proposed facility In particular this assessment should examine incomes female labor force participation rates and transit use
Data for Montgomery County as a whole suggests that most families with young children use or need child care services Seventy-one percent of children under the age of six in Montgomery County need a caregiver for at least a portion of the day so their parents can work This translates to around 53000 infants toddlers and preschoolers countywide needing child care services in some form or another For single parents there is very little choice 88 percent of children under age six living with one parent in Montgomery County require child care so the parent can work
Unmet demand is especially acute for certain age categories Most child care centers have very long wait lists for infant and toddler care Low mandatory staffchild ratios (13) make it more difficult for providers to serve families with children under the age of 2
Wait lists are commonplace for all age groups for many centers in the County Ucensed accredited centers tend to have competitive enrollment and wait lists for most age groups This is more likely to be the case for centers that are moderately-priced located in densely populated areas convenient to jobs homes or transit employer-sponsored or serving special needs children
Maryland staffchild ratios and maxiumum group size
Age Grou) Ratio Children per Classroom
0-18months 13 6
18 - 24 months 13 9
2 years 16 12
3-4 years 110 20
Syears orolder 115 30
Source Maryl and State Department of Education Division of Earlv Chil dhood Devei opmem
51Page
Existing market conditions in Wheaton
There is a dearth of licensed child care in downtown Wheaton
The map below shows the location and size of licensed 8-12 hour child care centers within a Yz 1 and 1 Yz mile radius of the Wheaton downtown area None of these centers are located at the Wheaton Metro Center
The Wheaton market probably could support a child care center
One non-profit child care chain in the County interviewed for this report indicated that they already have identified Wheaton as a prospective expansion site given the areas existing supply deficit transit-access and rising population and income forecasts
While a further analysis would be needed this suggests that it is highly likely that M-NCPPC could attract competitive bids from child care providers especially given the potential location of the facility
Licensed child care centers in vicinity of proposed Wheaton site
by capa city
bull 12 - 20
21 - 40
41 - 80
81 - 114
115-174
SOlJce M onl9011 County Planring Department Maryland State Department of Educaol LOCATE datligtase
61Pa ge
Operating requirements
Licensing
bull The Maryland State Department of Educations Office of Child Care (Ocq regulates most child care centers under COMAR 13A16 (Licensed Child Care Centers) The OCC Licensing Branch sets the maximum child capacity for each center individually within established guidelines
bull A minimum of 35 square feet of floor space must be provided for each child in care
bull A center shall have an outdoor activity area on the premises of adjacent to or near and safely accessible to the center that provides adequate usable play space for the approved capacity of the center The size of the outdoor play area must be at least 75 square feet of usable play space for one half of the approved capacity of the center Centers may secure a permit to use nearby parks and other green spaces to supply some of the required outdoor space subject to site-specific conditions such as traffic levels on any roads that must be crossed
bull The facility must pass OCC Fire Safety and all other required inspections before OCCwill issue a facility license Routine inspections are conducted at least three times every two years
ZoningFire SafetyPermitting
bull The possible site for the headquarters project is located in a CommercialResidential zone and day care center is a by-right use No special exception would be required for the facility
bull The Fire Marshal has detailed specifications governing child care centers One of the most significant is that infant and toddler rooms must be designed with direct outdoor egress to enable staff to roll evacuation cribs out of the building to the designated evacuation site
bull The Department of Permitting Services would require a parking analysis for the property to ensure that parking for child care center employees as well as short-term pickups and drop-offs can be accommodated along with other uses on the property
Scale requirements
bull To minimize the need for subsidy it is important that a child care provider be able to operate a viable business at the site Center operators that were interviewed for this report suggested that the minimum operating size for a child care center to be stable and profitable would be between 70 to 100 children
bull The number of children that can be accommodated in a facility depends in large part on the specific age mix Younger children require more intensive staffing making these age groups more costly to serve Centers that offer infant and toddler care typically cross-subsidize younger age classrooms with income from higher age groups that have lower staffchild ratios Providers that operate more than one site also may subSidize the cost of infant care at one site with revenue from another
71Page
- a
- b
- c
-
both an infant and a preschooler in child care earning the Countywide median income for a family of four ($106248) currently would need to spend more than 22 percent of their income on child care 7
lower and moderate income families are especially challenged More than half (56 percent) of parents who reported they could not find child care in Montgomery County cited cost as the reason s
Many parents in the County face a difficult tradeoff between affordability and quality
long waiting lists are commonplace for quality affordable and conveniently located centers There is intense competition throughout the region for accredited moderately-priced centers that are located near higher density residential areas job and transit centers and schools Centers that offer infant and toddler care extended hours and other options are especially sought-after
Cost-containment options are limited Child care centers today can tap into a solid base of experienced managers trained professionals technical standards best practices advocacy and other resources to help them operate stable efficient and profitable businesses Even so establishing a child care center is a complex undertaking that can require substantial upfront knowledge planning and financial investment In addition some costs associated with providing quality care in a convenient location are unavoidable including regulatory compliance costs accreditation requirements lease costs and training and salary expenses
Young children in workingfamilies_ United States Montgomery County Wheaton COP
Children underage 61iving with parents 23347026 74235 5446 Parents in labor force 15077268 52979 3832
65 71 70 Two-parent families
Children under age 6 living with two parents 15015157 57271 3396 Both pa rents in I a bor force 8753696 38026 1972
58 66 58 Single-parent families
Children under age 6Iiving with one parent 8331869 16964 2050 Si ngl e pa rent in I a bor force 6323572 14953 1860
76 88 91
Source Montgomery County Planning Department analysis of US Census Bureau 2009-2011
American Community Su data
7 Montgomery County Child Care Resource and Referral Center 2011shybull Montgomery County Child Care Resource and Referral Center 2011
41Page
Preliminary need assessment
Potential demand for a child care center among M-NCPPC employees
An early first step would be to conduct a formal survey of M-NCPPC staff (and in any other partner organizations if relevant) to assess the potential level of interest in a center and identify programming special services and features that would best serve the target population
GSA recommends that needs assessment surveys be used with caution only 20 percent of interested users become actual users According to GSA 2 to 5 percent of federal employees currently use federal child care centers
Given the size of the commissions staff and likely fluctuations child day care requirements at any given time the Commission probably could not cost-effectively support a child care center for the dedicated use of county employees It should be assumed that capacity should be backfilled by opening spaces to families working in other government agencies organizations or business establishments especially those with which the Commission might partner in this project such as Montgomery County Government WMATA etc
Community need
The need assessment should include an analysis of community demographics in the vicinity of the proposed facility In particular this assessment should examine incomes female labor force participation rates and transit use
Data for Montgomery County as a whole suggests that most families with young children use or need child care services Seventy-one percent of children under the age of six in Montgomery County need a caregiver for at least a portion of the day so their parents can work This translates to around 53000 infants toddlers and preschoolers countywide needing child care services in some form or another For single parents there is very little choice 88 percent of children under age six living with one parent in Montgomery County require child care so the parent can work
Unmet demand is especially acute for certain age categories Most child care centers have very long wait lists for infant and toddler care Low mandatory staffchild ratios (13) make it more difficult for providers to serve families with children under the age of 2
Wait lists are commonplace for all age groups for many centers in the County Ucensed accredited centers tend to have competitive enrollment and wait lists for most age groups This is more likely to be the case for centers that are moderately-priced located in densely populated areas convenient to jobs homes or transit employer-sponsored or serving special needs children
Maryland staffchild ratios and maxiumum group size
Age Grou) Ratio Children per Classroom
0-18months 13 6
18 - 24 months 13 9
2 years 16 12
3-4 years 110 20
Syears orolder 115 30
Source Maryl and State Department of Education Division of Earlv Chil dhood Devei opmem
51Page
Existing market conditions in Wheaton
There is a dearth of licensed child care in downtown Wheaton
The map below shows the location and size of licensed 8-12 hour child care centers within a Yz 1 and 1 Yz mile radius of the Wheaton downtown area None of these centers are located at the Wheaton Metro Center
The Wheaton market probably could support a child care center
One non-profit child care chain in the County interviewed for this report indicated that they already have identified Wheaton as a prospective expansion site given the areas existing supply deficit transit-access and rising population and income forecasts
While a further analysis would be needed this suggests that it is highly likely that M-NCPPC could attract competitive bids from child care providers especially given the potential location of the facility
Licensed child care centers in vicinity of proposed Wheaton site
by capa city
bull 12 - 20
21 - 40
41 - 80
81 - 114
115-174
SOlJce M onl9011 County Planring Department Maryland State Department of Educaol LOCATE datligtase
61Pa ge
Operating requirements
Licensing
bull The Maryland State Department of Educations Office of Child Care (Ocq regulates most child care centers under COMAR 13A16 (Licensed Child Care Centers) The OCC Licensing Branch sets the maximum child capacity for each center individually within established guidelines
bull A minimum of 35 square feet of floor space must be provided for each child in care
bull A center shall have an outdoor activity area on the premises of adjacent to or near and safely accessible to the center that provides adequate usable play space for the approved capacity of the center The size of the outdoor play area must be at least 75 square feet of usable play space for one half of the approved capacity of the center Centers may secure a permit to use nearby parks and other green spaces to supply some of the required outdoor space subject to site-specific conditions such as traffic levels on any roads that must be crossed
bull The facility must pass OCC Fire Safety and all other required inspections before OCCwill issue a facility license Routine inspections are conducted at least three times every two years
ZoningFire SafetyPermitting
bull The possible site for the headquarters project is located in a CommercialResidential zone and day care center is a by-right use No special exception would be required for the facility
bull The Fire Marshal has detailed specifications governing child care centers One of the most significant is that infant and toddler rooms must be designed with direct outdoor egress to enable staff to roll evacuation cribs out of the building to the designated evacuation site
bull The Department of Permitting Services would require a parking analysis for the property to ensure that parking for child care center employees as well as short-term pickups and drop-offs can be accommodated along with other uses on the property
Scale requirements
bull To minimize the need for subsidy it is important that a child care provider be able to operate a viable business at the site Center operators that were interviewed for this report suggested that the minimum operating size for a child care center to be stable and profitable would be between 70 to 100 children
bull The number of children that can be accommodated in a facility depends in large part on the specific age mix Younger children require more intensive staffing making these age groups more costly to serve Centers that offer infant and toddler care typically cross-subsidize younger age classrooms with income from higher age groups that have lower staffchild ratios Providers that operate more than one site also may subSidize the cost of infant care at one site with revenue from another
71Page
- a
- b
- c
-
Preliminary need assessment
Potential demand for a child care center among M-NCPPC employees
An early first step would be to conduct a formal survey of M-NCPPC staff (and in any other partner organizations if relevant) to assess the potential level of interest in a center and identify programming special services and features that would best serve the target population
GSA recommends that needs assessment surveys be used with caution only 20 percent of interested users become actual users According to GSA 2 to 5 percent of federal employees currently use federal child care centers
Given the size of the commissions staff and likely fluctuations child day care requirements at any given time the Commission probably could not cost-effectively support a child care center for the dedicated use of county employees It should be assumed that capacity should be backfilled by opening spaces to families working in other government agencies organizations or business establishments especially those with which the Commission might partner in this project such as Montgomery County Government WMATA etc
Community need
The need assessment should include an analysis of community demographics in the vicinity of the proposed facility In particular this assessment should examine incomes female labor force participation rates and transit use
Data for Montgomery County as a whole suggests that most families with young children use or need child care services Seventy-one percent of children under the age of six in Montgomery County need a caregiver for at least a portion of the day so their parents can work This translates to around 53000 infants toddlers and preschoolers countywide needing child care services in some form or another For single parents there is very little choice 88 percent of children under age six living with one parent in Montgomery County require child care so the parent can work
Unmet demand is especially acute for certain age categories Most child care centers have very long wait lists for infant and toddler care Low mandatory staffchild ratios (13) make it more difficult for providers to serve families with children under the age of 2
Wait lists are commonplace for all age groups for many centers in the County Ucensed accredited centers tend to have competitive enrollment and wait lists for most age groups This is more likely to be the case for centers that are moderately-priced located in densely populated areas convenient to jobs homes or transit employer-sponsored or serving special needs children
Maryland staffchild ratios and maxiumum group size
Age Grou) Ratio Children per Classroom
0-18months 13 6
18 - 24 months 13 9
2 years 16 12
3-4 years 110 20
Syears orolder 115 30
Source Maryl and State Department of Education Division of Earlv Chil dhood Devei opmem
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Existing market conditions in Wheaton
There is a dearth of licensed child care in downtown Wheaton
The map below shows the location and size of licensed 8-12 hour child care centers within a Yz 1 and 1 Yz mile radius of the Wheaton downtown area None of these centers are located at the Wheaton Metro Center
The Wheaton market probably could support a child care center
One non-profit child care chain in the County interviewed for this report indicated that they already have identified Wheaton as a prospective expansion site given the areas existing supply deficit transit-access and rising population and income forecasts
While a further analysis would be needed this suggests that it is highly likely that M-NCPPC could attract competitive bids from child care providers especially given the potential location of the facility
Licensed child care centers in vicinity of proposed Wheaton site
by capa city
bull 12 - 20
21 - 40
41 - 80
81 - 114
115-174
SOlJce M onl9011 County Planring Department Maryland State Department of Educaol LOCATE datligtase
61Pa ge
Operating requirements
Licensing
bull The Maryland State Department of Educations Office of Child Care (Ocq regulates most child care centers under COMAR 13A16 (Licensed Child Care Centers) The OCC Licensing Branch sets the maximum child capacity for each center individually within established guidelines
bull A minimum of 35 square feet of floor space must be provided for each child in care
bull A center shall have an outdoor activity area on the premises of adjacent to or near and safely accessible to the center that provides adequate usable play space for the approved capacity of the center The size of the outdoor play area must be at least 75 square feet of usable play space for one half of the approved capacity of the center Centers may secure a permit to use nearby parks and other green spaces to supply some of the required outdoor space subject to site-specific conditions such as traffic levels on any roads that must be crossed
bull The facility must pass OCC Fire Safety and all other required inspections before OCCwill issue a facility license Routine inspections are conducted at least three times every two years
ZoningFire SafetyPermitting
bull The possible site for the headquarters project is located in a CommercialResidential zone and day care center is a by-right use No special exception would be required for the facility
bull The Fire Marshal has detailed specifications governing child care centers One of the most significant is that infant and toddler rooms must be designed with direct outdoor egress to enable staff to roll evacuation cribs out of the building to the designated evacuation site
bull The Department of Permitting Services would require a parking analysis for the property to ensure that parking for child care center employees as well as short-term pickups and drop-offs can be accommodated along with other uses on the property
Scale requirements
bull To minimize the need for subsidy it is important that a child care provider be able to operate a viable business at the site Center operators that were interviewed for this report suggested that the minimum operating size for a child care center to be stable and profitable would be between 70 to 100 children
bull The number of children that can be accommodated in a facility depends in large part on the specific age mix Younger children require more intensive staffing making these age groups more costly to serve Centers that offer infant and toddler care typically cross-subsidize younger age classrooms with income from higher age groups that have lower staffchild ratios Providers that operate more than one site also may subSidize the cost of infant care at one site with revenue from another
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Existing market conditions in Wheaton
There is a dearth of licensed child care in downtown Wheaton
The map below shows the location and size of licensed 8-12 hour child care centers within a Yz 1 and 1 Yz mile radius of the Wheaton downtown area None of these centers are located at the Wheaton Metro Center
The Wheaton market probably could support a child care center
One non-profit child care chain in the County interviewed for this report indicated that they already have identified Wheaton as a prospective expansion site given the areas existing supply deficit transit-access and rising population and income forecasts
While a further analysis would be needed this suggests that it is highly likely that M-NCPPC could attract competitive bids from child care providers especially given the potential location of the facility
Licensed child care centers in vicinity of proposed Wheaton site
by capa city
bull 12 - 20
21 - 40
41 - 80
81 - 114
115-174
SOlJce M onl9011 County Planring Department Maryland State Department of Educaol LOCATE datligtase
61Pa ge
Operating requirements
Licensing
bull The Maryland State Department of Educations Office of Child Care (Ocq regulates most child care centers under COMAR 13A16 (Licensed Child Care Centers) The OCC Licensing Branch sets the maximum child capacity for each center individually within established guidelines
bull A minimum of 35 square feet of floor space must be provided for each child in care
bull A center shall have an outdoor activity area on the premises of adjacent to or near and safely accessible to the center that provides adequate usable play space for the approved capacity of the center The size of the outdoor play area must be at least 75 square feet of usable play space for one half of the approved capacity of the center Centers may secure a permit to use nearby parks and other green spaces to supply some of the required outdoor space subject to site-specific conditions such as traffic levels on any roads that must be crossed
bull The facility must pass OCC Fire Safety and all other required inspections before OCCwill issue a facility license Routine inspections are conducted at least three times every two years
ZoningFire SafetyPermitting
bull The possible site for the headquarters project is located in a CommercialResidential zone and day care center is a by-right use No special exception would be required for the facility
bull The Fire Marshal has detailed specifications governing child care centers One of the most significant is that infant and toddler rooms must be designed with direct outdoor egress to enable staff to roll evacuation cribs out of the building to the designated evacuation site
bull The Department of Permitting Services would require a parking analysis for the property to ensure that parking for child care center employees as well as short-term pickups and drop-offs can be accommodated along with other uses on the property
Scale requirements
bull To minimize the need for subsidy it is important that a child care provider be able to operate a viable business at the site Center operators that were interviewed for this report suggested that the minimum operating size for a child care center to be stable and profitable would be between 70 to 100 children
bull The number of children that can be accommodated in a facility depends in large part on the specific age mix Younger children require more intensive staffing making these age groups more costly to serve Centers that offer infant and toddler care typically cross-subsidize younger age classrooms with income from higher age groups that have lower staffchild ratios Providers that operate more than one site also may subSidize the cost of infant care at one site with revenue from another
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Operating requirements
Licensing
bull The Maryland State Department of Educations Office of Child Care (Ocq regulates most child care centers under COMAR 13A16 (Licensed Child Care Centers) The OCC Licensing Branch sets the maximum child capacity for each center individually within established guidelines
bull A minimum of 35 square feet of floor space must be provided for each child in care
bull A center shall have an outdoor activity area on the premises of adjacent to or near and safely accessible to the center that provides adequate usable play space for the approved capacity of the center The size of the outdoor play area must be at least 75 square feet of usable play space for one half of the approved capacity of the center Centers may secure a permit to use nearby parks and other green spaces to supply some of the required outdoor space subject to site-specific conditions such as traffic levels on any roads that must be crossed
bull The facility must pass OCC Fire Safety and all other required inspections before OCCwill issue a facility license Routine inspections are conducted at least three times every two years
ZoningFire SafetyPermitting
bull The possible site for the headquarters project is located in a CommercialResidential zone and day care center is a by-right use No special exception would be required for the facility
bull The Fire Marshal has detailed specifications governing child care centers One of the most significant is that infant and toddler rooms must be designed with direct outdoor egress to enable staff to roll evacuation cribs out of the building to the designated evacuation site
bull The Department of Permitting Services would require a parking analysis for the property to ensure that parking for child care center employees as well as short-term pickups and drop-offs can be accommodated along with other uses on the property
Scale requirements
bull To minimize the need for subsidy it is important that a child care provider be able to operate a viable business at the site Center operators that were interviewed for this report suggested that the minimum operating size for a child care center to be stable and profitable would be between 70 to 100 children
bull The number of children that can be accommodated in a facility depends in large part on the specific age mix Younger children require more intensive staffing making these age groups more costly to serve Centers that offer infant and toddler care typically cross-subsidize younger age classrooms with income from higher age groups that have lower staffchild ratios Providers that operate more than one site also may subSidize the cost of infant care at one site with revenue from another
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