Resolution Regarding the Cornell Child Care Center for Consideration by the University Assembly

WHEREAS the university opened the Cornell Child Care Center with a mission to improve the University’s support of work/life balance for its faculty, staff, and students by increasing the availability of on site, high quality child care,

WHEREAS then-Provost Biddy Martin announced a plan for a Cornell Child Care Center in September 2006, and granted administrative control of the center to Human Resources, who chose to enter into a contract with a for-profit company Bright Horizons Family Solutions, founded by a Cornell alumna and donor Linda Mason, but currently owned in whole by the private equity firm, Bain Capital, for the management of the Center,

WHEREAS the University had expectations that Bright Horizons was a company with the ability and willingness to tailor its program to specific sites and that Bright Horizons would create a facility that was uniquely Cornell,

WHEREAS the University expected Bright Horizons to exhibit knowledge of best practices in the field of early care and education in the design and operation of the center, to hire an administrative team for the Center with prior experience in managing a child care center, to draw on Cornell faculty and staff’s expertise in child development theory, and to maintain a program that can serve as a model for others,

WHEREAS the University Assembly supports the Center’s Universal Prekindergarten collaboration with the Ithaca City School District because it promotes access to quality early childhood education, provides additional resources to the Center for staff development, classroom materials and equipment, and provides Cornell families resources to support the healthy development and growth of their children,

WHEREAS Cornell’s present and future families deserve and will expect the highest quality day care for their children,

WHEREAS the performance of the Cornell Child Care Center since its opening in August of 2008 has been poor, such that parents/guardians who had spots at the center have since left for reasons including unacceptable rates of incident reports to Child Protective Services, unacceptable rates of teacher turnover, insufficient teacher/child ratios, and dissatisfaction with the curriculum and gross motor play space,

WHEREAS Human Resources responded to feedback and conducted its own comprehensive parent survey of the Cornell Child Care Center in the fall of 2009, and its results revealed that dissatisfaction with the center is high, even among those parents who have chosen to remain at the center, with 28% of the remaining parents reporting they were considering leaving due to quality of care,

WHEREAS the survey shows that 41% of respondents had their child’s teacher change five or more times, and the pattern of teacher departures, including senior teachers with well respected records and reputations in the community, is alarming,

WHEREAS the corporate culture demonstrated by Bright Horizons in the past nineteen months focuses too much on structures for discipline of staff and too little on training opportunities and support for teachers,

WHEREAS Bright Horizons has failed to create a Center that takes advantage of Cornell’s unique resources, neither its field trip opportunities nor the available input from its early childhood experts,

WHEREAS mounting evidence suggests that Bright Horizons’ corporate culture has prevented it from being responsive to and serving the unique needs of this community of families in an exemplary fashion,

BE IT RESOLVED that Human Resources begin looking at alternative child care service providers to operate the Center in the event that Cornell decides to sever or not renew the contract with Bright Horizons.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that Human Resources bring an independent child development consultant to do an Early Childhood Environmental Rating Scale (ECRS) and an Infant and Toddler Environmental Rating Scale (ITERS) at the Center, which will identify areas that need improvement and set up a plan. Then schedule a follow-up ECRS and ITERS at an interval recommended by the consultant to give the University a clear measure of progress made. Information about these scales can be obtained from the Child Development Council.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that Human Resources instruct Bright Horizons to add local experts on early childhood education to their Leadership team (in addition to the parent representatives) and to continue the Quarterly Joint Review (QJR) meetings on a permanent basis.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that Human Resources regularly update the University Assembly’s Child Care Services Subcommittee on the progress of the QJR meetings.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the University Assembly expresses its appreciation for Human Resources’ initiative, led by Linda Croll Howell, to conduct a thorough parent survey and requests that another parent survey be conducted in June 2010.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that Human Resources track the number of parents leaving the center, invite them to share their concerns, and prepare quarterly reports that explain the pattern of such departures to the University Assembly’s Child Care Services Subcommittee.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that since staff turnover rate is one of the key indicators of program quality and has a great impact on children’s outcomes and experience, in June 2010, Human Resources will again look at the rate and number of teachers leaving. In addition to reviewing the exit interviews staff report to Bright Horizons, Human Resources will invite departing staff to share their concerns directly with Human Resources.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that Human Resources require Bright Horizons to increase paid teacher training opportunities. Training should include classes outside of the Bright Horizons framework, including those offered by local and regional experts and by the Early Care and Learning Council.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that Human Resources reserve a spot in the next available 5 day Harold D. Craft Leadership Program (HDCLP) for the Center Director and make it possible for a contract employee to attend. Ask Bright Horizons to have the Center Director attend and to supply a substitute to work at the Center during that time. In addition, convey that the University Assembly expects that the Center Director understand the work culture at Cornell and be a visionary and responsive leader who is an expert in the care and education of very young children and a supportive resource to the staff.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that Human Resources act to improve teacher/student ratios in all rooms at the Center, starting with bringing the ratio the infant rooms to either 6:2 or 8:3.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that for the next six months, Human Resources or a hired consultant evaluate how staff absences are handled and the issues of temporarily moving children to other classrooms and reassigning staff to serve as substitutes and make recommendations for any improvements needed.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that for the next six months, Human Resources monitor whether staff are receiving their daily breaks and weekly planning time.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that in June 2010, Human Resources again look at the number and severity of incidents reported to New York State and what the Center is doing to follow up on these situations, including the reports of inadequate staff credentials.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that Human Resources acts to sever the University’s contract with Bright Horizons if rates of teacher turnover are not within community norms as reported by the Child Development Council by fall 2010.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that Human Resources consult with the Center’s Parent Advisory Committee and the University Assembly’s Child Care Services Subcommittee to determine if the incidents reported to the state have become so serious as to warrant severing the University’s contract with Bright Horizons.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that Human Resources acts to sever the University’s contract with Bright Horizons if they do not complete all responsibilities as outlined in the contract with the Ithaca City School District for Universal Pre- Kindergarten, including submission of paperwork in a timely manner, quarterly reporting of children’s progress, and reporting of teachers’ participation in staff development, in order to maintain their contract in good standing as a Universal Pre-K community site in 2010–2011.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that Human Resources acts to sever the University’s contract with Bright Horizons if parent and teacher satisfaction remain unacceptably low or if Human Resources determines other grounds on which Bright Horizons has not honored its agreements with Cornell.

Respectfully submitted,

Brenda J. Marston,
Chair, University Assembly Child Care Services Subcommittee