Dear City Council, Thank you for the effort of keeping the city running in this challenging time. Once again, I'd like to urge the city council to recognize the irreplaceable value of the two childcare centers. Here is some basic calculation: 1. The short-term deficit reduction of shutting down the childcare center is only marginal. For example, closing MCC saves $101,548. That is about 29 months lease for a 2-bedroom apartment near MCC, currently priced at around $3,500/m. Since children go to the same childcare for many years, it only takes one family to move away from central Menlo Park to break even. 2. The median household income in Menlo Park is $147,824. According to the recent survey, 40% of MCC families have identified themselves as essential workers. The long term economic impact of closing the childcare centers is going to be much worse. 3. Since delaying the reopening process will increase the deficit, it is beneficial to open the school earlier. Especially considering the recent survey shows 90% of MCC families will be sending their children back to school as soon as the shelter-in-place is lifted. I sincerely hope wise decisions can be made with regard to the future of the childcare centers. Best regards Chuan Li Received on Tue May 19 2020 - 09:21:43 PDT
