The East Hampton Town Board is expected to vote tonight to select Project Most, which runs after-school programs in the East Hampton and Springs School Districts and summer camps and other enrichment programs throughout the year, to operate the child care program at the Montauk Playhouse Community Center when the Economic Opportunity Council of Suffolk ceases its operations there.
The Economic Opportunity Council has operated the child care program at the Playhouse for 17 years, but recently announced that it will cease operations there effective May 3, leaving many Montauk families uncertain as to future provision of child care in the hamlet. The decision was financial, Adrian Fassett, its executive director, told The Star last month. The council had operated the child care program at a loss for years, with enrollment at less than half the 59 children it is licensed to serve. In Patchogue, by contrast, the organization cares for 95 to 105 children every day.
Staffing challenges were also an issue, Mr. Fassett said, given long commutes for some employees and the need to pay others a higher-than-usual salary due to the high cost of living in the hamlet.
The child care facility at the Playhouse serves infants, toddlers, and children as old as 6.
The town board voted to issue a request for proposals for a new day care provide for young children days after the Economic Opportunity Council announced that it would discontinue its services. The move closely followed testimony from half a dozen residents at the board’s Feb. 1 meeting, including several whose children attend the day care center. Proposals were due on Feb. 27.
On Tuesday, Diane Patrizio, director of the town’s Human Services Department, told the board that an evaluation committee had reviewed all respondents’ proposals, and all had been deemed qualified. “The evaluation committee attended a face-to-face interview with each of the respondents,” she said, “at which time they made presentations, asked questions, and questions were answered. All were once again found qualified.”
“It is the opinion of the evaluation committee that Project Most put forth the best plan to keep the existing child care center running,” Ms. Patrizio said. “They plan to begin by observing the program and listening to the needs and wants of family, staff, and community.” The nonprofit Project Most “feels it’s essential to align their organization with the Montauk community and their needs,” she said.
Supervisor Kathee Burke-Gonzalez said that a letter would be issued to the families with children attending the child care program informing them that Project Most has been proposed to succeed the Economic Opportunity Council. A formal vote to accept that recommendation will happen at the board’s meeting tonight, she said, “and we’ve also discussed that it’s going to take time for Project Most to get all their certification in place.” The board plans to provide an emergency grant to the Economic Opportunity Council “so that they continue their program until the first week of July, so that there’s no break in service for our hardworking families in Montauk.”
“We are excited at the prospect of expanding Project Most to Montauk,” John McGovern, president of the Project Most board, said in a statement issued on Tuesday. “This expansion offers a multitude of opportunities to broaden the reach and support of our programming. It’s a great opportunity to highlight the amazing programs we have developed with a professional team, some of which we will be able to offer in Montauk. We look forward to getting to know the Montauk community.”
With Reporting by Christine Sampson