One night earlier, the board of the parent-run daycare had informed the staffers that the center, overseen by the U.S. General Services Administration, was being taken over by an outside provider: Easter Seals, a nonprofit that provides social services. The staff--a diverse group of just over twenty full-time employees--worried that the quality of care at the center would decline under a new administrator: The handover would mean lower tuition, but less staff planning time, higher teacher-to-child ratios, and lower wages for some. The staff, dismayed by the news, huddled after the board meeting. "Someone said, 'Let's call in sick tomorrow,' and we all agreed," says Millie Bowens, who's worked with toddlers at the center for four years.
Though parents were surprised by the sudden one-day walkout, staff members say that once they heard the explanation, most understood. The staff hoped the walkout would drive parents to attend a meeting that afternoon between the board and parents, to discuss the details of the switch.
Little Eagles, which merged administrative operations with another center, Green Tree, in 2001, is already a high-end, nationally accredited center. The two centers have had a few administrative bumps since merging, staffers admit--namely, a struggle to increase enrollment of children of federal workers, a GSA requirement. The board hoped that Easter Seals would be able to boost federal families' enrollment by slashing tuition 15 percent.
At the Thursday meeting, parents spoke out about the plan. "They said, 'The reason we're here and pay high tuition is because of the great staff,'" says one person who attended the meeting. The Easter Seals plan--described as an "efficient staff model" by Easter Seals Washington's President and CEO, Cathy Bisaillon--would mean a cut in wages for some staff, and a loss of planning time for others. The ratio of teachers to children would drop, from a low one teacher for every four toddlers to one teacher for every six. "The complete quality of the work environment would change," complains one staffer.
Bisaillon disagrees, stressing that Easter Seals already runs three top-notch Seattle-area GSA centers. Two are nationally accredited, and the third is on the verge of accreditation. "The proposal I submitted was all about improving quality [at Little Eagles and Green Tree]," she says, by streamlining operations. "[It] duplicates the staffing model at our other GSA centers. They all have the highest possible survey results from our parents."
Since the meeting with parents, the board has been trying to make amends. The board president issued an apology to the staff for the communication gaps. And the decision to bring in Easter Seals is no longer final. Several board members have stepped down due to the controversy, staffers report. (Board members did not return calls for comment.) Now, a taskforce of staff and parents has until the end of June to draft its own plan. They could go with Easter Seals, or keep the existing parent-run model. "I hope that the parent board will continue to run this center, and we can continue to do what we have been doing so well," says Bowens. "There has to be a solution out there, other than have someone take over."
