CHILD CARE AMONG CENTER'S GOALS

The Family Resource Center Inc. hopes to have some type of program up and running within six months to serve Cape Girardeau's south side.

Edythe Davis, who serves on the center's board of directors, said members are focusing on what types of programs need to be offered and where the center can be located.

The initial program -- possibly some type of child care service -- would probably require temporary housing until a permanent facility for the center is found, Davis said. Members are "investigating the possibility" of renting space.

"If we do nothing more than an after school latchkey program, we've made a difference," she said.

Child care will be a key part of the Family Resource Center's service to the community, Davis said.

A subcommittee of the center's board will meet Wednesday to discuss what types of child care services are needed for families on the south side.

While traditional day-care programs are necessary, so are drop-off programs and other special services, board members say.

Child care is "very expensive," Davis said, "but without that, people who haven't got jobs are never going to be able to get one."

Helping families make the transition from welfare to work will be a big component of the Family Resource Center's mission, she said.

"So many of the parents, particularly single parents, really can't get to work because they don't have a baby sitter. They don't have a car. They don't know how to dress for a job," Davis said. "We want to be a part of that. We want to have a computer center where they can learn those skills. We want to have a day-care center."

Board members are studying what types of programs -- child care, recreational, educational, health and others -- are most needed to help south side families.

Davis said the board envisions the center as a central resource for recreational, social and educational services.

"We still want this to be a community center that they want to go to, that they're comfortable in, that is a benefit to them," she said.

The questions of funding and location also have to be addressed as board members look at what types of programs to offer.

Last month, the board met with two consultants from St. Louis about the costs of renovating the old St. Francis Hospital building for the center. The old hospital is at Pacific and Good Hope streets.

Cost figures are still being collected, but turning the old hospital into a usable facility won't be cheap. Initial estimates are a minimum of $6.5 million, with renovation work taking an estimated two years to complete.

The consultants are working on more concrete cost figures. The actual cost will depend to some extent on how the building is used.

Davis said the board is seriously considering the old hospital building as a potential facility.

"What we're trying to do is get through these first phases," she said. "Somebody has got to give us some figures so we know where to go for funding."

Board members plan to meet with Gov. Mel Carnahan to discuss possible funding to renovate the old hospital or other possible sites, Davis said, adding that other sites are also being considered.

"We're going to have the program some place," she said, "but we see the whole issue of the old hospital and renovation as such an important action for this part of the city that we'd like to do both."

Not everyone on the south side wants to see the old hospital renovated. Some would rather see it demolished, saying it is a safety hazard and a blight on the neighborhood.

Steve Williams, a member of the board of directors and the city's housing assistance coordinator, said the consultants from St. Louis would like to see a list of what types of services the board hopes to offer and estimates on how much space those services will require.

Davis suggested waiting until plans for child-care services are more developed.

The consultants are working with the board at no cost.

Janet Maevers, board president, said the board hasn't committed to contracting with them or any other group.