Ward 2 Alderman Maryann M. Heuston successfully put through a resolution to provide child care services for families that wish to attend public meetings.

By Jim Clark

A resolution sponsored by Ward 2 Alderman Maryann M. Heuston that the Administration arrange child care during city-sponsored meetings, especially the fall ResiStat meetings, all Union Square planning meetings, and the yet-to-be scheduled Lincoln Park Neighborhood meeting was brought forward at the Board of Aldermen’s regular meeting last Thursday evening, October 8.

Specifically, the resolution asked that the Administration make arrangements for and provide rooms, activities and resources to make child care available during such city sponsored meetings.

In advocating for the resolution, Alderman Heuston told the Board, “We do supply translation services at a lot of our meetings. I’ve been getting a lot of feedback from my constituents in Ward 2. Many of them have young families. They’ve been finding it very hard to make a lot of the planning meetings around Union Square. I notice no child care at any of the ResiStat meetings. And so I think for those of us who don’t have children, people who are young professionals, or are lucky enough to have in-home child care, they can make the meetings.”

Heuston went on to say that she is becoming concerned that some of her constituents are not able to give their opinions about what is going on in their ward.

“I think that this is a really important issues for the city to address,” said Heuston. “As equally important as translation services at meetings, which when they are not there they exclude certain people from participating.”

Heuston asked the Board to take the resolution into consideration, at which time it was approved without opposition.