RE: Childcare during meetings
From: Rob Sandelin (Exchange) (RobsanExchange.MICROSOFT.com)
Date: Thu, 11 Apr 1996 17:45:43 -0500
At Sharingwood the whole group pays for childcare during our monthly
general meetings, it is a budget item on our annual budget. We hire two
local teenage girls and members (usually parents) sign up to coordinate
which means finding the place, providing the snack and arranging the
scheduling and transportation for the sitters. It has never  been
discussed to not fund childcare out of community funds. I doubt it will
ever become a point of contention.  Caring for the children is the
responsibility of the whole group, that's one of the main concepts of
community within cohousing as we understand it anyway.  Other aspects of
this notion, such as setting rules for kids, discipline for breaking
community rules or social rules (like stealing or hurting someone else)
create endless opportunities for discussion amoung adults and parents.

Its also really small change financially, probably something like $1.50
a month per person and the difference in what it would cost would amount
to about 50 cents. I could not imagine any one at Sharingwood who would
not be willing to chip in $1.50 for childcare.

Smaller groups, such as committee meetings tend to not have childcare,
folks either have a neighbor watch their kids, bring em with to the
meeting, or just let their kids play in the general community housing
area counting on the fact that any handy adult will help any kid in
distress or with a problem. (This is highly age dependent of course) In
the winter or on rainy days kids generally just go over to a friends
house to play or come with their parent. In the spring, summer and fall
during non-rainy days most the community kids are outside playing until
TDTS (too dark to see).

Rob Sandelin
Sharingwood
(Should rename it to Camp Sharingwood)

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