Strategic Plan: Non-Housing Community Development Plan:
Public Facility Needs

According to Elderly Services Agency (ESA), a dependent care facility is still needed that could include senior day care, senior respite care, and possibly child care. The Johnson County Department of Public Health Adult Day Program (ADP) has been in operation since August 1979 and is the only program in Johnson County that offers short term respite care for high functioning frail elderly without medical needs during the day. ADP was previously located at the Senior Center but State regulations require a specific amount of program space per participant. To meet the new requirements the program was forced to move. ADP is now located in leased space at Greenwood. Though a temporary solution, the client area criteria was met. This Greenwood space, however, did not create enough room to handle the future needs of the program. A restriction on accepting new clients was adopted until a permanent solution is attained. At present, the program has been working on a plan to acquire space or build a new facility.

Childcare issues have repeatedly arisen at CITY STEPS meetings and through discussions with staff members of the 4Cs (Community Coordinated Child Care) program in Iowa City. In the past year, the 4Cs Resource and Referral Program conducted 1,050 parent intakes, listed 348 individual child care providers, distributed 7,000 directories of child care services with 60 child care center and preschool entries, and provided consumer education as requested. According to 4Cs statistics, documented childcare needs in the Johnson County area have increased dramatically. The unmet needs are strongly focused on infant care; before/after school care, and care for children whose parents work second shift, third shift and weekends.

Youth Homes, Inc., Mayor's Youth Employment Program (MYEP) and United Action for Youth (UAY) have facilities for their own use. Clients heavily use these facilities. As such, the facilities are continually in need of renovations and improvements. The youth services providers feel that there may possibly be a need for a youth recreational center, organized and run by youths, in the future.

Youth Homes' PAL (Pursuing Adventures in Learning) program is an after school and day treatment program for preadolescents and middle school children (ages 6 -15) who have behavior disorders. PAL currently uses leased or donated space that may not be available in the future, meaning that another site will need to be purchased or leased.

The PAL program's objectives state that it would like to provide summer day treatment services to at least 25 children with behavior disorders and school-year day treatment services to at least 15 children with behavior disorders. To meet these goals it needs one full-time day treatment coordinator, 5.4 FTE Youth Counselors and Youth Counselor Associates, office space, dayroom space, and two vans, in addition to a permanent site.

The ARC of Johnson County is working to improve summer/before/after school care options for adolescents over the age of 12 with developmental disabilities. Historically this need had been met by Handicare, but that agency has determined they can no longer provide quality services for children over age 12.

Neighborhood Centers of Johnson County operates neighborhood centers in the Broadway and Pheasant Ridge neighborhoods. These centers offer childcare, a drop-in area, general meeting areas, counseling areas, staff offices, and small kitchens. Pheasant Ridge consists of 248 apartments, with 231 subsidized through the federal Section 8 program for very low-income families. It is a multi-cultural neighborhood where a majority of the families are minorities and/or are foreign-born. About 200 youth reside in the complex, many of which are from single-parent families.

The Broadway Center was renovated in 1998, using CDBG funds, to expand the childcare areas therefore increasing the capacity at the center. However, a public meeting conducted at Pheasant Ridge in September 1999 indicated a dire need for childcare and transportation options in both the Broadway and Pheasant Ridge neighborhoods. Many residents reported that a lack of affordable childcare prohibited them from pursuing an education or obtaining employment.

According to the City of Iowa City Neighborhood Services Coordinator, the Miller/Orchard Neighborhood is most in need of a park to provide residents a place to take their children, congregate, and simply enjoy the open space. According to the Iowa City Comprehensive Plan, Miller/Orchard is the only developed district without an easily accessible park. The Neighborhood Open Space Plan states that a neighborhood needs 3 acres per 1,000 persons, which means this area has a need of 7.35 acres of open space. In response to this need the City worked with the neighborhood to secure CDBG monies and City Park funds to purchase 2 acres of open space. This still leaves this neighborhood with a deficit of 5.35 acres. In addition, the neighborhood has had discussions with adjacent landowners about the donation of additional property for the park.

While the number of patients and services offered at the Free Medical Clinic is growing, the existing facilities are adequate at this time. CDBG funds were used in 1997 to renovate the space; however, it is anticipated that over the next five years the demand will exceed the current space. In addition, a dental clinic operates out of the Free Medical Clinic. This service places an increased burden on the facility and could further the potential for a lack of space.