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The major issues or concerns for agency services to be addressed in the TDP include: <br /> Alternative 4: Implement Smart Start/ Orange County Partnership for Young Children <br /> Transportation <br /> NCDOT has provided OPT with two vans for provision of transportation services to children <br /> under the state's Smart Start initiative. In Orange County, the Smart Start program is operated through <br /> the Orange County Partnership for Young Children (OCPYC). There is currently no operating plan for <br /> these vehicles. There are two key issues: <br /> -- OCPYC is providing Smart Start scholarships to low-income families to access child care, <br /> providing the family with the option of which child care service, its location, and <br /> schedule. While this provides maximum choice to the parents, it makes the development <br /> of routes to carry children to centers very difficult, since any kind of group transportation <br /> is based on the ridership having destinations and schedules in common. It is likely that <br /> the two vans would have to be used to provide service from particular communities to <br /> particular centers on schedules to begin to be cost-effective. <br /> -- Pre-school children riding without parents need to have a monitor or escort in addition <br /> to the driver. Head Start transportation services operated by OPT have such a <br /> requirement, and the monitors are provided by Head Start. OPT has suggested the same <br /> arrangement to OCPYC, and OCPYC has suggested that some parents might be willing <br /> to volunteer as monitors. OCPYC has committed to provide the monitors, if a service <br /> arrangement can be worked out. <br /> Parent choice for child care provision is a basic part of the child care program, and based on the <br /> OCPYC comments on this issue, neither OPT or OCPYC can (or should) dictate which center a parent <br /> should choose. However, without changing that requirement, there are at least two ways to go forward <br /> that would be more productive than letting the vehicles sit idle: <br /> • Alternative A: Identify one or two subscription routes and offer service on a <br /> subscription basis: It is likely that transportation services can only be offered on particular <br /> routes and schedules which could be developed to provide Smart Start transportation routes <br /> in areas with higher numbers of high-risk children at the times that a number of families <br /> could use. It will require some detailed route planning. This would not involve dictating to <br /> parents where to take their children, but would simply say that transportation is only available <br /> in a certain area at a certain time to certain centers. OPT could operate the service as <br /> originally proposed, with OCPYC paying the operating costs. OCPYC would provide the <br /> monitors, and would work with OPT to develop the subscription routes. Implementation <br /> would begin with a small base. <br /> • Alternative B: The Smart Start vehicles could be operated by a third agency on behalf <br /> of OPCYC: There are already some agencies that provide transportation to special needs <br /> children to centers. OPCYC could decide to focus the transportation program on special needs <br /> -34- <br />