Rancho Mirage Approves $2 Million Grant to Eisenhower Health for Employee Childcare Center
Get AI-powered insights, summaries, and transcripts
Sign Up Free
Summary
The council voted 5–0 on June 5 to award a $2,000,000 grant to the Eisenhower Health Foundation to support a 17,000‑square‑foot childcare center intended to serve Eisenhower employees on a sliding‑scale tuition model and to help with staff recruitment and retention.
The Rancho Mirage City Council on June 5 approved a $2,000,000 grant to the Eisenhower Health Foundation to support construction of a childcare center intended primarily to serve Eisenhower employees, voting 5–0 to authorize the award.
Monica Vasquez, director of community giving for Eisenhower Health, told council the center is part of a broader $279,000,000 capital campaign and will be a 17,000‑square‑foot facility with outdoor play space located across the street from Eisenhower’s main campus. Vasquez said the center will operate on a sliding‑scale tuition model and will be available to employees at all levels so that workers from housekeeping to physicians have access to the same classrooms and care.
“It’s not just a building, it’s a statement of support of the people who care for us every day,” Vasquez said during the presentation. Eisenhower officials said the center will be operated by Bright Horizons, a nationally known child‑care operator, and that it is sited adjacent to a planned memory‑care facility to encourage intergenerational programming.
Supporters on the council described the grant as a workforce development investment. Council members said the center will help Eisenhower with recruitment and retention of medical professionals and support staff, keep families in the community, and bolster the local economy. Council members noted Eisenhower’s role as a major regional employer during floor discussion.
Members of the public offered mixed views at the hearing. A resident, Patrick Lowery, said he supported childcare in principle but opposed using $2,000,000 in city funds for the project, calling the amount “a lot of money.” Another commenter questioned whether the center would be open to the broader community and suggested alternate uses for the funds.
Mayor Pro Tem Molado made the motion to approve the grant; the motion passed on a 5–0 vote. Council directed staff to finalize the grant agreement and return any required documents for execution.