care on-site for 104 children at the Denver Federal Center. This center, which opened in May 1988, is operated under the auspices of the Denver Cooperative Administrative Support Unit. The most recent and ambitious child care center opened on October 31, 1990, in Herndon, Va., just down the road from the USGS National Center in Reston. This center, 3 years in the making, is the result of the combined efforts of six Federal agencies located in Reston: the USGS, the Minerals Management Service (another bureau of the Department of the Interior), the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the Central Intelligence Agency, the Defense Mapping Agency, and the Defense Communications Agency. The USGS served as lead agency, JIM PARLE AND PEYTON FLORENCE JIM PARLE AND PEYTON FLORENCE and representatives from the group contracted with a child care consultant who paved the way for the many steps required to develop a center from scratch. Working with GSA, the group found suitable space located within a predetermined radius of the participating agencies; GSA leased the space and provided construction oversight for the use of design specifications prepared by the participating agencies. The agency representatives incorporated as the Federal Children's Center and elected a Founding Board of Directors, which undertook tasks ranging from obtaining permits and licenses to selecting and purchasing furniture, toys, and equipment. The Board oversaw the hiring of staff, development of curriculum, selection of a food service program, and establishment of policies such as hours of operation, application procedures, and a fee structure. The Federal Children's Center is unique in the Reston area in that it addresses the severe shortage of space within the community for the care of infants. Sixty percent of the available 99 slots are for children ages 3 and under, and 20 of these spaces are reserved for children as young as 3 months old. The Center has the capacity to expand to 150 children if necessary. Plans are being made for an emergency drop-off program for parents whose child care arrangements are interrupted, and the Board is looking into programs for after school and summer vacation care. As with other USGS child care centers, operating expenses will be covered by tuition and fees. A scholarship program, for those needing tuition assistance, will be established with funds from the Center's future participation in the Combined Federal Campaign, from an aluminum recycling program (a can collection site is on the grounds of the National Center), and from parent-sponsored fund-raising activities. The USGS will continue to support efforts to assist employees in finding affordable, quality child care close to the workplace. Employees in Flagstaff, Ariz., have developed a proposal for a child care center for 30 children, including participation by other local Federal agencies; this proposal is being evaluated for funding support. In addition, as centers are developed by other Federal organizations, the USGS will respond to invitations to participate where employee needs for child care assistance are evident. Guide to Information and Publications Earth Science Information To obtain information on cartographic data and on earth science programs, publications, and services, or to obtain copies of reports and maps, write or visit U.S. Geological Survey Earth Science Information Centers at the following addresses: Alaska: Room 101 4230 University Dr. Anchorage, AK 99508-4664 Room G-84 605 West 4th Ave. Anchorage, AK 99501 California: Federal Bldg., Room 7638 300 N. Los Angeles St. Los Angeles, CA 90012 Room 3128 532 Bldg. 3 345 Middlefield Rd. Menlo Park, CA 94025 504 Custom House 555 Battery St. San Francisco, CA 94111 Colorado: 169 Federal Bldg. 1961 Stout St. Denver, CO 80294 Room 1813 504 Denver Federal Center, Bldg. 25 Box 25046 Denver, CO 80225-0046 District of Columbia: Main Interior Bldg., Room 2650 1849 C St., NW. Washington, DC 20240 (When visiting, use E St. entrance.) Mississippi: Bldg. 3101 Stennis Space Center Bay St. Louis, MS 39529 Missouri: Room 231 1400 Independence Rd. Rolla, MO 65401 Utah: 8105 Federal Bldg. 125 S. State St. Salt Lake City, UT 84138 Virginia: Room 1C-402 507 National Center 12201 Sunrise Valley Dr. Reston, VA 22092 Washington: 678 U.S. Courthouse W. 920 Riverside Ave. Spokane, WA 99201 Water Information To obtain assistance in locating sources of water data, identifying sites at which data have been collected, and obtaining specific information, write: U.S. Geological Survey National Water Data Exchange 421 National Center 12201 Sunrise Valley Dr. Reston, VA 22092 Water-Data Aquisition Activities To obtain information on ongoing and planned water-data acquisition activities of all Federal agencies and many non-Federal organizations, write: U.S. Geological Survey Office of Water Data Coordination 417 National Center 12201 Sunrise Valley Dr. Reston, VA 22092 Fiscal year 19901 enacted $111,527 Budget Information USGS budget authority for fiscal year 1990, by appropriation, for surveys, investigations, and research (SIR) [Dollars in thousands] Activity/Subactivity/Program element National Mapping, Geography, and Surveys... National Water Resources Research and Information 40,066 1 Funding shown represents current appropriated funding ($478,156), no-year appropriated funding for Mt. Redoubt ($6,256), and no-year emergency funding transfers for Loma Prieta and Hurricane Hugo ($5,000) and Earthquake Disaster Funding ($12,000). |