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When you’re in Los Angels, especially around west Hollywood and Los Felix, the joke about that cute, single man being gay is often true. In fact, the city of West Hollywood is the openly gay and lesbian community, offering a Domestic Partnership Ordinance to its residents. Contact the Domestic Partnerships Department at323-848-6332 or 323-848-6400, www.weho.org for information on how to apply for a Certificate of Domestic Partnership.
Much of the night scene is focused on a long stretch of Santa Monica Boulevard in West Hollywood, from La Brea Avenue to La Cinema Boulevard, where bars, restaurants, and clubs are packed shoulder to shoulder on weekends. As in most Major US cities, finding good daycare can be difficult and waiting lists abound for highly recommended daycare centers. Los Angeles has over 3,000 licensed childcare centers and over 3,800 licensed family childcare providers, the quality of which varies, so screen carefully. California requires a license for any childcare provider who cares for the children of more than one family. To check if your childcare provider’s license is up to date, or to investigate any filed complains against the provider, call the Department of Social Services Community Care Licensing Offices, 310-337-4333 or 323-981-3550, or go to www.ccld.ca.gov to conduct a search. If a provider is exempt form licensing, you can contact the Trust Line, 800-822-8490, www.trust.line.org, to see if that person is registered. All providers registered on Trust Line’s site have passed a background check. The provider pays a listing fee that subsidizes the cost of the checks so there’s no charge for the inquiry.
Other resources for parents include the National Resource Center for Health and Safety and Childe Care, 800-598-KIDS, http://Laparent.com. Its community discusses topics form the going rate for a babysitter, to determining when your youngster is ready for kindergarten.
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