Lawmakers work to strengthen day care provider guidelines
LANSING—Measures designed to help ensure that parents have all the facts when choosing day care providers for their children were introduced in the Michigan Senate Wednesday by Sen. Mark C. Jansen, R-Gaines Township, and Sen. Tupac A. Hunter, D-Detroit.
The bipartisan bills will create reporting guidelines for day care providers so that parents and guardians would have more information when selecting day care for their children.
Sponsored by Jansen, Senate Bill 724 would require the Michigan Department of Human Services Web site to provide a five-year history for all day care licenses. This would allow parents and guardians to cross-check a provider’s records with DHS information. Currently, DHS only posts information going back two years.
“These vital measures will help ensure that parents have easy access to information about potential child care providers, and the Internet is an efficient way for people to access that crucial information,” Jansen said.
Hunter added: “Parents and guardians should be aware of all past incidents that have taken place before making such an important decision on who will be caring for their children.”
SBs 723 and 724 have been referred to the Senate Families and Human Services Committee, which is chaired by Jansen.
Posted: Wednesday, August 05, 2009
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