- CENTERS
- PRESCHOOLS
- After-school Programs
- Drop-in Programs
- Licensed Home Day Cares - Day Care Homes, Group Day Care Homes, and the new class of Family Child Care Homes (currently known as Registered Homes)
With regards to Routine Regulatory Inspections ("inspections" for purposes of this post) this Bill means that Family Child Care Homes (registered now) inspections will begin on or before 01/01/2011 to be inspected at least every 15 months through the development and implementation phase of the new "risk-based inspection system" on or before 07/31/2013.
During the development and implementation phase of the risk-based system, all child care providers bulleted above (except the Family Child Care Homes) who are considered "compliant providers" on the effective date of SB447 must submit self-evaluations with their renewals that KDHE will use to determine their "risk factor" and if (or when) an inspection will be indicated - through the whole phase of development and implementation any provider who is considered compliant could go as long as 2.5 years without an inspection! Remember, that is not just homes - that includes Centers, Preschools, After-school Programs, and Drop-in Programs too!
The risk-based system established in SB447 has a deadline of 07/31/2013. Once it is up and running, ALL TYPES of child care providers (including Family Child Care Homes) will submit self-evaluations with their renewals for KDHE to use to determine their "risk factor" and if (or when) an inspecton will be indicated. The long term goal of this system is for fewer inspections to be done - something KDHE testified to in the House Health and Human Services Committee Meeting on 03/19/2010. They also, even though this Bill does not include any maximum periods a provider may go before an inspection is done, said many compliant providers will potential not be inspected for up to 2-3 years. This maximum is supported in a document (link below) and shows that KDHE has been moving toward this since 2004 - read page 2 under Extended Renewal Period...
http://datacounts.net/chac/Documents/Jan%2012,%2009/KDHE%20Policy%20Init.pdf
So, without SB447 having any maximum number of months or years outlined within it - we are basically supposed to trust that the 2-3 years is what it will be? What if further cuts to budgets are made, will the "risk factor" determined by KDHE be made convieniently lower and lower until really all they are inspecting are the problem providers?
And, why do we consider the children in care - regardless of whether their provider is compliant - any less important than the children in noncompliant care settings? What happened to equal protection for all children "Inspecting the Rest" has turned into "Inspecting the Rest - But Less".
Why do we consider the parents of children in care less worthy of current compliance information about a provider they may be using. How about parents looking for care - if they use the new website and don't see current inspection information about compliant providers - will that take away from the credibility of the compliant providers?
Why do we consider that compliant providers deserve less oversight when it comes to the safety of children? There are definite benefits for every provider who is inspected. Why should the compliant providers not be inspected to ensure on some regular basis that they are maintaining compliance and get input from regulatory agencies about practices and their individual settings?
How do you feel, as a parent, about the value of inspections? Do you feel all providers - including Centers/Preschools/etc. - should be inspected?
How long do you think any provider should be allowed to go without an inspection? Don't you think it is important to include such a maximum?
What is the highest maximum, as a parent, you would be comfortable with? Currently it is every 12 months. This Bill gives, under the risk-based system no maximum. 15 months? 18 months? 24 months? 36 months?
These are things I urge you - quickly - to share with the House Committee on Health & Human Services. They need to hear from PARENTS about these matters. You should also copy in your local House Representative.
Currently licensed home day care providers are only required to obtain 15 clock hours of continuing education. While they do have to complete a 1st Aide Course to initially obtain their license, they are never required to take a Infant/Toddler CPR course or to maintain a current Certification in Infant/Toddler CPR. How does this basic matter get left out of a Bill that is about making child care across the State safer for children? This Bill doesn't even address the education requirements for the new class of Family Child Care Home providers?
How do you feel about such education requirements - or the lack thereof?
Again, I urge you to contact the House Committee on Health & Human Services. They need to hear from Parents about these matters. You should also copy in your local House Representative too.
SB447 has enormous potential to help in keeping kids safe in Kansas. But do we keep some kids safer than others (what we are doing now by not inspecting Registered Providers)? This Bill can be AMENDED still - it has undergone quite a number of changes already that have made it better. If we are going to pass new Regulations why not make all of them GOOD for ALL children and families?
Email the Committee Chairperson of the House Health and Human Services - then give her Secretary a call and tell her you would like your email shared with all the other Committee Members who will meet again this week to discuss SB447. Your email subject line should contain something about "SB447". Don't forget to copy in your local House Representative too.
Brenda Landwehr (785) 296-7683 brenda.landwehr@house.ks.gov
To look up your House Representative here is a link:
In closing, I urge you NOT to be pacified by the spin and "fact sheets" that the many Proponents of SB447 have floating around there. Check out the Bill for yourself (link below in previous post - my summary will give you the page numbers and line numbers to read for yourself) and check the facts within the Bill. Remember, it's not just about "Inspecting the Rest" which I was duped into following late in 2009 from a website.
You need to know all the points contained in this Bill - not just the ones Proponents want you to know about (or how they want to spin a particular point) - you should address all your concerns about what it is missing too. It is not too late, but you must hurry. The House Committee will meet this week - unknown time - and they need to hear from you, especially if you are a PARENT (or other concerned family member) of a child in care.
