Kansas Senate expected to vote on day care bill
Published on -3/17/2010, 9:10 AM
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TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) -- The Kansas Senate was expected to take a final vote Wednesday on legislation that would require inspections of all home day cares in the state.
The Senate gave initial approval Tuesday to the measure, which would do away with a system for "registered" day cares and instead require that all day cares in the state be licensed. The bill would subject licensed day cares to inspections that would cost providers $10.
If the measure is approved by the full Senate, it moves to the House.
The legislation was given the name Lexie's Law on Tuesday for 13-month-old Lexie Engelman who suffered fatal injuries on her third day at a Johnson County home day care in 2004. Her parents have pushed for reform.
The National Association of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies ranks Kansas near the bottom in the nation for its child care oversight and regulation. Between January 2007 and August, 22 children died in child care.
Under current law, registered home day cares don't face an initial inspection nor do they face follow-up inspections. Sen. Julia Lynn, an Olathe Republican, said the "registered" status gives parents a false sense of security.
Currently in the state, 45 percent of day care homes are licensed and 38 percent are registered.
Sen. Laura Kelly, a Topeka Democrat, said the law would require better supervision of children. For example, children would have to be within sight or hearing of the provider and napping youngsters would have to be checked on regularly.
"Clearly the problems that have occurred and been bought to our attention, many of them could have been avoided had there been more direct supervision in many of these homes," Kelly said.
The bill also would require the Kansas Department of Health and Environment to create an online database of licensed day cares with information about complaints that parents could access, she said.
Sen. Mary Pilcher Cook, a Shawnee Republican, however, said she was concerned the measure could "destroy the self reliance of families and force them to become reliant on government assistance."
