Washington State Whistle Blower Margo Logan steps forward to address child care licensing in Washington State

To parents, grandparents, the public, child care advocates, the media, senators and representatives of Washington State,

On April 22, 2011 the Superior Court of Thurston County affirmed my status as a whistle blower against DSHS (I have the court transcript approved by the judge). I had filed a lawsuit in 2008. I had kept that part of my life private and separate from my new career as a consultant, researcher, analyst and trainer.

At that time in 2008 in an email sent from the Attorney General's Office to the newest name of the state child care licensing agency, The Department of Early Learning (DEL) was told I had right to file a claim and the agency was not discuss to my case. In 2009 another email shows DEL contacted the Attorney General Office about my case. The Attorney General Office emailed back that they couldn't give information about my case, because my case was against DSHS. The DEL manager replied, "Can I call you?"

In February 2011, this year, Deputy Director, Bob Hamilton (who makes $112,000.00 a year and has great taxpayer benefits) email attached a letter to me with copies to senators, representatives, public individuals and another DEL employee) and wrote that I had a lawsuit against DEL. I didn't and I don't. DEL seemingly will use any avenue to not discuss and address why DEL managers don't comply with laws enacted by the legislature.

Since DEL made my case public in February and Thurston County Superior Court found this month in April I was (and am)a statutory whistle blower, I am making my whistle blower status public and I am willing to talk to the media, parent groups, child care provider groups (or individuals) and discuss the wealth of documentation I have to back up my testimony.

I will continue to testify to legislators. I thank so many of them who took right action in passing laws to protect your children.

My first and top priority is children being treated kindly and nurtured, and to expose those who hurt, maimed and in some cases killed children; or because of neglect children died in licensed and unlicensed homes.

My focus goes deeper to expose the unelected bureaucratic DSHS and DEL managers who failed in their duties to protect children through not adhering to the child care licensing laws and regulations.

I have also been an expert witness for child care providers whose rights were violated by DEL's unelected bureaucratic managers. Those cases were stunning in DEL's actions towards those licensed child care providers.

Thus the cases I have been on as an expert witness have been fairly balanced between helping parents whose children were hurt or died; and providers whose rights were violated.

I was certified by Pierce County Superior Court and the Yakima Office of Administrative Hearings as an expert on licensed child care.

In verifying to the Court of my whistle blower status I submitted over 500 pages of documents. Most of those documents I acquired myself, DSHS was either not asked by the Attorney General's Office to give discovery or DSHS once again on their own decided to conceal public records.

In 2002 I had made whistle blower reports, I was harassed, retaliated against, the usual drill when one reports wrong doing on the managers. The managers were having public records altered then they had the originals destroyed. DSHS didn't want the public and parents to know about applicants who had criminal histories, domestic violence, drug, child abuse, termination of parental rights, potential risks of homicidal and/or suicidal behaviors, etc. I fought their retaliation and won in 2003. DSHS settled with me and for a short time I got to do my job without being ordered to break the law. In 2003, we had the best supervisor, high productivity and high morale. Then he left in 2004. The settlement the DSHS managers and I signed was to be kept confidential. I did so. But just like in February of this year by 2004 it was not kept confidential by the DSHS managers.

In 2004 the DSHS managers started up again concealing, altering and destroying public records as well as not revoking licenses on child care providers that put children at risk.

Yesterday King 5 News reported on Anne Ladale Moore in Marysville making more than $232,000.00 in one year doing day care. Amy Blondin, Communications manager who makes $93,000.00 a year with great benefits from your tax dollars told King 5 News DEL monitors the 24/7 daycare homes. No they don't. DEL is open Monday-Friday 8 am -5 pm. Now today DEL has closed Moore down and taken her off the website in violation of RCW 43.215.370, a law to post on the website what enforcement action had been taken on the provider.

Overcapacity has been a huge issue for years. DSHS and DEL managers would not enforce the licensing capacity laws. I found Connie King in Vancouver alone with 21 children (after I looked upstairs and found 8 up there, 6 in one room, and 2 babies each in separates rooms with the doors closed. There was no fire escape from the 2nd floor. These were repeat violations. My supervisor would not revoke her license. King discouraged parents from coming into her home to pick up their own children. They had to sign in and out at the door.

Parents have been treated so badly by these unelected bureaucratic managers. Information is hidden from them. Child Care Resource and Referrals are another way to cut the budget. It is no more than a smoke screen giving the illusion that because they have a list of names of providers they know the providers histories. Resource and Referrals aren't allowed access to the histories. Parents believe because they are licensed they are safe, kind places for their children. At least one company head of that agency makes over $100,000.00 a year again your tax payer money.

I am not a disgruntled former DSHS employee, I am a determined former DSHS employee and any elected government official who will step forward to hold and expose these unelected bureaucratic managers I will be there to support and honor their courage in taking those steps.

Yesterday I made a visit to the State Auditor, Brian Sonntag's office. I was treated most courteously and respectfully by Jim Brittain and other staff in Brian's office. I have a request in to meet with Brian Sonntag. Until the State Auditor writes a report addressing every assertion (it's part of the whistle blower law) I made in 2005 all those whistle blower investigations remain open.

I am willing to move forward to help the State Auditor,Brian Sonntag, Governor Gregoire and Attorney General Rob McKenna to address this problem the state of Washington has with these unelected bureaucratic managers who did not and the ones currently who will not follow the laws enacted by the Washington State Legislature.

If the whistle blower laws needs to be strengthened I will be glad to testify to how that can be done.