Getting State Government Records - Public Records - Day Care & Public Records

In helping a parent to some degree understand the workings of DSHS (Department of Social and Health Services)  I had the opportunity to interface with my old agency (DSHS) in Vancouver, Washington and to meet with a former co-worker who advised the parent could make a public disclosure request; that it would take thirty days.

I advised my former DSHS co-worker, Patrick Dixson, a CPS social worker, the law states five business days to produce a record. With elevated energy he said, no, thirty days.  The law, I confirmed to him, states five days.  I assured him the law states five business days.  He emphatically continued to disagree.  Later the father after he had talked with Mr. Dixson reported Mr. Dixson was told him he wouldn't get records for six to eight weeks.

I've copied in portions of the public disclosure law below. All boldings are mine.  Legal language can be dense so I highlighted portions for a citizen who wants to make a public disclosure request for either their child protective services (CPS) or for day care records.  I've bolded the most important portions and phrasings in the law.

When I worked for DSHS I found the same disregard of the law and when laws were identified to various unelected managers, they seemingly acted as if their pronouncements were law not what the citizen legislature had enacted.

Copied below are relevant portions of the law from Washington State's public disclosure law or the Public Records Act.

---

"42.56.520
Prompt responses required.

Responses to requests for public records shall be made promptly by agencies, the office of the secretary of the senate, and the office of the chief clerk of the house of representatives. Within five business days of receiving a public record request, an agency, the office of the secretary of the senate, or the office of the chief clerk of the house of representatives must respond by either (1) providing the record; (2) providing an internet address and link on the agency's web site to the specific records requested, except that if the requester notifies the agency that he or she cannot access the records through the internet, then the agency must provide copies of the record or allow the requester to view copies using an agency computer; (3) acknowledging that the agency, the office of the secretary of the senate, or the office of the chief clerk of the house of representatives has received the request and providing a reasonable estimate of the time the agency,  the office of the secretary of the senate, or the office of the chief clerk of the house of representatives will require to respond to the request; or (4) denying the public record request.
Additional time required to respond to a request may be based upon the need to clarify the intent of the request, to locate and assemble the information requested, to notify third persons or agencies affected by the request, or to determine whether any of the information requested is exempt and that a denial should be made as to all or part of the request.

In acknowledging receipt of a public record request that is unclear, an agency, the office of the secretary of the senate, or the office of the chief clerk of the house of representatives may ask the requestor to clarify what information the requestor is seeking. If the requestor fails to clarify the request, the agency, the office of the secretary of the senate, or the office of the chief clerk of the house of representatives need not respond to it.

Denials of requests must be accompanied by a written statement of the specific reasons therefor. Agencies, the office of the secretary of the senate, and the office of the chief clerk of the house of representatives shall establish mechanisms for the most prompt possible review of decisions denying inspection, and such review shall be deemed completed at the end of the second business day following the denial of inspection and shall constitute final agency action or final action by the office of the secretary of the senate or the office of the chief clerk of the house of representatives for the purposes of judicial review.

[2010 c 69 § 2; 1995 397 § 15; 1992 c 139 § 6; 1975 1st ex.s. c 294 § 18; 1973 c 1 § 32 (Initiative Measure No. 276, approved November 7, 1972). Formerly RCW 42.17.320.]"

Notes:

Finding -- 2010 c 69: "The internet provides for instant access to public records at a significantly reduced cost to the agency and the public. Agencies are encouraged to make commonly requested records available on agency web sites. When an agency has made records available on its web site, members of the public with computer access should be encouraged to preserve taxpayer resources by accessing those records online."

I'll get a copy to DSHS in Vancouver, Washington and see if DSHS Area Managers, either Bill Paresa or Cindy Hardcastle and see if DSHS will follow the intent of the law.

For Parents The ABCs of Child Injury :: Published by David A. Wolf

The ABCs of Child Injury :: Published by David A. Wolf

I ran across this on the internet and downloaded this free book by David A. Wolf. Click on the link if you'd like a free download of the book.

His dedication page reads:

"This book is dedicated to my Wife (Robin), who made this project possible through her love, patience, support and dedication to our family, and to our children, whose love of life inspired me to focus my work on advocacy for injured children, because all children should enjoy a full and healthy life."

Hear, hear.

I made a suggestion to add window blind cords and to let parents know what kinds of information they likely will NOT find on these state government day care licensing websites as well as the information that Child Care Resource and Referrals don't have access to the day care licensing information that the states' store; the most vital information I parent needs to make the most informed decision about the care of their child while they are at work.

Well written in a common sense way with practical and important information for parents. Parents would get more out of reading this then just reading the state day care regulations.

How to Find out if a Day Care has Violations?

Whether it is in Washington State or another state the action that will get you the most reliable information is through making a "public disclosure request" or "Freedom of Information request" when researching the daycare you are considering..

Use that wording (in bold).

Tell the day care licensing agency you want the entire history for that day care provider and/or facility or at the minimum ask for the "violations of the regulations" and "complaint investigations" and "child protective services (CPS) investigations" and "legal enforcement actions."

Again use the wording exactly as I've provided in bold.

In Washington State the child care licensing agency has moved into the 21st century and scans in documents now which is by far the most efficient, effective and economical manner in which to make day care licensing history transparent.

Washington State legislators especially Representative Ross Hunter of Bellevue has had the envisioning of government transparency for some time now.

Where ever the day care licensing agency is for your state make that request and make in writing (encase you end up taking the state government to Superior Court. 

Google your state law in regards to public disclosure and read it.   You become the professional, be methodical and have a copy of the law to give to the government bureaucrat who might try to tell you the law is what it isn't.

I had occasion to be at my old state government agency talking to a former co-worker in CPS who said it takes thirty days to process a request. When I told him the law says five days he was not happy with me and with no hesitation told me I was wrong.

I will follow up with him and send him a link to the law (RCW in Washington State); and educate him.

Julia O'Malley : In 'hot sauce mom' case, Dr. Phil didn't help | adn.com

Julia O'Malley : In 'hot sauce mom' case, Dr. Phil didn't help | adn.com

A thank you to Julia O'Malley in Anchorage for covering this story. I wanted to pass it along.

From the article:

'The boy is a victim of his mother's anger and narcissism, and also of exploitation by the "Dr. Phil" show, which promised a woman with problems fame and help in exchange for video of her losing control. No matter how things go, she's being held accountable right now. Dr. Phil, who cashed in on her situation, isn't.'

It appears at this time the Dr. Phil Show is not getting a clue. The article reports the show is still trolling for more angry moms.

Dr. Phil' hot sauce case

Woman convicted of child abuse in 'Dr. Phil' hot sauce case

Here is a more full article on the mother who abused her adopted son. According to the mom the Dr. Phil show, the producers wanted a video showing her punishing her son. Is she telling the truth? It also says she had contacted Dr. Phil a year and a half before.

I'll be interested to see what Dr. Phil has to say and better yet what documentation he will present. If parents contact his show there should be documentation that Dr. Phil gave some kind of referral information to moms and/or dads as to where to get help.

Copied from the above article:

"The show eventually called to find out if Beagley was still angry, she said. 

Beagley then submitted audition videos in which she yelled at the boy, but producers said they needed to see her actually punishing her son, the prosecutor said."

Then she had her ten year old daughter do the video taping.

Maybe the reality television has reached a tipping point. How many recent deaths have occurred because of reality television?

Did the prosecutor interview Dr. Phil?  Did he break a law?

Day Care in Washington State, in the US and/or Canada

Child-care centres to start posting serious occurrence reports - thestar.com

I'm interested in the commonalities I see across our country and other nations. From this Ontario, Canada newspaper:

"Nearly four years ago, the Ontario government promised to regularly report and publish daycare inspection records online after an in-depth Star investigation in 2007.

Star reporter Rob Cribb waged a two-year battled through freedom of information to obtain daycare incident reports. Those documents showed how kids were hit, kicked, played in dirty conditions and in some cases were fed allergy-triggering food."

Similar to Canada, in Washington State the legislature passed a law in 2007 for the Department of Early Learning (DEL) to post revocations, suspensions and denial actions against licensed day care providers. And like Canada unelected bureaucratic managers simply refused to comply.


What are the connections, the threads and why the similarities in failure across a broad and complex spectrum of government and non-profit agencies ?


Why the web of deceit and the hiding of information from parents? Who benefits from hiding information from parents?


How many billions of dollars of taxpayer money is flowing out like a blown artery to a wide spectrum of not only government and non-profit agencies but, also, to legislatively created so-called unions?

The commonalities intrigue me. Are they confined to North America and Canada? If I look across the pond will the pattern repeat?


If anyone has a hypothesis and would like to write about that perhaps I could put it up as a guest article on my blog.

'Hot Sauce Mom' Found Guilty for Spicy Punishment

'Hot Sauce Mom' Found Guilty for Spicy Punishment

I am glad to see the good citizens of Alaska stepped up to speak out about this abuse.

Looks like Dr. Phil is a psychologist in most states including California where he would be a mandatory reporter of child abuse. He maybe could be charged with child abuse himself depending upon an investigation.  Showing this little child's humiliation and degradation on video to millions is in my opinion is emotionally abusive.

In Washington State a day care provider did that many years ago now and she was allowed to keep her license. She still has her license.

Someone needs to speak to Dr. Phil, in my opinion, in the way Dr. Phil speaks to others ... "What were you thinking?!"

Using children for media gain and ratings is wrong.

Thank you to the Alaska citizens who spoke up.

Day Care Director held Accountable in Death of Haile Brockington

Katie's Kids director, driver plead guilty; sentenced to probation

Another mother grieves and wonders what is and where is the proper justice for this child's death ... for Haile Brockington's death.

In Washington State where licensed family home child day provider, Danette Zaring, in 2004 slammed two year old Hailee Rhodes into a playpen causing permanent brain damage, Danette Zaring got five years in prison.

I've seen no reports on Katie Kids licensing history to know whether or not she was qualified to get and/or to keep a license. Danette Zaring of Spokane, Washington wasn't in my expert opinion as a former day care licensor, but the state government licensing agency didn't revoke Zaring's license until after the tragedy with Washington's Hailee.

How deep is the failure in Haile Brockington's death?

No one is studying the overcapacity issues in licensed day care. Day cares operating at overcapacity is a major health and safety risk to children.  And in my time in the government agency, managers actively forbade my doing unannounced monitor visits on day care facilities the managers had direct knowledge of who were overcapacity.

Washington State laws still hold the Washington State government licensing agency responsible for deaths of children because of poor licensing, poor background clearance oversight, poor oversight, poor monitoring, poor complaint investigation and failure to take proper action as directed by the citizen legislature who made the health, safety and well-being of the child paramount over any person to hold a license.

Other states have horrendously protected unelected government bureaucrats from their failures and as a result there is little or no accountability. Some of the records of other states I've reviewed goes way beyond the pale of acceptable standards of documentation and record keeping.

I am not familiar Florida day care licensing laws and I am curious about their laws, their accountability and how that would weigh in on what happened to Haile Brockington.

It appears the State of Florida did not revoke the license of the day care director. It indicates as a result of losing state funds the director could no longer kept her business. It tells me there is more to the story. If I run across any pertinent information I'll write an update.

I can only say to a grieving mother, I'm so sorry your sweet child died.

Day Care and Stephen King

StephenKing.com - On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft

What does Stephen King have to do with day care? I've never read his books because The Shining and Misery scared me to death. I loved Stand by Me. I thought what kind of man can write such scary stories? Along the way I heard he was in a band with Dave Barry, the Miami humor columnist. Hmm, maybe he wasn't scary.

Then at the Willamette Writers Conference I picked up his book On Writing.

Stephen spent first grade either in bed or housebound. He was six. There was no television. He read as he put it "approximately six tons of comic books" then progressed to Tom Swift...then moved on to Jack London. Six years old. He learned to write first by copying "Combat Casey comics word for word." He would add his own words of description from time to time.

When he showed his mom his copycat hybrids she liked it and said, "I bet you could do better. Write one of your own." When he did, his mother laughed in all the right places, the places he hoped she'd laugh. She paid him a quarter for his story. Then bought the next three. "That was the first buck I made in the business."

Stephen and his brother Dave had some horrible babysitters. His mom had to work. This is the thing about little ones, this is what I tell people in my classes, kids don't know if they are being abused if no one tells them what abuse is so the boys didn't report what was going on. He had one babysitter he described this way: "When I see those hidden camera sequences where real life babysitters and nannies just all of sudden wind up and clout the kids, it's my days with Eula-Beluah I always think of."

Eula tricked Stephen at age four into eating seven eggs. When he started throwing up, she laughed, she hit him upside his head, threw him in the closet and locked the door. His mother came home found her asleep and Stephen locked in the closet.

This belief that learning to learn to read is hard is not accurate. The public education system started in 1854 began the slide down, the dumbing down of America. Teachers are not aware of it anymore than many parents are aware of it. I wasn't aware of it when my son was in the first grade. Heck, now I know my father wasn't aware of it and he had an I.Q. of 149.

When my grandsons were in the first grade I read John Taylor Gatto's book, The Underground History of America Education and thus helped them by making secret code books. The boys started to love to read. They loved going to the library and they picked out books that didn't have pictures.

One day I was hanging out with them. The boys were allowed to ride their bikes on the sidewalks. I looked out the window and saw the oldest one reading a book while riding his bike. Sweet.

Remember in To Kill a Mockingbird Atticus was very brave in facing the whole county in representing a black man, but he couldn't stand up to Scout's teacher when Scout got in trouble at school for all ready knowing how to read. He didn't stand up for her...for his child. This is profound. It was the 1930s just after Dick and Jane came on the scene. Borrow Gatto's book from the library find out about old Dick and Jane.

It's that history we don't understand.

Whenever we can create joy and engagement with children they will be right there, right with us when we create that environment from which that can happen. Reach for the sky and let the kids reach for the sky.

And read Stephen King's book for inspiration.

Day Care - Take Two - What about the Managers?

Tips For Choosing A Daycare For Your Child - Find Health Tips and Information on Medical Conditions

Again as in my last article blog I see no mention of managers.

The author of this article gives no tip that a parent can call state child day care licensing agencies and make a public disclosure or Freedom of Information Act request to get copies of all records on the day care facility they are considering.

State government at least in Washington State has come into the computer age and scanning in documents age whereby acquiring that information is now fairly quick and can be helpful in a parent making decisions about day care.

The author does not give the parent the information that although Child Care Resource and Referrals get millions of your tax dollars they have NO access to the licensing history, the complaint history or violation history on any day care provider or facility. Thus when they give you a name and number to call, they cannot give you the most valuable important information you need to make your decisions.

My suggestion is use the Freedom of Information Act and any state public disclosure laws to get copies of records. There may be problems with that as well as some states hide information from the public even when you make a public disclosure request.

The State of Washington through the Department of Early Learning (DEL) at this date has made significant improvement in that aspect, the headquarters public disclosure manager will at this time fulfill your request efficiently and effectively.

DEL could but won't at this time put that information directly on their website. Right now we are still working on DEL to comply with a 2007 law passed by the Washington State legislature to post revocation, denial and suspension information. Which is extremely important as folks who've had their licenses revoked continued to provide care. In some cases where there had been a child death.

Yes, a study on managers is definitely in order for the benefit of the tax paying community and the lives of your children.

Day Care - When the News Media Misses the Story

3 New Studies Assess Effects of Child Care - New York Times

While I made numerous whistle blower reports to the State Auditor in Washington State in 2005 and testified to the legislature, this November 1, 2005 New York Times article was published regarding child day care studies.

I'm interested in how information is presented. As I've blogged previously much information, the most vital information parents must have to make day care decisions has not been put on the Department of Early Learning (DEL) website, their Facebook page or their blog, DEL Connect in the State of Washington. Other agencies that are funded by your tax dollars such as the Child Care Resource and Referral agencies have no access to the state records on licensed day care facilities.

Reading this article a major aspect of the story not addressed is the adults who have complete control over the children who must be in day care so their parents can work.

From reading this article I see no mention of the government's role in licensing daycare homes or centers. I see no mention and I take it no study of the day care home providers as well as directors, supervisors and teachers in day care centers was done, only a study looking at children's behaviors.

Or at least the behaviors of the children who did not die from being in day care.

Sociologist Judith Wrigley pulled together a database covering 1989 to 2003 and "found 203 shaken-baby deaths in care in a private home and not a single one in a child care center."

Professor Wrigley found risks of injury and sexual violation were both highest in a family day care home. Day care centers had "the highest rate of near-miss incidents, as when a child wandered off onto a highway, for instance, or was left in a van." We know today that little ones dying from heat stroke in a van has jumped dramatically from 2005.

"We really need to begin to look more carefully at what is going on among the children in child care," said Deborah A. Phillips, a professor of psychology at Georgetown University."

She's blaming the children? There is no mention of what is going on among day care staff and the government child day care licensing managers. The adults?

In order to do stellar research you have to frame the question, have a hypothesis by which you frame your research.

When Professor Wrigley discovered their was no safety data for her to review that might have been the wake up call as to the research question. Why weren't unelected state government bureaucratic managers keeping data on children injured, maimed and those that died in licensed day care?

That's the portal question.

Washington Parents for Safe Child Care in Washington was instrumental in getting the Office of Family and Children Ombudsman (OFCO) created in 1996 to have an objective and independent investigative agency on problems such as child who die in foster care, under child protective services and/or child welfare divisions and in daycare.

It didn't take many years before that government agency (OFCO) stopped mentioning managers in their child death reports. And all their investigative work documents are kept secret, even from courts of law.

That office was sent some or all of the whistle blower documents I gave to the State Auditor in 2005.  Mary Meinig, the director never called me in for an interview and never completed an investigation. When I made a public disclosure request to see what had been sent to her, I was told by law she did not have to reveal that information. 

One important action the State Records Retention Committee took in the last year is to order all licensing files where revocation, denial and suspension action had been taken to be scanned in and sent to the Washington State Records Retention Committee to be kept for thirty-five years.

I've put out the question: Will those records be studied and researched? What are the patterns? What did managers miss? What were the licensing failures?

Who's going to do the research, who is going to study the managers charged by law with protecting your children?

If I find more recent follow up research I'll let you know.

Day Care Providers & Business Owners - Great Website - Go to Yale

Language in the Brain, Mouth and the Hands | Yale Psychology Lecture

Legalzoom.com had a wonderful article on young folks who became entrepreneurs, some very young, before high school graduation and some right out of college. Richard Ludlow put together a website called Academic Earth which has free lectures from such institutions as Yale and Harvard.

I listened to Language in the Brain, Mouth and the Hands by Paul Bloom | Yale Psychology Lecture

A captivating speaker, Paul Bloom is fascinating with his striking storytelling and insightful humor. Daycare providers utilizing what Bloom teaches here, can better assist their daycare kids in learning to read.

Legalzoom.com wrote this about Richard Ludlow:

"Richard Ludlow, a social entrepreneur, founded the Yale Economic Review while he was still in college and then after graduation, deferred admission to Harvard Business School to focus on his next venture, a website called Academic Earth. The mission of Academic Earth is "giving everyone on earth access to a world class education." The website was launched in January 2009, and by May 2009 had built a library of over 1,500 video lectures by professors from prestigious universities like Harvard and Yale. All videos are available free for anyone to watch. Subject matter includes Astronomy, History, Law, Religion, and more."

Why the recommendation to daycare business owners? Educate yourselves and don't wait for the Department of Early Learning to be your leader in making your business successful.

Learning through this modality that gives you free access to such people as Paul Bloom, a Yale professor, provides a stellar education. Keep track of what you read and listen to and create your own training documents crafting what you learn into your business plan.

To the Department of Early Learning; create a process by which day care providers stepping up to the plate in this manner (sitting through this lecture by a Yale professor and making specific application to how they utilized this lecture in their daycare) can receive STARS credit.

And how sweet that a young person (Richard Ludlow) using the technology of the internet created a website that offers free high class education. Daycare provider could incorporate these lectures into their curriculum for school aged children.

Dr. Seuss would approve.

Do It Yourself Car Repairs & Have a Good Laugh Today

40 Worst DIY Car Repairs

Somebody sent this to me and I laughed so hard I wanted to share it with you.

Between my articles on the government and daycare, I like to give my readers a laugh.

I was told this came from the Car Talk guys but I don't see that on this webpage. It says the Chop Shop.  In any case enjoy.

Whistleblower Weighs in on QRIS in WA State Daycare

DEL Connect: DEL announces 65 early adopters for QRIS

Once you click on the link above dear parents of Washington State please note the very first name Cindy Perez in Clark County had her licensed revoked on March 9, 2011.

QRIS (Quality Rating and Improvement System). What I witnessed being inside DSHS for over twenty years and as a day care licensor for thirteen years is that after "x" number of children die in daycare and "x" number of children are maimed in daycare; and when too much media attention is focused on the unelected government bureaucracy, then the players in this system make a move.

But, the move results in more agencies, more managers and most certainly more federal and state taxpayer dollars going into the growing, hulking, bulking daycare licensing state agency known now (they also keep changing their name to confuse you, make you think a real reform is happening) as the Department of Early Learning (DEL).

Early childcare education is another cash cow, the reason mover and shakers (as well as being a convicted felon) such as Michael Milken, the junk bond king from the 1980s, is in the game.

I don't know who else on this list of early adopters might have had their license revoked, but the first one has and it's a wake up call to parents to ask for complete public disclosure on any daycare as part of your decision making process. The state has moved into the computer and scanning age so it is much quicker and easier to get that information now and via your email.

Email Mr. Brandon Chapman at:

Brandon.Chapman@del.wa.gov

He will respectfully handle your request expeditiously and if there is a delay he will with integrity explain that to you. Mr. Chapman will not intentionally hide information from you as others have done.

Mr. Chapman, in my opinion, is a public servant in the original intention of that title; and all tax dollars spent on his position are spent as the law requires with effectiveness, efficiency and economy.

If you're using or intend to use anyone on this list be sure to ask for public disclosure, use the phrase "provider notes" and "Facility Licensing Compliance Agreements" (issued when there are violations of law and the regulations) and "all complaint history documents".

QRIS is simply another smoke and mirror move rather than the unelected government bureaucracy managers accepting responsibility for the tragedies that happened to children in daycare.  What is required is for all of the managers (and they are many)  pulling it together to do their jobs as the laws passed by the legislature intended that they do. 

The Department of Early Learning Can't Read - Going on Five Years Now

This is what the language in the law (RCW 43.215.379) passed by the Washington State legislature in 2007 (BOLDING MINE) says:

 
"For the purposes of reporting actions taken against agency licensees, upon the development of an early learning information system, the following actions shall be posted to the department's web site accessible by the public: Suspension, surrender, revocation, denial, stayed suspension, or reinstatement of a license."
 

Below I copied in an email from Amy Blondin who is DEL's "communication" manager (Bolding, underlining and bigger Font mine):

_____________________________________________________________________________

From

Blondin, Amy (DEL)

Date  Thursday, June 10, 2010 12:45 PM

To	Bergquist, Shannon (DEL); Malahovsky, Maureen (DEL)

Before Josh left today, he passed along to me a referral from the Gov’s office. It is an e-mail that Margo Logan sent to them on April 14. Josh asked that I share with you what we did in response to Margo’s e-mail.

Please let the Gov’s office know that members of the DEL Communications Team did correspond with Logan about this via e-mail. We shared with her information about:

·         The purpose of our current Child Care Check tool

·         why it is NOT considered a full information system.

She argued that point and ended up making a public disclosure request.

Amy Blondin

Communications Manager

Department of Early Learning

360.725.4919 (office phone)

360.878.0628 (cell phone)

www.del.wa.gov
_______________________________________________________________________________
 
The language in the law does not read as Amy Blondin changed it to read in her email nor in our conversation did she call it a "full information system".  

If the adult managers in the Department of Early Learning can't read how can they possibly manifest an educational system for the children in Washington State who are in daycare? 

The DEL website as created gives incomplete information and leaves out the most vital information parents need to make decisions on where to put their children while they go to work. 

Two Babies Died, Upstairs in a Day Care

Baby deaths unsolved one year later | Mansfield News Journal | mansfieldnewsjournal.com

Two babies died in an Ohio daycare, upstairs, left unattended in a playpen. A ten month old and four month old. Reminds me of the daycares in Washington State my unelected bureaucratic managers allowed to keep their licenses.

A thank you to the Mansfield New Journal for moving forward with this story to push for a full investigation. From their report:

"The thing doing the most damage is the passage of time with no apparent movement or resolution to a year-old case involving the deaths of two babies.We asked the question, and local authorities gave no real answer.As a taxpayer, you can decide if you're satisfied with no resolution from local authorities in such a case.Even if it's to say the case is closed, there is no wrong-doing, whatever. Nothing was said here.Officials involved in this investigation owe it to the public to provide some answers."

I'll contact the Journal and send them the Goetz licensed foster home and unlicensed day care home Manson Family Child Death Review where four babies died in Washington State in 1994 before the Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) did anything.

It was the death of those four babies that propelled in 1995 the legislature to strengthen the law to protect your children. Then the unelected bureaucratic managers (off and one) simply would ignore the law passed by your citizen legislature.

I'll report back.

Day Care History in Washington State - YouTube

History of Child Care in Washington State - YouTube

This is a Utube video put out by the Child Care Resource and Referral (CCRR) agency. The day care licensing laws were passed in 1966 in Washington State when 3 children died in a fire in Seattle; four others were critically injured.

In the 1970s a federal bill that would have gotten the government into the daycare business was vetoed by President Nixon.

The 1990s saw federal money begin to pour into the day care and early education systems and this is where Child Care Resource and Referral came into existence. The video describes that the money is for improved training and for CCRR to link parents with providers.

Again I must point out that CCRRs do not have access to the most vital information a parent needs to make a more informed decision about where they will put there children. Why are millions of dollars of our tax money going into these organizations that don't know the most important information to pass onto parents?

And why doesn't the Department of Early Learning (DEL) the latest manifestation of daycare licensing put that vital information on their website, or their blog or their Facebook page? 

Anyone remember Michael Milken?  The Junk Bond king? He's been into the daycare business big time for quite some time.  From an articles written by Kenneth J. Saltman in 2003:


"In the 1980s Michael Milken was sent to prison for his illicit financial dealings - fraud and insider trading. However, even his legal activities in the junk bond market were destructive to companies, to retirees, and to the general public. He was a major factor in the Savings and Loan collapse that cost the public billions. He invented the junk bond market and promoted its use in hostile corporate takeovers that destroyed businesses, labor unions, and job security while enriching a tiny corporate elite."

Also from his article:

"Wall Street considers the "early-childhood" market to be a $30 billion opportunity for corporations."

A convicted felon is a major mover and shaker in day care?  That alone gives one pause as we consider who has our children during our working days. 

So parents just looking for good day care for their children have a lot on their plates, then SEIU 925 entered the family home day care picture in 2006 in Washington State.

I looked at the SEIU Utube video they put out about their history. SEIU 925 began "working" the "home based" day cares in 1998. Their history video is filled with TV news reports on their low pay and high turn over rates. The video claims that one third of all providers leave the profession because of low pay. SEIU 925 does not cite any studies to back that up.  The news reports show family home day care providers complaining about the low subsidy rates.

As a licensor when some of the day care providers complained to me about how their subsidy rates were lower than centers; and how unfair that was I researched the answer for them.  Turned out the rates were set by the feds taking a phone survey of family home day care providers and day care centers.  The family home day care providers were charging less than the centers that is why the home subsidies were lower.

The high quality family home day care providers on my caseload charged more and they always had waiting lists for families who wanted to use their services. These high quality providers were not interested in getting unionized and they weren't impressed at the meetings of that particular group of family home day care providers who wanted to "unionize".

Out of the 10,000 pot SEIU claimed fell under the family day care umbrella only about 2000 voted at all thus only a small percentage said yes to having a union; and the taxpayer got no vote at all even though it's their money that funds SEIU 925.

As far as the statement in the video that providers quit the profession because of low pay that is not accurate.  In 2000, 2001 time period we had an economic downturn.  I licensed folks who couldn't get any children to care for because of the economy.  In addition, some folks do family home day care to be home with their own children.  When their children hit school age they quit doing day care and did something else.

Almost every orientation class I taught for people looking at opening a day care, there would be one or two women who looked for day care and couldn't find one they'd put their children in so decided to open their own daycare to take care of their kids and help out another family or two; and be that high class quality day care home.

There are high quality and nurturing day care facilities out there; and parents can find them. It will take their critical thinking, problems solving, interviewing skills along with trusting their intuition to successfully find those folks.

Stand By Me film star, Corey Feldman: Pedophilia Is Hollywood's Biggest Problem (VIDEO)

Corey Feldman: Pedophilia Is Hollywood's Biggest Problem (VIDEO)

Kudos to child actor, Corey Feldman, of Stand By Me fame for truth telling about sexual violations done to child actors in Hollywood. It's also the story of parents who don't know and/or don't want to know.

One in three girls and one in six boys are sexually used and violated. If we could have the open conversation, shining the spotlight on these actions that rip apart the souls of little ones we could heal. There needs to be a family healing and a community healing.

Laws need to be changed so it incorporates the biggest aspect of sexual violation to children, it is about power and control. The biggest power an adult has over a child is to get that child's love and trust, then destroy it, not by the adult having the orgasm but by forcing the child to have the orgasm. Some of these types of adults will groom a child for five years before ever touching the body parts that fall under the sexual abuse laws.

The families (when it isn't a family member committing the violation) are in some degree as painfully violated in having gone along with that adult's manipulation. Then the parents must dive down into the dark areas of denial to keep their devastation at bay, particularly, if they have gotten some perks and goodies along the way. Which may explain, child actor, Corey Haim's mother's reaction to Corey Feldman speaking out about the violations he and his best friend experienced as child actors.

I teach child abuses classes and the category of child abuse that produces the most emotional reaction in the audience is sexual abuse. That and emotional abuse bring about the biggest emotional reactions from the audience.

It's not our fault as children when adults controlled us and used us. We didn't commit a crime. A crime got committed on us. It is not our shame. The Oregonian newspaper, when Elizabeth Lynn Dunham died at age 49, her life ruined when at age thirteen she went to babysit for former Governor Neal Goldschmidt, then Goldschmidt sexually and emotionally used her for years; the Oregonian did not print her name in writing their story about her death. The Willamette Week did. Goldschmidt was a powerful politician. Dunham's mom didn't speak up and still hasn't that I am aware of from reading the stories.

What does my article have to do with day care, you might ask? Sexual abuse is happening in day care as well. There was a time when I was a licensor that if children were sexually violated at a day care, the day care for obvious reasons would have their licenses revoked. In the more recent history I am aware of day cares whose licenses were not revoked; and were allowed to continue, putting more children at risk.

The most recent statistics show that out of the pot of caught, identified and convicted sex offenders, the biggest number are for fourteen year old males. Out of the teenage girl pot of caught, identified and convicted sex offenders...70% of them committed their crimes while babysitting children.

For parents out there, I recommend Googling Marilyn Van Derbur, the 1958 Miss America and getting her 2004 memoir entitled Miss America by Day as well as her DVD where she tells her story. Marilyn is a motivational speaker by profession and since the 1990s Marilyn has devoted her life to helping folks who were so violated as children.

Marilyn's father was very wealthy and powerful, like in Hollywood and like in the political world.

Here's a link to Marilyn Van Debur's website: 
http://www.missamericabyday.com/


A big thank you to Corey Feldman for speaking up. No wonder Corey's performance in Stand By Me was so powerful...it came from a very real place. 

Barefoot Bandit

'Barefoot Bandit's' film rights are nabbed for $1 million - latimes.com

I worked group care for six years with kids like Colton Harris-Moore and I have a warm place in my heart for them. All the kids we had in care were severely abused as children.

Like Catch me if You Can and like Frank Abagnale this is an opportunity for Colton to make amends, restitution and perhaps, even bigger, help other kids who are in situations they don't understand, but are reacting to in their young lives.

At the Willamette Writers Conference I attended last week I met the author Jackson Holtz, an Everett, Washington reporter who wrote "Fly Colton, Fly, the True Story of the Barefoot Bandit and I said to him, "I was hoping Frank Abagnale contacted Colton. What Colton needed and needs is a good parent figure in his life." Jackson said that Frank Abagnale did, indeed, reach out to make contact.

Here's Jackson's latest on Colton Harris-Moore and the film about his time as the Barefoot Bandit:
http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20110810/NEWS01/708109797


I enjoyed reading the book, coming from the Pacific Northwest and the San Juan Islands I was reminded of my high school years; and how the forests, the lakes, beaches and islands were where we spent our teens years, connecting to our friends trying to figure out our lives...or not. Some were just trying to survive and some didn't survive the child abuse going on in homes in a small town. 

We have to talk about it. For the healing of kids like Colton as well as healing the community. These things that happen to kids don't  happen in a vacuum, the community tacitly in some fashion agrees not to talk about what we know and what we see happening to kids. How many community members looked away, how many teachers looked away...what did the Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) do or not do? What happened to Colton's mom when she was a kid that led her to be the way she was and is in life and as a parent?

Like Frank Abagnale, Colton can turn his life around and do good in this world. He's taking the right actions and I don't see a reason for him to spend six years in prison.

Danette Zaring the Spokane licensed day care provider who slammed 23 month old Hailee Rhodes down into the playpen causing permanent brain damage to that sweet innocent children only got five years in prison.

Colton didn't hurt anyone physically and he certainly didn't hurt any children.  Balancing out those scales of justice, let us support Colton to become a person like Frank Abagnale, let him make restitution and amends to go on and lead a wonderful life.

I will go see his movie to remember how the forest, lakes and islands gave us kids varying degrees of comfort, solitude away from what was going on in some of our homes and just the fun of kids hanging out together in the Pacific Northwest.

I wish Colton well in turning his life around.  I wish his mother well, too, in turning her life around.  It's not too late for her either, it will be hard work but worth it. It's never too late to have a happy childhood.

Stay At Home Dad Writes like Dave Barry

What Is It Like To Be A SAHD? | Daddyshome Blog

A stay at home dads website. Shannon Carpenter, a stay at home dad, wrote a wonderful and funny article about raising his children. It's got that Dave Barry and Everyone Loves Raymond humor to it.

This guys having a great time with his kids. Reminded me of when I got to do quite a bit of child care for my grandsons for about three years when they were young. It gave my inner child permission to come out and play as I constructed a world where they'd be engaged in fun and interesting things to do as well as having amazing conversations with a four and six year old.

Enjoy a chuckle or two as you read Shannon Carpenter's story.

Day Care Agency (DEL) Hides Information & PARENTMAP article on making day care decisions

A day-care(ful) decision

Parents are at a disadvantage in making day care decisions when the Department of Early Learning (DEL) hides information.

PARENTMAP magazine has the best of intentions and are looking for credible information to pass on to parents. I added a comment to Katie Amodei's article, "A day-care(ful) decision. Click on link above for article and my information from being the day care licensor insider then later the whistle blower on the Washington State agencies that license day care facilities.

Elizabeth Bonbright from Child Care Resource and Referral said (quoted from the article): “Basically, any question you can think of to ask your child care provider, we’ve already asked them,” says Bonbright Thompson. “We put all of this information into our computer program so the phone counselors can pull parents a list that most closely matches what they want.”

NO THEY DIDN'T.  


DEL does not give Child Care Resource and Referral (CCRR) information complaint history information nor does DEL give Child Care Resource and Referral health and safety violation histories that have occurred in licensed day care facilities. Day care providers are CCRR's customers and no in depth interviews are conducted by CCRR about day care facilities complaint and violation of regulations histories. 

You will notice in the article in the list of things to look for when visiting fails to mention the most important aspect which is how are all of the children actually being treated, are the children happy, any of them sad, withdrawn and/or upset?

Elizabeth Bonbright says: "Trust your gut!"  Putting the heavy responsibility on the parent without telling the parent that there are some serious problems with day care licensing oversight and that she has no access to complaint and violation histories of day care facilities is unfair to the parent and other citizens of Washington State that care about the safety of children.

The article does not mention how to file a complaint if the parent sees violations at the day care. After two year old Jaclyn Frank died in a licensed day care home, two other parents called the department to report that they'd had their children there, saw very concerning things and removed their children from that day care. They will always wonder if they had called (did they even know who to call until they read about Jaclyn's death?) might Jaclyn be alive today?

Bonbright's Child Care Resource and Referral, however, gets your tax money through your federal and state taxes to run an agency that can't give you, the parent, the most important information you need to make a decision about the health, safety and well-being of their child while they are at work.   

When non-profits get their money from the state government people who hold the purse strings if they want to continue getting money there is pressure to not make the bureaucrats angry at you for offering feedback that might be taken as a criticism thus jeopardizing the non-profit's funding.

For parents, email Communications Specialist Brandon Chapman at Brandon.Chapman@del.wa.gov and request what are called "FamLink provider notes" on the day care facility you are researching. Be sure to ask for both the licensing and the complaint Famlink provider notes.   Mr. Chapman will respond to your request with respect and efficiency; and in all likelihood send them back via an email attachment quickly.

My best advice and I agree with Bonbright, "trust you gut", then follow up and make a public disclosure request.

Erin Brockovich Philosophy and Washington State Daycare

Erin Brockovich Philosophy

The long and winding road of government hiding, concealing, altering and destroying public records and information a parent has a right to know before placing their child in licensed care must stop and instead have transparency become business as usual in Washington State.

I like what Erin Brockovich wrote about philosophy on her website:

"I am an advocate for awareness, the truth, and a person's right to know. I believe that in the absence of the truth, all of us stand helpless to defend ourselves, our families and our health, which is the greatest gift we have."

I see on her website she deals with the toxic issues around mold.

Not too long before I left daycare licensing one of the licensed daycare providers on my caseload called me to warn me that a group of daycare providers were having meetings against me; and inviting my managers to these meetings. She shared another day care provider on my caseload complained about me making her remove the mold from her bathroom. When the provider who called me made a statement at the meeting as to my fairness, she was verbally attacked and taunted that she was "teacher's pet". She shared that SEIU folks were at this meeting as well as a lay representative who represents daycare providers at administrative hearings.

SEIU 925 getting in the daycare business led to the Department of Early Learning (DEL) taking off transparent information that parents could review to make decisions. DEL had started scanning in the Facility Licensing Compliance Agreements (FLCAs), that showed violations of regulations at daycare facilities as well as the plan of correction the daycare provider would accomplish; and posted those documents on the DEL website. We were told SEIU 925 complained and thus DEL removed this information vital to parents making daycare decisions about where to place their child while they are away at work.

We're still waiting for DEL to comply with RCW 43.215.370, a law past in 2007 t0 post revocations, suspensions and denials on their website.

Yes, "a person's right to know"...a parent's right to know.

Liar, Liar Pants on Fire, The Department of Early Learning's Refusal to Comply with RCW 43.215.370

 The Department of Early Learning (DEL) since 2007 has said they don't have the computer capability to post revocation, suspension and denial history.

Yet with with the newest law to post "Unlicensed" child day care providers they came up with that link real fast since the 2011 session ended in April as DEL just described in their August 2011 newsletter:

"Unlicensed care information added to Child Care Check

DEL’s online tool for finding information on licensed child care providers has new information. When you visit Child Care Check at www.del.wa.gov/check you will now find:

 Information about unlicensed child care providers. Senate Bill 5504, passed during the 2011 legislative session, requires DEL to post online information about anyone cited for unlicensed care who does not move to become licensed. A provider will have a red statement about unlicensed care next to his or her name if they are considered unlicensed by the state."

DEL creating this link so easily what now will Deputy Director, Bob Hamilton and Communications Manager, Amy Blondin...what will the say is the reason DEL breaks the law on posting the names of daycare providers who licenses were revoked, suspended and denied?

Some of those folks continued to provide daycare even after a child death in the daycare. It is vital information that a parent would need to protect their children. 

State Auditor and Peformance Based Audits & the Whistleblower Program

In Our View: Incentives, Penalties | The Columbian

From the Columbian Newspaper urging support of State Auditor Brian Sonntag's performance based audits:

"This might sound like geeky microscience that appeals only to the most advanced pencil-pushers, but here’s why it matters to taxpayers: The state directs more than $10 billion annually (one-third of all state spending) to contracts for goods and services. And when contracts are “performance-based,” they deliver bigger bangs for the taxpayers’ bucks.

For many years, state agencies typically used “time-and-materials” contracts, which pay vendors based on time spent and quantity of materials used. Recently, though, the emphasis has properly shifted to performance-based contracts that pay vendors based on established outcomes or results."

Citizens and taxpayers of Washington State concerned with the performance of unelected state bureaucratic managers could have an effect by strongly supporting the State Auditor in conducting such audits as well as doing oversight on the State Auditor's work as well.

The legislature passed the Whistle Blower law to encourage state employees to make reports to the State Auditor. There needs to be an in depth audit and/or a journalistic investigation done on that program.

Employees using computers for personal reasons seems to have gotten the most attention in terms of the State Auditor in conducting whistle blower investigations while children at risk in licensed day care did not. In addition, the State Auditor stopped an investigation he initiated on unelected bureaucratic managers for concealing public records, for ordering public records be altered by creating a new record then deleting the original record and for removing documents from public records in violation of a criminal statute.

If the State Auditor needs someone to advocate for his office to get such investigations completed, if he's gotten pressure from somewhere to not make such investigations, I'd be glad to help his office out with that to accomplish the goal that licensed child day care means safe, healthy and happy children while their parents are at work.