This report "Leaving Children to Chance" by the National Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies (NACCRRA) left their methodology to chance. All this report highlights to begin with is just what is written down on a piece of paper (otherwise known as standards) and then the individual states saying to the NACCRA, "yes, what I am reporting is true."
Therefore, this is not an actual look to see if states enforce day care standards, it is only, did the states write down a standard (or requirement) on a piece of paper?
What NACCRA wrote about their methodology:
"In November 2011, NACCRRA sent a request to child care licensing directors in all 51 states (including the District of Columbia) and a representative from the Office of Family Policy/Office of Children and Youth in the Department of Defense (DoD). We asked them to verify the accuracy of information we had gathered about specific licensing regulations in their state related to small family child care homes."
Well, just looking at the states ranked in the top two, Oklahoma and Washington State the information is not accurate.
One NACCRRA category is: "Online inspection and complaint reports are available to parents on the Internet."
For Washington State inspection reports are not available to parents on-line as reported in "Leaving Children to Chance".
For Oklahoma complaint inspections are not available to parents on-line as reported in "Leaving Children to Chance."
That immediately reduces the scores for those top two states. This report lacks validity and reliability in the outcomes of NACCRA's research and analysis. They could have at least gone to the websites of Washington State and Oklahoma to do some independent verification, but they didn't.
Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies are funded by the feds and the states. They don't have access to the information the state licensing agencies have nor do they provide accurate information to parents. Most of these agencies are subordinate to the federal and state governments to keep their money, keep the funding going on the taxpayers dollar.
The most accurate part of NACCRA's report is, indeed, parents are "Leaving Children to Chance" when they look for day care.
http://www.naccrra.org/about-child-care/state-child-care-licensing/2012-leaving-children-to-chance
Smoke and mirrors; and a waste of the taxpayers' money.
Showing posts with label Child Care Resource and Referral. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Child Care Resource and Referral. Show all posts
Thursday, March 29, 2012
Saturday, August 13, 2011
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.
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.
Monday, August 8, 2011
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.
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.
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