Keep Children Safe When They're at Child Care
- by: NACCRRA
- recipient: U.S. Congress
Not all states require child care programs to be licensed or regularly inspected. Only 12 states, including the District of Columbia and Department of Defense, license all child care centers and family child care homes that care for unrelated children, and only three states require quarterly inspections of these settings.
Child care licensing establishes minimal health and safety standards. Regular inspections ensure those minimal standards are being met. Without licensing or inspections, states cannot safeguard the health, development and well-being of children in care.
One of the most powerful ways to ensure that children are in safe, healthy and developmentally appropriate settings is to require states to license all child care centers and family child care homes caring for at least one unrelated child for a fee. But licensing is only half the battle - states must also require quarterly, unannounced inspections of child care settings to ensure that programs are meeting the minimum standards established by licensing.
Give the 11 million children in child care the chance to get off to a healthy, safe and bright start. Sign the petition today urging Congress to enact legislation supporting licensing and regular inspections of child care settings to ensure all children are protected and their healthy development promoted.
Dear [Decision Maker],
To safeguard the more than 11 million children under age 5 in child care, I strongly urge you to support legislation that would require states to license all child care centers and family child care homes caring for at least one unrelated child on a regular basis for a fee. Licensing establishes minimum health, safety and program standards for these settings. Additionally, I urge you to require states to inspect child care centers and family child care homes at least four times per year to ensure established standards are being met.
When states fail to license or inspect child care programs, the health and safety of children in child care cannot be assured. Research has shown that programs that are inspected more frequently are more likely to adhere to required regulations. Frequent, unannounced inspections prevent providers from covering up violations. Inspections also lower the rate of accidents requiring medical attention.
Among parents, there is strong support for requiring inspections of child care programs, including family child care homes, before they begin caring for children. In fact, in a national survey conducted by the National Association of Child Care Resource & Referral Agencies (NACCRRA), 95 percent of parents supported requiring inspections of child care programs, including family child care homes, before beginning to care for children.
[Your comments will be inserted here]
As a Member of Congress, you have the opportunity to make sure all children in child care are in safe, healthy and developmentally appropriate settings. By supporting legislation that requires states to license all child care settings and inspect child care settings at least four times per year, you ensure all children in child care get off to a healthy, safe and bright start.
