New Government Investigation Highlights Need for Better Child Care Standards
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- An investigation conducted at the behest of U.S. Rep. George Miller, the senior Democrat on the Education and the Workforce Committee, showed the urgent need for better standards in child care facilities and more Congressional attention on early learning and child care concerns.
The report, Overview of Relevant Employment Laws and Cases of Sex Offenders at Child Care Facilities, is the second in a series of reports the Government Accountability Office has initiated following requests from Miller. All 50 states require background checks for some types of child care facilities but state laws are not consistent in the types of checks required and which child care programs are required to conduct background checks.
“This report is alarming for two reasons. First, parents should never have to worry that their children are vulnerable to sexual predators when being cared for at a child care facility. Parents deserve the assurance that their child is safe when they’re in an early learning environment,” said Miller. “Second, this report is a reminder that the Committee has yet to examine early childhood issues at all this year. Instead, we have seen the Republican House make repeated attempts to severely cut critical early childhood programs like Head Start without regard to the consequences. I hope Chairman Kline will take this into consideration as he prepares his agenda in the coming months.”
In the ten cases that GAO included in the report, three offenders used their new roles in the child care facilities to commit another crime against a minor.
Miller has been a longtime advocate of quality early learning and child care facilities.
To read the report, click here.
Next Article