Controversial Day Care Legislation Pending
By Teresa Sim—ni 3?
Managing Editor
Almost 80 percent of the nw
then in North Carolina have pre
school aged children and work
outside the home. Therefore, the
percentage of children in N.C day
care centers is one of the highest in
the nation.
- It’s also why many are concerned
with the currant day care legis
lation now being discussed in the
N.C. Senate and House of Repre
sentatives. The bills will affect over
180,000 children now in the care of
either 2,375 registered child day care
centers, one of about 80,000 indivi
duals registered as child carers or
thousands other “underground day
care” operations.
The N.C. Senate Committee on
Children and Youth has already
approved a few of the bills re
garding such things as mandatory
inspection within seven days of a
center where cases of abuse or
neglect are reported.
Some time next month the entire
Senate is expected to vote on all of
the controversial day care legisla
tion. :
pot one, uie opponents to tbe day
care legislation fed that the new
regulations will raise tbe cost of day
care in North Carolina. The bill c«ti«
for reduction of child-to-staff ratio.
(The best ratio for toddlers is four
per staff member - example Iowa.
But the current N.C. Day Care Law
allows up to eight toddlers per staff
member in day care centers.)
Opponents feel that staff-child
ratio does not ensure quality care
hnyway. "Let's strengthen it (day
care) in other ways,” suggests
Carolyn S.Turner, chairman of tbe
Licensing Commission. “What we
really want is a professional staff
taking care of children,” Mrs.
Turner said. "The key thing in child
care is the care-giver. That’s why
I’ll go with upgrading that care
giver first.”
She stated that more training
would inereasecosts as well but said
that it would be less than the in
crease in costs from lower ratios.
There are, however, portions of
the day care legislation that ad-,
dress the development of minimal
educational requirements for all
staff and on-going staff development
through courses, workshops, se
minars, etc.
I Those who are in favor of the day
.care legislation - Max Justice, pre
sident of the Council For Children,
for one - feels that the accusations
>bout day care cost rising is not
true.
“If there is any increase tat the
jsoat of day care because of the
♦ r . .
The children pictured above at Wonderland Child Day
Care Center on Beatties Ford Road are prime
examples of Utile ones who depend on day care. The
question Is will the North Carolina Day Care Legit
• • i, . _J->L . ^ '* *, -V
lathm. now pending, help or hinder their chances for
better care at reasonable prices? (Photo By Teresa
Simmons)
fjtl • (?• j *
* ' . 'r.-V
legislature it would be minimal,”
Justice announced. “State auditors
put it at the $2 range.
“There is a lot of misinformation
that the opponents are using. They
are using scare tactics and tossing
around unsupported and unrealistic
figures. For instance, they say that
weekly costs of day care will rise by
$14 or $16 per week. That’s just
baloney and those assumptions are
not supported by any study," Jus
tice continued. .
John Lail, director of Day Care
Licensing Office in the State De
partment of Administration, stated
recently in the News and Observer
in Raleigh that North Carolina is un
able to enforce the current stan
dards and to add more would be
folly.
“Let’s enforce whatever we have.
If we say one-to-five staff-child
ratio, we need to be able to take the
license away if they don’t (meet the
standard). Unless there is a cor
responding change in our enforce
ability.” Lail continued, “I’m not in
favor of changing the standards.”
Today 16 to 16 licensing con
sultants work under Lail. “But to do
the job adequately,” Lail says,
“we need at least 40 consultants.”
The caseload, he continued, should
be no more than 60 centers for each
. consultant. N.C. consultants have
one of the largest caseloads in the
nation, according to Lail, numbering
150 to 175 per person.
According to Justice, there is a bill
requesting an increase in the num
ber of inspectors.
Regardless of whether the cost of
day care rises a little or sub
stantially, North Carolina still
allows mpre babies age 0 to one per
care-giver than any other state in
the nation. Encouraging is the fact
that 77 percent of N.C. day care
centers already comply with the pro
posed new minimal standards.
“And even if the ratio portion of
the bill is passed North Carolina will
still have a higher national average
ratio of student per teacher and
higher than recommended by the
federal government," stated
Justice. ,
For 0 to one year age group the
federal government recommends
three children per teacher; ave
rage of all states is -five per
teacher; the current N.C. standard
is nine per teacher; and the pro
posed legislation is six children,
ages 0 to one year, per teacher.
Two day care directors in Char
lotte have few or now qualms about
the legislation. Their employees are
already attending educational work
shops, courses and seminars, their
centers already give written copies
of the center’s discipline policies to
the parents (as specified in the le
gislation).
Mrs. Rabb of the Little Learners
Day Care-Kindergarten and Mrs.
Townsend of the Shiloh Institution
al Child Development Center both
feel that the legislation will raise
cost of day care "...a little.”
"Some day care operators I’ve
talked to have mixed
about the bill,” stated Mrs. Rabb. “I
would like for the hilia to pass.”
Mrs. Townsend is for portions of
the bill, but, to some extent, op
poses other portions. Her main
concern is that children need to
receive the love, attention and pro
per instruction in the day care
center.
The remaining portions of the bill
which must be hashed over 'in'^be
N.C. Senate Subcommittee range
from providing the children with
stimulating activities to providing
minimum health and safety stan
dards for day care plans caring for
two to six children on a regular N^is
If you would like to express your
views on the day care legislation to
your N.C. Representative, now is the
time. For more information, call the
Council For Children, 372-7961.
$$ the Charlotte Post $$
The County Courthouse was the scene of the marriage ceremony uni tins
Oliver end Betty Gaither. The couple wed on March k A V*'
hosted by Mabel Hubbard, the bride’s godmother. OttUTSSin
^®*“enhar< “dh School. Is a member of the UB.
Army. His bride attended North Mecklenburg High School and Central
Piedmont Community College. She was employed by Charlene’s Discount ,U7
Beauty and Barber Supply. The couple plans to reside In California. •, 7
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