Daycare Investigations: Who Is Watching The Children?

There is an important topic that is currently netting a lot of comments on an East Tennessee forum, http://www.topix.com/forum/source/wbir/TJSE9JEL3RJL8E9F7/p21 .  This has to do with a childcare facility in Jefferson City, TN, where workers taped a pacifier into an infant’s mouth and stuck him away in a dark bathroom.  Sadly, you can do a search on Google and find thousands of stories about poor childcare and as a mother myself I think this is a topic that deserves some attention. 

Tennessee has a voluntary system in which daycare centers and homes can attain a Star rating of 1 to 3.  The daycare center in this particular story, Noah’s Ark, had a three star rating, and according to a poster who claims she worked there in the past that rating was “a joke.”  You can see her post in the link above but here is what she says: 

I worked there in 96,97,98 .my child was in her care and i was at the infant center i would go pick up my 5 and 4 yr old children and my son 4 yrs old would be in a high chair sitting in a corner.come to find out that had been happening alot .well thta day was the last day i worked there and the last my children went there. she was over child ratios alot . i would have to leave my classroom to cook there food mind you they were left alone while i did this. i am sooo surprised she has not been shut down before this . and them being a three star daycare now thats a joke!!!!!! 

Other examples from the press, this year, where Tennessee 3 Star facilities (and remember this is considered the highest rating possible) have been found to be mistreating children include: Living Free Children’s Center in Portland, TN where a daycare worker was arrested for abusing children and using drugs around them, and Paulette’s Group Day Care Home in Layfette, TN where a worker hid 3 crying infants in playpens, with blankets pinned across the top in a storage room.  She placed a sign on the door which stated “Private Day Care does not go beyond this door.”  You can see a picture of the room and read the article here . This 3 star rated facility had been cited in the past for too many children per caregiver, poor attendance record keeping, leaving children outside, and had experienced an e. coli outbreak which infected 10 children.   

Other daycare tragedies from this year’s press include a six month old baby dying in May of this year at this Symrna, TN home daycare which was also over its child limits according to DHS.  And daycare workers leave infant alone in center and close it down early for the night. It notes that in the two years the center has been open the DHS had received more than a dozen complaints.   As I said it saddens me to report there are many more examples in Tennessee alone of children being left in vans or abused in both licensed and non-licensed child care facilities.  But supposedly things are much better than they were. 

According to this Times article, It Took Three Dead Babies, Tennessee didn’t even require, until rather recently, a simple criminal background check on its daycare workers.   In addition to describing the incidents in which three babies died while in daycare supervision, this article talks about the daycare subsidies that the Tennessee government provides and how those funds can be misallocated and abused.  This goes to dispel the myth that the public must put up with whatever daycare they can get due to the low profit margins of the industry (not that there is ever an excuse for abuse).  In fact, the daycares in this article were receiving millions of dollars in government subsidies. 

According to Tennessee’s Department of Human Services website, “Tennessee’s child care agencies are inspected between 4 to 6 times a year, depending on the agency’s Star rating. At least one unannounced visit is made each quarter. These visits are to ensure that providers continue to meet licensing requirements.”As I mentioned earlier the Star rating system is voluntary, but all licensed facilities must, according to the DHS website participate in the Child Care Report Card System as follows:  

Under Tennessee’s Child Care Report Card System, every licensed child care agency must undergo an annual evaluation and post a report card of the results. Agencies are required to post their report card with their renewal license where parents can clearly see them. The Report Card system is mandatory for all licensed providers. An agency must be opened for one year before it is assessed.

Please note amendment to Rule 1240-4-7.05 Re-Evaluations and Reviews of Report Cards and Agency Ratings on the Secretary of State’s Web Site. This amendment allows providers to request a program reassessment at the provider’s expense at any time to address any new or changed conditions that occurred since the date of the agency’s last completed assessment. The amendment also clarifies time lines for requesting assessment reviews and the status of bonus payments. The amendment is effective August 7, 2007.

You can see an example of a report card here.

Two caveats here is that one the agency must be open at least a year to receive a report card and two, the center can always get a new report as outlined above.  The thing that I find most disturbing is that there is nowhere online where a parent can go and investigate complaints and investigations against a potential daycare provider.  The Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance is required to put together a monthly press release with all violations of licensed accountants, barbers, cosmetologists, security providers, etc.  Why doesn’t the Tennessee Department of Health have a similar requirement? 

There are some steps you can take to investigate a childcare facility.  You can call the Knoxville DHS which is responsible for a 12 county district, to make an appointment to go and review any daycare provider’s file licensed within this district, they can be reached at 865-594-6060.  They can also provide some of this information over the phone.

Additionally, there are many things a private investigator can do to help you evaluate your child’s care setting.  This includes a background check on the owner, which would include checking their provider file, and any civil and criminal records they have according to their address history.  It is common that individuals think they can hide past records simply by moving to a new area, that is why it is prudent to check all places of past residence as well.  A private investigator can provider undercover visits to a daycare to provide an additional set of eyes and ears.  If you employ an at home caregiver hidden camera surveillance can be set up as well as a thorough screening of the individual.  If you are in the Knoxville area you can contact me for private investigation assistance.