NACCRRA Press Releases

NACCRRA Releases Policy Agenda to Ensure Children in Child Care Are Safe During Disasters

Arlington, VA Today, the National Association of Child Care Resource & Referral Agencies (NACCRRA) released Keeping Children Safe: A Policy Agenda for Child Care in Emergencies. In the wake of the recent disasters in the Midwest , particularly Iowa, where almost 85,000 children under five are affected, this report sheds light on the increased need for a national policy agenda to ensure the safety and care of all children during disasters.

Nearly 12 million children under the age of 5 are in child care each week, said Linda Smith, Executive Director of NACCRRA. Many of the nations 2.3 million child care workers are untrained for disasters and few states require child care programs to even plan for disasters other than fire. To have a comprehensive and viable disaster preparedness and recovery plan in place for child care providers will ensure that child care is no longer an after-thought in the time of crisis.

The Keeping Children Safe Report is the beginning of a campaign to raise awareness, change policy, and ensure that the child care and emergency management communities can work together to protect the nations children during a time of crisis. The Report explains and details many complicated child care and disaster terms and regulations. Additionally. it outlines current child care and disaster policies, local, state, and federal policy recommendations, and next steps on how to move this initiative forward.

Children are particularly vulnerable during a time of crisis, said Smith. Many are immobile and unable to communicate the most basic information to rescuers. It is paramount that states take heed and develop and enact comprehensive emergency plans to safeguard the well-being of all children and their families.

The Keeping Children Safe Report is a result of findings and conclusions established during a meeting held in November of 2007 in New Orleans, Louisiana. The meeting involved NACCRRA and more than 30 other organizations concerned with child care and disaster relief efforts. The meeting included presentations and panel discussions by experts from organizations such as the American Public Human Services Association; the American Red Cross; Mississippi State University; the National Guard; Save the Children; and Child Care Resource & Referral agencies (CCR&R) from across the nation. From the presentations and small group discussions, Keeping Children Safe: A Policy Agenda for Child Care in Emergencies was created.

Additional participants in the meeting included representatives from the following organizations: Agenda for Children; American Academy of Pediatrics; Center for Disease Control and Prevention; Knowledge Learning Corp.; Louisiana Department of Social Services Child Care Licensing and Regulatory Section; National Association for Family Child Care; National Black Child Development Institute; National Center for Missing and Exploited Children; National Child Care Association; National Infant and Child Care Initiative; Project KID; United Way for the GNO Area; Voices for Americas Children; and Westover Consultants. The meeting and development of the Report was supported by the Peppercorn Foundation and the A.L. Mailman Family Foundation.

NACCRRA has been actively involved in efforts to assist, educate and raise awareness about disaster efforts in the child care community. In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, NACCRRA engaged in outreach efforts to help restore child care so families could begin to piece their lives back together. Additionally, NACCRRA launched Is Child Care Ready?, the nations first disaster preparedness initiative specifically for child care with the help of experts from organizations such as Save the Children; the federal Child Care Bureau; Mississippi State University; and representatives from CCR&Rs from across the nation.

National Provider Appreciation Day: May 9

Arlington, VA - Child care organizations and parents across the globe are joining together the Friday before Mother's Day, May 9, 2008, to celebrate Provider Appreciation Day. Provider Appreciation Day is a special day to recognize child care providers, teachers, school-age program staff, child care center directors and staff, and all those who work with children in a variety of ways and are responsible for their education and care. It is estimated that there are nearly 2.8 million child care providers in the United States and that nearly 12 million children under age 5 are in their care.

"By applauding the dedication of child care providers on May 9, we remind our communities of the importance of high-quality child care, and let providers everywhere know that we recognize and value their important work," said Linda K. Smith, Executive Director of the National Association of Child Care Resource & Referral Agencies (NACCRRA), the lead sponsor of Provider Appreciation Day. "It is important that the care a child receives during the first five years of life be of high-quality because 90 percent of brain development occurs during those years."

In recent years, local governments across the United States have joined many Governors in proclaiming this day of recognition. Around the globe, Department of Defense installations celebrate Provider Appreciation Day by recognizing those who care for the children of military parents living both at home and abroad. The celebrations this year promise to carry on and strengthen Provider Appreciation Day. Events such as luncheons, parades, dedications, and other recognition celebrations are planned throughout the United Staes in an effort to honor child care providers for their hard work and commitment to children.

Provider Appreciation Day is a special day to recognize child care providers, teachers, and other educators of young children everywhere. Started in 1996 by a group of volunteers in New Jersey, Provider Appreciation Day is appropriately celebrated each year on the Friday before Mother's Day. The founding organizers saw the need to recognize the tireless efforts of providers who care for children of working parents. Momentum and support for this event has grown each year and recognition presently includes individuals and government organizations throughout North America, Europe, and Asia.

To learn more about Provider Appreciation Day or for ideas on how you can thank your child care provider, visit www.providerappreciation.org.

Report: Nearly 7 Million Parents Served by Child Care Resource & Referral Agencies Nationwide

The National Association of Child Care Resource & Referral Agencies (NACCRRA) released its newest report today, which takes an in-depth look at the services Child Care Resource & Referral agencies (CCR&Rs) provide to parents in their local communities. The report entitled, Covering the Map: Child Care Resource & Referral Agencies Providing Vital Services to Parents Throughout the United States, reveals that CCR&Rs reached nearly 7 million parents in 2006 with various services including referrals to child care, subsidy payments, consumer education, language and literacy programs and activities, and training workshops. Additionally, CCR&Rs reported almost 10 million contacts with the parents served throughout the year.

"This report demonstrates that CCR&Rs are doing tremendous work for families and children nationwide," said Linda Smith, Executive Director of NACCRRA. "The work of CCR&Rs is so important to communities, and this report shows that parents realize this. CCR&Rs have become a trusted and vital resource that families can turn to for educational materials, information, and resources, and ultimately to find high-quality child care and the means to afford it."

CCR&Rs are located in every state and most communities across the nation. Together, they serve parents and providers in over 99 percent of all populated zip codes. They work with their communities to identify child care needs and create solutions by recruiting and training nearly 500,000 child care providers and creating 450,000 new child care spaces annually.

Significant findings of the report revealed that almost 39 million parents visited their local CCR&R websites. Additionally, CCR&Rs handled 1.6 million child care referrals via the Internet and telephone, of which 48 percent were for infant/toddler care, 30 percent were for preschool-age children, and 22 percent were for school-age children. CCR&Rs also provided nearly 568,000 referrals to other programs, such as Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and employment services.

CCR&Rs also distributed almost 11 million pieces of consumer education material to more than 5 million parents in English and other languages and provided training workshops to almost 134,000 parents. Additionally, CCR&Rs administered more than $1.95 billion in child care subsidies to almost 730,000 children.

Nearly 12 million children under age 5 in the United States are in some type of child care arrangement every week. Almost two-thirds of women with children under 6 are in the workforce. Children of working mothers spend an average of 36 hours per week in a child care setting. Research has shown that 90 percent of brain development occurs by age 5, which means the setting in which children spend most of their time is critical to their overall development.

"In today's economy, families rely more than ever on child care to work," said Smith. "Parents in dual-income households, as well as single-parent households, need to work to meet basic household expenses. In order to work, parents need child care and they need help identifying and finding high-quality child care where their children can thrive physically, emotionally and mentally. CCR&Rs provide families with options and the knowledge to make informed decisions so they can work with peace of mind knowing that their children are in care that safeguards their health and safety and promotes development and learning."

In order to ensure the continued work of CCR&Rs across the nation, NACCRRA recommends that Congress reauthorize the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) and increase the quality set-aside to 12 percent; require adequate amounts to be allocated toward consumer education on child care to help parents make informed decisions; and authorize specific funds for a community-based child care provider training system administered through the CCR&Rs to strengthen the quality of child care across the nation.

CCDBG funding is the primary federal funding source for child care in the United States. It provides $11 billion in funds for quality investments and subsidies, and each state determines how the funds will be used within broad federal parameters. In order to receive funds from CCDBG, states must have policies in place designed to protect the health and safety of children. Under current law, a minimum of 4 percent of these funds are set aside to improve child care quality.

Covering the Map: Child Care Resource & Referral Agencies Providing Vital Services to Parents Throughout the United States is a detailed compilation of survey results based on responses from 189 local CCR&Rs representative of the CCR&R population based on region, budget size, and organizational structure. The survey asked detailed questions about child care and other referral services, consumer education, parent workshops, and child care subsidy management. Questions answered are subject to a sampling error of plus or minus 6 percentage points at the 95 percent level of confidence.

For a full copy of the report, please visit www.naccrra.org. To be connected to your local CCR&R, visit www.childcareaware.org or call toll-free 1 (800) 424-2246. Through the Child Care Aware® network, parents need only provide their zip code to be connected to their local CCR&R.

President Bush's Proposed Budget Puts Children of Working Parents In Jeopardy

Budget Ignores Needs of Working Families with Children by Failing to Increase Child Care Funding

Arlington, VA - The National Association of Child Care Resource & Referral Agencies (NACCRRA) warns that President Bush's proposed budget for fiscal year 2009 could put the children of working parents in jeopardy. Under the proposal, the budget would freeze funding for child care for the seventh year in a row. As a result of the proposal, 200,000 children will lose their child care assistance within the next two years, according to the President's own budget estimates.

"Parents cannot work without child care," said Linda Smith, Executive Director of NACCRRA. "Without sufficient funding to help parents pay for the rising costs of child care, our children will suffer. All children need access to high-quality child care in order to ensure their growth and development. Like groceries, gas, and college costs, the cost of child care increases for parents every year. Child care funding has been frozen for nearly a decade; that's nearly two generations of incoming kindergarten students whose child care needs have been ignored by this Administration. It is time we stopped leaving children to chance and address this issue this year - through increased access to subsidies and initiatives to improve the quality of care. Whether children receive a subsidy or not, child care ought to be safe and promote early childhood development. Too often today it is neither."

Nationally, about 2.7 million children currently receive child care assistance, which is administered through the federal Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG). Funds are allocated to each state based on a formula, but each state determines how the funds will be used within broad federal parameters. At least 4 percent of the funds must be used to improve the quality of child care. In order to receive funds from CCDBG, states must have policies in place designed to protect the health and safety of children.

"Freezing funding for a seventh year not only results in fewer children being served, but also results in states cutting funds for training providers and inspecting or monitoring state standards," said Smith. "We just released a report last week on the condition of family child care homes throughout the states. State standards are weak and, sometimes, state monitoring is nonexistent. Too often, the health and safety of children is not protected. If anything, we need to expand efforts to strengthen the quality of care, not shift funding from quality investment to subsidies to make up for federal budget cuts. Both are critical."

Nationwide, nearly 12 million children under age 5 spend time every week in a child care setting. With the increasing number of women in the workforce, many parents now use child care from their child's infancy through kindergarten. The quality of that care is a matter for concern, whether children receive subsidies or not.

According to research, the early years of life are critical to a child's development. Research has also shown that 80 percent of the brain develops by age 3 and 90 percent by age 5. Child care settings that are of high-quality help ensure the safety, health, and well-being of the children in care.

For more information on high-quality child care or for a full copy of NACCRRA's recent report - Leaving Children to Chance: NACCRRA's Ranking of State Standards and Oversight of Small Family Child Care Homes, visit www.naccrra.org.

Some States's Regulations Don't Protect Children in Home Care Settings

NACCRRA's New Report Ranks and Scores States Based on Current Family Child Care Standards and Oversight Policies

Fifteen States Received a Score of Zero

ARLINGTON, VA - The National Association of Child Care Resource & Referral Agencies (NACCRRA) released its newest report today, ranking states on their current family child care standards and oversight policies. The report, entitled Leaving Children to Chance: NACCRRA's Ranking of State Standards and Oversight of Small Family Child Care Homes, reveals that many states fail to protect the health, safety, and well-being of children. According to the report, only one state is meeting 75 percent of the basic requirements needed to ensure that children are in care that safeguards their health and safety and promotes development and learning.

The report ranks every state, the District of Columbia, and the Department of Defense (DoD) child care system, on 14 different standards focused on ensuring the health, safety, and well-being of children while in home-based child care programs serving six or fewer children. States were ranked based on a point system with states earning a possible 140 points - 10 points for each standard examined. (Scores were adjusted if states allowed more than six children in care before applying any regulations). Standards included: frequency and type of monitoring visits; requirement of background checks, provider education, provider training, parent-provider communication/education, quality of learning environment; availability of learning activities and literacy opportunities; group size limitations; and health and safety requirements.

"The average score was a 59 and 15 states scored a zero on our score card, which means most states are not doing nearly enough to make sure that our children in family child care are safe and healthy," said Linda K. Smith, Executive Director of NACCRRA. "These are really small businesses being run out of homes. With the security of nearly 2 million children at risk, it is crucial that states revisit and improve their regulations, to guarantee children are safe and learning in family child care, and that their parents can enjoy peace of mind."

Fifteen states received a score of zero on the scorecard because they either do not regulate small family child care homes, do not conduct an inspection prior to issuing a license, or allow more than six children in care before applying any state regulations. In 41 states, a child care provider can care for an unrelated child for pay in her home without licensing - which means he/she is conducting a business without a license and could be failing to meet health codes or have no training to do the job. And only 24 states and the DoD conduct criminal background checks of family child care providers using federal fingerprinting - which means potentially, convicted felons could be working with small children.

Of all the states scored and ranked, including the District of Columbia and the DoD, only one (Oklahoma) received at least 75 percent of the maximum points allowed. The top 10 were: Oklahoma (105); Washington State (103); Massachusetts (101); the DoD (95); Alabama (93); District of Columbia (87); Maryland (85); South Carolina (80); Colorado (76); and Connecticut (69).

States with a score of zero included: Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan, Montana, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Virginia, and West Virginia.

Care offered in a family child care home is one of the largest segments of the child care industry. Nearly 2 million children are in some type of family child care setting each week. With children of working mothers spending an average of 36 hours per week in some type of child care setting, including family child care homes, it is imperative that regulations and policies are in place to protect their safety and encourage their development and growth.

To ensure children's safety, NACCRRA recommends that Congress require all adult child care providers who care for one or more unrelated children on a regular basis for pay to undergo a comprehensive background check that includes fingerprinting and a check of the sex offender and child abuse registries. Additionally, NACCRAA calls on Congress to grant the Child Care Bureau the authority to assess state child care plans for content and compliance and withhold funds from states with insufficient policies and oversight. NACCRRA also recommends Congress increase Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) subsidy funds and set aside a specific percent to regulate and monitor all forms of child care and require providers receiving CCDBG funds to be inspected to ensure compliance with basic health and safety practices.

The Child Care Bureau administers CCDBG funding, which is the primary federal funding source for child care in the United States. It provides $11 billion in funds for quality investments and subsidies, and each state determines how the funds will be used within broad federal parameters. In order to receive funds from CCDBG, states must have policies in place designed to protect the health and safety of children. The federal government must do more to ensure states do what is necessary to protect children.

To download a copy of the full report, visit www.naccrra.org.

NACCRRA Launches New Program Providing Free Respite Care to Marine Corps Families with Children with Special Needs

ARLINGTON, VA - The National Association of Child Care Resource & Referral Agencies (NACCRRA) has partnered with the U.S. Marine Corps to launch a new program that will provide respite care to Marine Corps families with children with special needs. NACCRRA Exceptional Family Member Program Respite Care (EFMP Respite Care) will initially launch in San Diego, California, and will serve Marine Corps families in the Greater San Diego area. Additional NACCRRA EFMP Respite Care launches will take place throughout the United States after the New Year.

"We are so pleased to be able to provide this much needed program to Marine Corps families with children with special needs," said Linda Smith, Executive Director of NACCRRA. "NACCRRA EFMP Respite Care will help many such families receive a well-deserved break, and rest assured during that break knowing that their child is being well cared for by highly qualified providers trained in special needs care."

Through NACCRRA EFMP Respite Care, eligible Marine Corps families can receive up to 40 hours per month of respite care services for children at no cost to the family. Respite care services in the San Diego area will be provided by qualified caregivers recruited and trained in special needs care by the San Diego YMCA Childcare Resource Service (CRS). The San Diego YMCA CRS - which is one of the largest comprehensive Child Care Resource and Referral agencies (CCR&Rs) in the country - has more than 10 years experience in providing respite care to San Diego county families who have children with developmental disabilities.

NACCRRA EFMP Respite Care will initially be available to those families stationed at the following locations: Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, and Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego. After the new year, the program will be available to eligible Marine Corps families in other locations, including: Northern Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina.

In order to be eligible for NACCRRA EFMP Respite Care, Marine Corps families must be enrolled in the U.S. Marine Corps Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP), be impacted by the Global War On Terror, and have a child under 18 years of age with at least one qualifying condition as diagnosed by a health care professional.

Marine Corps families who are impacted by deployment, but are not enrolled in EFMP can obtain respite care services through any installation's children's, youth, or teen program resource and referral office.

For more information about NACCRRA EFMP Respite Care or any of NACCRRA's other military programs, visit www.naccrra.org/MilitaryPrograms.

Model of Excellence: Air Force Projects Help Ease Shortage of High Quality Child Care

ARLINGTON, VA -The National Association of Child Care Resource & Referral Agencies (NACCRRA) has released a new report detailing the success of an Air Force-sponsored project to increase the quality of civilian child care in communities near Air Force bases.

The military's child care system has been recognized in recent years for its rigorous standards and dramatic improvement in quality, and has been cited as a "model for the nation." But the supply of on-base child care hasn't kept up with the rapidly growing demand for care among deployed and active-duty military families.

As reported in Air Force/NACCRRA Quality Family Child Care (QFCC) Project, in 2004 the Air Force contracted with NACCRRA to ease the child care crunch. NACCRRA worked with local Child Care Resource & Referral agencies (CCR&Rs) to help civilian child care providers meet military standards, in 12 communities around Air Force bases (AFBs):

Fairfield, CA (Travis AFB)
Omaha, NE (Offutt AFB)
Yuba City, CA (Beale AFB)
Las Vegas, NV (Nellis AFB)
Lakewood, CO (Buckley AFB)
Fayetteville, NC (Pope, AFB)
Fort Walton Beach, FL (Eglin and Hurlburt AFBs)
Oklahoma City, OK (Tinker AFB)
Valdosta, GA (Moody AFB)
San Antonio, TX (Randolph, Lackland and Brooks City AFBs)
Biloxi, MS (Keesler, AFB)
Spokane, WA (Fairchild AFB)

Throughout the two-year project, trained Outreach Specialists worked intensively to provide personalized assistance to civilian family child care (FCC) providers, helping them complete training, undergo background checks, and strengthen the health and safety standards in their child care programs. The Outreach Specialists made monthly visits and quarterly unannounced inspections, just as the military does for its on-base providers, to ensure that the FCC providers were complying with the military's rigorous standards. Child care program quality was assessed before and after the training was completed. The results were striking:

Nearly 400 FCC providers received enhanced training during the project.
Providers that completed the training scored higher on an adapted version of a widely-used child care quality assessment measure (the Quality Assessment Profile, or QAP) than when they had begun the program.
More than 20 percent of the FCC providers either earned a degree, national accreditation, or other professional recognition during the project, or are still in the process of doing so.

The QFCC project has had a lasting impact on the quality of care available to both military and civilian families in the local communities.

Within two years of its launch, the project created 1,250 high-quality child care spaces available to both Air Force and civilian families.
More than six in 10 of the providers recruited into the program are still active in the program, caring for children from both civilian and Air Force families.
As of January 31, 2007, 227 Air Force children and 71 children from other military branches were being cared for by providers in the QFCC program. Also, more than 460 civilian children were being cared for by providers trained in this project.

"NACCRRA has been delighted to have the chance to collaborate with the Air Force on this project," says Linda Smith, Executive Director of NACCRRA. This project shows that the military model of increasing the quality of child care can be put in place in civilian communities."

NACCRRA is calling on state and federal lawmakers to pass more rigorous requirements to bring civilian child care licensing requirements up to the level of military standards. Specifically, NACCRRA advocates more stringent background checks, better training and technical assistance for providers, lower child to staff ratios and smaller classroom sizes, and stronger health and safety standards in child care programs.

To download a copy of the report, visit www.naccrra.org.

The High Price of Child Care: Parents Are Often Forced to Choose Between Quality and Cost

ARLINGTON, VA - The National Association of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies (NACCRRA) announces the release of Parents and the High Price of Child Care: 2007 Update. The report provides typical prices of child care for infants and for four-year-olds in centers and family child care homes nationwide.

Child care is a major household expense for parents of young children. The average price of full-time care for an infant in a licensed center can be as high as $14,650 a year. For a four-year-old in a licensed center, parents could pay up to $10,920. Family child care homes may be less expensive, but the costs still add up, with average prices for full-time care as high as $9,500 for an infant and $9,000 for a four-year-old.

The report ranks the 10 least affordable states for child care, based on the price of child care as a percentage of the state median income for a two-parent family. The ten least affordable states for full-time infant care in a center are: Wisconsin (where the price of infant care can be as high as 16.5% of family income), Massachusetts, Washington, Pennsylvania, Minnesota, New York, California, the District of Columbia, Oregon, and Illinois. The ten least affordable states for full-time care for a preschooler in a center are: Oregon (14.3% of family income), New York, Minnesota, Massachusetts, Washington, Montana, the District of Columbia, North Carolina, Maine and California.

The high price of child care also has an impact on the rest of the family budget. In every region of the United States, average child care fees for an infant in a center are higher than the average amount families spend on food. In nearly every state, child care fees for two children in a center exceed the median rent cost, and are nearly as high or even higher than the average monthly mortgage payment. Child care prices for families with two children are higher than the average monthly mortgage payment in ten states (Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming and the District of Columbia). In fact, child care costs more than higher education: In 43 states, the price of full-time infant care in a center is higher than tuition at a public college.

Licensed care is particularly unaffordable for single parents. In 48 states, the average price of care for two children (one preschooler and one infant) would be greater than 50 percent of the median household income for single parents.

Some families choose unlicensed care to save money, but because these settings are unregulated, there is no monitoring of their safety. Research has found that these unregulated care settings are of lower quality than licensed care.

In NACCRRA's 2006 focus groups with parents, most parents named the high cost of child care as one of their highest concerns. Many parents said that they had to choose a setting that was lower in quality, or make other compromises, just so they could afford the care. In a 2005 poll, most parents agreed that affordable child care was the most important factor in helping working families in today's economy. Most parents also agreed that the public should share the cost of providing quality child care, and agreed that public education money should be expanded to include younger children and help pay for improved quality in child care. In fact, parents favored increased public funding for higher-quality child care even if it meant an increase in taxes by $10-$50 a year.

"The cost of child care is out of reach for too many families," says Linda Smith, Executive Director of NACCRRA. "No parent should have to choose a poor-quality child care setting just because they cannot afford or find anything better for their child. It's time to increase our public investment in improving the quality of child care."

The report provides results from a 2007 survey of Child Care Resource & Referral (CCR&R) State Networks, which asked for the average 2006 prices charged by child care programs listed in CCR&R databases. Located in every state and most communities across the nation, CCR&Rs provide services to help connect parents with the child care that meets their needs and work with caregivers to help raise the quality of child care in their communities.

To access the full report, please visit NACCRRA's website: www.naccrra.org. To find your local CCR&R, visit NACCRRA's Child Care Aware® website at www.childcareaware.org.

Attachments

Delaware Infant Death Calls Attention to Need for Basic Child Care Health & Safety Training

ARLINGTON, VA - Today, the National Association of Child Care Resource & Referral Agencies (NACCRRA) issued an appeal to Governors, State Legislators, and Members of Congress to better protect the safety and the very lives, of young children by strengthening the basic health and safety training required of child care workers. Tragically, earlier this week, a 2-month-old infant died at a child care center in Wilmington, Delaware. The exact cause of death is unknown, but the infant was found dead on his stomach in a crib in a child care center.

Training child care providers to put infants to sleep on their backs was among 10 basic health and safety measures that NACCRRA reviewed in its report, We Can Do Better: NACCRRA's Ranking of State Child Care Standards and Oversight, released in March. According to the report, many states are lacking in their training requirements of child care providers and oversight of child care center safety. Twenty-six states do not have a requirement to place babies on their backs to sleep (despite a recommendation to do so from the American Academy of Pediatrics), including: Arizona, Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Idaho, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, and Wyoming.

"It's always a tragedy when an infant dies. My heart really goes out to both the family of the baby and also the staff working at the center. In the Delaware case, we don't know what happened. We just know that a 2-month-old infant died, and we know that Delaware is not one of the states that requires infants to be placed on their backs to sleep," said Linda K. Smith, Executive Director of NACCRRA. "The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that infants be placed for sleep on their backs, based on research that shows that there is a greater incidence of SIDS-- Sudden Infant Death Syndrome-- when infants are put to sleep on their bellies."

NACCRRA represents over 800 state and local Child Care Resource & Referral agencies throughout the country. Beyond helping parents find child care, these agencies also provide resources and training to parents and to child care providers. Smith said: "We train 500,000 child care providers a year, and one of the most important topics is infant safety. Some parents and caregivers just haven't learned the safest position to avoid SIDS." According to Smith, "that's what makes training so important. Every state should require infants in licensed care to be put on their backs to sleep. It's just not worth the risk."

As reflected in the recent We Can Do Better: NACCRRA's Ranking of State Child Care Center Standards and Oversight, out of 150 possible points, the average state score was a dismal 70 points. Delaware scored 71, ranking twenty-fifth out of all states.

NACCRRA calls on every state to better protect children by requiring all caregivers to obtain training in such basics as first-aid/CPR, basic health and safety practices (including infant sleep positions), and child development, guidance and discipline before caring for children.

According to We Can Do Better, states need to do a better job at setting standards and oversight. Parents want their children to be safe and expect it, particularly in licensed child care. NACCRRA calls on Congress to strengthen the Child Care and Development Block Grant, the primary federal funding stream allocating funds to states for child care, to require stronger minimum safety standards, more oversight, and a minimum training requirement for child care providers. NACCRRA also calls on all states to take action regardless of whether the federal law is strengthened.

"There is no higher priority to NACCRRA than to reauthorize and strengthen the Child Care and Development Block grant law," said Smith. "States are meeting the minimum requirement of the law, the problem is, the law is too weak. We can and should do better for our children."

To learn more about NACCRRA's efforts to strengthen the safety of child care and to access information about We Can Do Better, visit http://www.naccrra.org . To find your local Child Care Resource & Referral agency, visit NACCRRA's Child Care Aware website at http://www.childcareaware.org .

Recent Rash of Deaths in Child Care: Better Standards, Oversight & Training Needed

ARLINGTON, VA - Today, the National Association of Child Care Resource & Referral Agencies (NACCRRA) issued an appeal to Governors and state legislators to better protect the safety, and the very lives, of young children by strengthening child care regulations and oversight. After a rash of deaths in child care, NACCRRA is also calling on Congress to reauthorize and strengthen safety requirements in the Child Care and Development Block Grant, legislation that sets minimum rules states must follow to receive federal child care funds.

"For the nearly $11 billion invested in child care each year by the federal government, we should expect more of states," says Linda K. Smith, Executive Director of NACCRRA. "If states won't do what is right, then Congress needs to intervene and force the issue in the interest of public safety."

Smith points to 10 child deaths in the past six months alone, all related to poor oversight of child care programs and lack of caregiver training. Although preventing Shaken Baby Syndrome is a very basic caregiver skill, it is suspected as the cause of the deaths in home-based child care programs of a 5-month-old baby in Tampa, Fla., and an 11-month-old in St. Louis, Mo.

A child care center in Maine was found to be negligent in the drowning of a 3-year-old in a swimming pool, and in High Point, N.C., an 8-year-old was killed and other children injured while riding un-restrained in a car driven by a home-based child care provider.

In Columbia, S.C., a 10-month-old died after child care center staff left him for seven hours in a van. State regulators had cited this center at least 61 times since 1998, yet tried to close it only twice; both times, the operator appealed and won back his license. Also in Columbia, an illegally-operating home-based provider was recently charged with three counts of homicide by child abuse in the deaths of three different children between 1998 and 2007. The home was only ordered to be closed down after the third death occurred in May.

Deaths have also occurred this year in child care programs in Iowa, N.Y., Okla. and Tenn., and last year in states including Calif., Colo., Utah, Texas and Va., collectively suggesting widespread, serious flaws in the child care licensing and oversight system. As reflected in the recent We Can Do Better: NACCRRA's Ranking of State Child Care Center Standards and Oversight, out of 150 possible points, the average state score was a dismal 70 points.

NACCRRA calls on every state to better protect children by requiring that anyone paid to care for one or more children unrelated to him/her be licensed; currently, only 10 states do so. NACCRRA also urges states to require that all caregivers obtain training in such basics as first-aid/CPR, basic health and safety practices, and child development, guidance and discipline before caring for children. Currently, child abuse and neglect prevention training is required of child care center staff in less than half of all states. Only 12 states require any pre-service qualifications in early childhood education of caregivers in child care centers, and only nine require this of those in small family child care homes. In 21 states, there is no minimum educational requirement (not even a high school degree) for child care teachers.

A meager six states presently meet the nationally-recommended caseload of 50 child care programs per licensing staff. In fact, in 21 states, each licensing inspector is charged with monitoring more than 140 child care programs. Such large caseloads make it next to impossible for states to effectively ensure that child care programs are meeting standards, and held accountable if they are not.

In addition to requiring weak standards and not adequately guaranteeing that even these are met, states fall short in communicating important information with parents. In the majority of states, accessing child care program inspection and complaint reports - information parents need to determine the quality of programs and make informed decisions - is incredibly difficult. This information should be easily accessible online, but in reality, only 15 states post any of these details on the Internet. To further complicate matters, a national poll conducted by NACCRRA indicated that the overwhelming majority of parents logically assume that standards are in place to ensure children's safety.

Parents can play a powerful role in protecting their children by telling their Governors that they expect the standards and oversight that their children deserve, and by thoroughly researching child care programs before choosing one. NACCRRA and its member Child Care Resource & Referral (CCR&R) agencies, located in most communities, offer parents many free resources to help them make these important decisions.

To learn more about NACCRRA's efforts to protect the safety of our nation's children, and to access its parent resources, visit www.naccrra.org. To find your local CCR&R, visit NACCRRA's Child Care Aware website at www.childcareaware.org.