LANSING- State Senator Tupac A. Hunter (D-Detroit) and Senator Mark C. Jansen (R-Gaines Township) today introduced legislation to create new reporting guidelines for daycare providers so that parents and guardians would have the most accurate information when choosing daycare for their children.

“Parents and guardians should be aware of all past incidents that have taken place before making such an important decision on who will be caring for their children” said Senator Hunter.

Senator Hunter’s bill would create stricter reporting guidelines for a licensed child care facility. It would require that daycare providers make a licensing notebook, with information about any incidents and investigations, available to parents and guardians. Parents would also be given a form to sign, summarizing all incidents at that center in the previous 10 years which have resulted in the hospitalization or death of a child. Having parents sign the form would ensure that they have been given all important information before selecting a daycare provider.

Senator Jansen’s bill would require the Michigan Department of Human Services (DHS) to provide a five year look-back on its web site for all daycare licenses. This would allow parents and guardians to cross-check a provider’s information with DHS information.

“These vital measures will help ensure that parents have easy access to information about potential child care providers, and the Internet is an efficient way for people to access that crucial information,” Jansen said.

Currently, DHS participates in onsite inspections of licensed daycare providers every two years and rule violations are posted online for a two year period until the next inspection. DHS does not report previous incidents, even if a child’s death occurred, before that two year period.

“Several years ago, a constituent’s infant son died and the investigation found that the provider was at fault for several rule violations, and this same provider was found at fault for similar rule violations in 1998 when another death of a child had occurred while in the provider’s care” said Senator Hunter. “This parent deserved to know the complete history of care given by this provider, but under the current rules parents are only given a two year look-back on a daycare provider’s background. These bills will help parents and guardians pick the best, and the safest, daycare provider for their children.”

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Sen. Hunter represents the 5th district, which is comprised of northwest Detroit, Dearborn and Inkster. He serves as Minority Vice Chair of the Banking & Financial Institutions and the Homeland Security & Emerging Technologies Committees. He is also a member of the Commerce & Tourism and the Economic Development & Regulatory Reform Committees.