Virginia’s child care providers will be undergoing a number of changes that aim to enhance the safety of the children they are babysitting. To draw attention to the new law, Governor McAuliffe held a bill-signing ceremony with advocates, lawmakers, and parents whose children had died while in unlicensed facilities. Participants said that while this law is a good start, the Commonwealth needs an even tougher one.
McAuliffe said the bill passed due to a grassroots movement led by the heartbroken parents of children who died in day care homes.
“Under this legislation, care providers MUST be licensed by the state that keep five or more children who aren’t related to them in their homes. This requirement will help us ensure that those home child care providers have adequate resources to keep an eye on the children under their care.”
Unlicensed family day homes will need to provide written notice to parents that they are unregulated. The law also requires criminal background checks with fingerprints for all who work at licensed facilities. Elly Lafkin did a background check without fingerprints on her provider—and her daughter was neglected and died.
“The child care provider was arrested and fingerprint background-checked. And the provider came back with five alias names and was currently on a felony probation. So these fingerprints will put a stop to that.”
Advocates are calling for fingerprint checks for ALL religious and other centers that may be unlicensed. One later said those facilities could become magnets for criminals without them.
