THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, August 23, 1996 TAG: 9608230350
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A19 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Opinion
SOURCE: By STANLEY C. WALKER
LENGTH: 83 lines
In the fall of 1992, The Virginian-Pilot published the results of its exhaustive investigation of child care in Virginia, revealing the numerous health and safety deficiencies throughout the commonwealth. The Virginia General Assembly, through its Commission on Early Childhood and Child Day Care Programs, immediately responded by holding public hearings around the state to determine the extent and specific nature of the problems.
The Commission on Early Childhood and Child Day Care Programs, which I chair, was created by the General Assembly in recognition of the importance of early childhood programs as they relate to the everyday lives of families in the commonwealth and also to the commonwealth's economic future. The commission monitors various issues related to early childhood and child day care and makes recommendations to the General Assembly.
In 1990, the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission, the oversight agency of the General Assembly, performed a study of child day-care services in Virginia. This information, along with the series of reports which appeared in The Virginian-Pilot, served as a basis for the legislation introduced in the 1993 General Assembly session. This legislation, the result of which was to comprehensively change child-care-licensing laws, was passed by the legislature and became effective July 1, 1993.
In this and all efforts, the commission and the General Assembly strive to balance the state's role in ensuring the safety of children's environments, the rights and responsibilities of parents and the rights of providers to operate free of unnecessary, restrictive regulation.
The General Assembly, with the support and efforts of many concerned citizens, has continued to work diligently, I believe, to improve the quality and accessibility of day care in Virginia; however, recent efforts have been thwarted, and many people throughout the state are concerned that past accomplishments may be in the process of being dismantled. The current administration is being seen as steadily chipping away at programs designed to promote quality child care.
The administration's most-recent assault on child care is in the form of a 32-page report submitted by the Council on Child Day Care and Early Childhood Programs. The council, which consisted of 15 members appointed by the governor, was created in 1989 to raise the visibility and credibility of child care. The document submitted alleges that some of Virginia's most hard-working and dedicated child-care professionals are part of a national conspiracy to impose a radical social agenda on child care. The content of the report is ludicrous and very hurtful to the individuals named, and the sweeping indictments and hyperbole are unprecedented for an official state report.
For years, the Commission on Early Childhood and Child Day Care Programs has worked side by side with many of these individuals to improve child care in the commonwealth. I personally know of their commitment to the children and families of Virginia. The report was submitted to Governor Allen immediately prior to the scheduled abolishment of the council on July 1, leaving no one accountable for its scurrilous and irresponsible accusations.
It is also important to note the lack of substance of the report so that the report's conclusions are not accepted as a basis for state policy on child care, which would threaten the improved standards and progress Virginia has made in promoting safe, affordable, high-quality child care.
It seems incongruous that the current administration, with its emphasis on welfare reform and juvenile justice, may be actively working to lower the quality of day care in Virginia. Research shows that quality day care for young children results in higher educational and employment levels and lower rates of welfare dependence, teen pregnancy and criminal-justice-system involvement. Virginia has recently implemented a work requirement for AFDC recipients that will soon begin in Hampton Roads, making high-quality, affordable child-care options even more important. Studies show that while poor children are more likely to have substandard child-care arrangements, high-quality day care can help compensate for many factors associated with poverty.
At the commission's public meeting Aug. 16, a number of people from around the state appeared to express their views about the report mentioned above. The testimony presented at that meeting leaves no question that not only did many of those present feel personally maligned and misrepresented by the report, but they also felt genuine concern about its contents and implications for the wider audience. This raises serious concerns as to the future of our day-care system here in Virginia.
As citizens of Virginia, we want all children to be in a nurturing and stimulating environment that will increase their chances of becoming stable, productive adults. The availability of quality child care is an important component in Virginia's continued economic and social development, and early childhood education is critical to our nation's future. MEMO: Stanley Walker is president pro tempore of the Virginia Senate. by CNB