THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, October 24, 1996 TAG: 9610240320
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY ELIZABETH SIMPSON, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: 72 lines
A voice that ought to carry weight in reforming day-care regulations is that of the parent.
And, to that end, a group of Norfolk child-care providers is trying to educate and organize parents about proposed changes in Virginia's child-care regulations. Critics say recent proposals will degrade the quality of child care in the state.
A dozen child-care center owners and teachers met Wednesday at Parkdale Private School to discuss how to educate parents about the proposed changes and how to organize parent petitions, letter-writing campaigns and public hearing turnouts.
The group met in response to regulations being proposed by the Child Day Care Council to ease requirements for day-care centers.
The state council, whose members are appointed by the governor, approved a new set of regulations earlier this month to make the state code less burdensome.
The changes still must be reviewed by state officials and be presented to the public for comment before becoming law.
Four changes are causing the most concern:
Dropping a requirement that lead teachers of child-care classes have high school diplomas or GEDs, and instead requiring them to have 24 hours of training.
Dropping the requirement that a center director have some college training, and substituting three years of experience instead.
Increasing the number of 4-year-olds in one person's care from 12 children to 15.
Creating a new ``balanced mixed-age group'' that allows one staff person to care for 15 children age 3 to 6. Current regulations require one staff person for 10 children.
Felix Faulkner, one of the organizers of the Wednesday meeting, said lower standards could lead to more problems in the day-care industry.
``If there's an uproar over a problem in a day-care center, that hits all of us,'' said Faulkner, who owns the Parkdale school with his wife, Kathy Faulkner.
Felix Faulkner said he was upset that the council believes the new standards will give child-care operators more flexibility in hiring staff and operating day-care centers.
``There are people up there speaking for me and telling me what's best for business,'' he said. ``And I don't agree with them.''
The Child Day Care Council was asked by Gov. George F. Allen to review regulations and strike those that are considered burdensome or that interfere with business or parents' right to choose what's best for their children.
The council has said that the proposed regulations would increase the amount of day care available and keep down the cost - two critical needs pointed out during welfare reform debates.
The day-care providers that met Wednesday, who run both for-profit and nonprofit centers, were concerned that proposed changes in the regulations would work against them in the long run.
They would like to see a study on the impact of such changes before they are made.
State Sen. Stanley Walker of Norfolk said Wednesday that he is going to deliver a letter today to the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission, urging it to conduct a study of the changes.
``I think the regulations are a step backward from where we started,'' said Walker, who chairs a committee that oversees the development of quality day care in Virginia.
In the meantime, the Norfolk day-care providers say they will urge parents to let their voices be heard.
The proposed changes are being reviewed by the state's secretary of Health and Human Services and the Department of Planning and Budget.
Public hearings will be conducted early next year during a 60-day public comment period.
KEYWORDS: CHILD CARE CENTER PROPOSED CHANGES CHILD CARE
REGULATIONS by CNB