Multiple Safety Violations Found at Federally Funded Childcare Centers

[Shadow]

WASHINGTON – A machete left near an outdoor play area. Household chemicals accessible to preschoolers. Widespread failures to conduct criminal background checks of employees.
These violations and others were found at Head Start centers across the country, according to a report released Tuesday by the Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services. Head Start is the federal program with roots in President Lyndon Johnson's War on Poverty that today provides early education services to nearly 1 million poor kids nationwide. The federal government gives grant dollars to public, non-profit and for-profit programs to provide the services.



Other safety violations found at centers: A screw protruding from a bookcase at child-height level in Longmont, Colo.; a children's bathroom in Edna, Texas, without lighting for months; and expired infant formula found in the refrigerator in the District of Columbia.
The IG's review was compiled using 24 audits of Head Start grantees running 175 facilities in seven states -- Connecticut, New York, Georgia (http://www.foxnews.com/topics/georgia.htm#r_src=ramp), Wisconsin, Texas, Colorado and California -- and District of Columbia from May 2009 to October 2010. While the review was of just a fraction of the approximately 1,600 Head Start grantees, it still raises red flags about the safety of children in such programs.


All told, according to the review:

--Twenty-one of 24 grantees did not comply fully with federal Head Start or state requirements to conduct criminal and other background checks;

--Nearly 90 percent of the facilities had toxic chemicals such as markers labeled "keep out of reach of children" and cleaning supplies accessible to children;

--More than 70 percent had open or broken gates leading to parking lots, streets or unsupervised areas and inadequate or broken fences;

--More than half had playground equipment that was not in good repair with problems such as protruding bolts, broken climbing apparatuses and elevated platforms without protective guards.


Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/12/13/multiple-safety-violations-found-at-federally-funded-childcare-centers/?test=latestnews#ixzz1gQLIYBV0


So,if they don't use funds for maintaining and updating the centers to keep the kids safe...what are we paying them for?

[fj1200]

I notice you track down a lot of child related stories. Keep up the good work. :cool:

[ConHog]

WASHINGTON – A machete left near an outdoor play area. Household chemicals accessible to preschoolers. Widespread failures to conduct criminal background checks of employees.
These violations and others were found at Head Start centers across the country, according to a report released Tuesday by the Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services. Head Start is the federal program with roots in President Lyndon Johnson's War on Poverty that today provides early education services to nearly 1 million poor kids nationwide. The federal government gives grant dollars to public, non-profit and for-profit programs to provide the services.



Other safety violations found at centers: A screw protruding from a bookcase at child-height level in Longmont, Colo.; a children's bathroom in Edna, Texas, without lighting for months; and expired infant formula found in the refrigerator in the District of Columbia.
The IG's review was compiled using 24 audits of Head Start grantees running 175 facilities in seven states -- Connecticut, New York, Georgia (http://www.foxnews.com/topics/georgia.htm#r_src=ramp), Wisconsin, Texas, Colorado and California -- and District of Columbia from May 2009 to October 2010. While the review was of just a fraction of the approximately 1,600 Head Start grantees, it still raises red flags about the safety of children in such programs.


All told, according to the review:

--Twenty-one of 24 grantees did not comply fully with federal Head Start or state requirements to conduct criminal and other background checks;

--Nearly 90 percent of the facilities had toxic chemicals such as markers labeled "keep out of reach of children" and cleaning supplies accessible to children;

--More than 70 percent had open or broken gates leading to parking lots, streets or unsupervised areas and inadequate or broken fences;

--More than half had playground equipment that was not in good repair with problems such as protruding bolts, broken climbing apparatuses and elevated platforms without protective guards.


Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/12/13/multiple-safety-violations-found-at-federally-funded-childcare-centers/?test=latestnews#ixzz1gQLIYBV0


So,if they don't use funds for maintaining and updating the centers to keep the kids safe...what are we paying them for?










This doesn't surprise me too much. My church has a daycare . My aunt runs it and my mom works there. There are a ton of regulations , but very little oversight to make sure those regulations are being followed. Just not enough money to hire enough regulators I suppose.

[Shadow]

I notice you track down a lot of child related stories. Keep up the good work. :cool:

Well,you know how the politicians just LOVE the children and to use them as campaign props...don't want them fat...in harms way etc. Yeah right. :rolleyes: