Many of you may know Chris Hansen, from Dateline's hidden camera series of shows that catch child predators and the like. It seems Chris Hansen has been laying low for awhile, that might have something to do with the fact that those he was trying to catch became wary and backed out of meeting their (fictional) prey before Chris Hansen even got a chance to poke his head around the corner and surprise the perpetrator. This wasn't great for the show but was great for potential victims of abuse. So kudos to Chris Hansen and the Dateline crew, perhaps they put enough fear into at least a few people to prevent someone from getting hurt.
Well they are at it again but this time with a different angle. The show's website says that they will be investigating dishonest lottery dealers and health insurance scammers, among others. But, what we are most interested in is tonight's episode which will investigate day care providers with criminal records.
Here is the description:
Beginning Friday, March 2nd, at 10pm/9c:
Reliable daycare is a staple requirement of American child rearing. But how much do parents know about just who owns and runs some of the daycare centers around the country? And how much are they allowed to know? “Dateline” did some random sampling of Day Care owners and found a surprising number of Day Care operators actually have criminal records. And, sometimes it ends in a tragedy. Chris Hansen confronts Day Care operators with secrets in their pasts.
A Today Show blogger shared some of Chris Hansen's tips for ensuring that your child is in safe hands and they did mention NACCRRA. NACCRRA keeps close track of what each state does and doesn't do as far as keeping children in child care safe. If you are wondering what protections your state has in place this is a great place to look.
But…should this really be something we have to look up? Parents probably assume that individuals who are cleared to work in child care have been through a thorough background check; that is not always the case. In New York for example, fingerprints are run through a state database and the background check includes a check against criminal history and child abuse. However the fingerprints are not run through a federal database and there is no check against the sex offender registry.
So what can you do to ensure that not only your child, but all children are safe in child care?
Call or write to your Senators and Representatives ask them to
- Reauthorize Child Care Development Block Grant (CCDBG) to require comprehensive background checks, including fingerprint checks for all child care providers caring for unrelated children and for all providers receiving federal subsidies.
- Prohibit the use of CCDBG or TANF funds to pay convicted felons to provide child care.
- Require all paid providers (caring for unrelated children on a regular basis) to have a state license or permit.
We are thrilled that this issue will be brought to light on Dateline tonight and hope it inspires parents, advocates and legislatures to take action in support of children's safety. We'll be watching!
Contact your representative: http://www.usa.gov/Contact/Elected.shtml
NACCRRA: www.naccrra.org
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