Letter to the Editor - Licensing Family Child Health Care Homes in Manatee County

Dear Editor,

Any time a child is hurt or abused while in child care, we, as a community, have a responsibility to re-evaluate the system and look for ways we can safeguard against these types of things occurring in the future. Parents who have to work outside of the home have a right to expect that their children are being cared for properly in a safe and nurturing environment.

The Early Learning Coalition of Manatee (ELC) Board of Directors and staff support the licensing and inspection of all Family Child Care Homes in Manatee County. The ELC will be advocating for local regulation that will go beyond the current State policy of registered homes, and welcomes the opportunity to work with the County Commissioners in an effort to bring this issue back to the table for consideration.

By requiring home child care providers to meet minimal licensing requirements for the health and safety of our children, we are laying the foundation for high quality programs in our community.

By investing in high quality early learning programs for our young children we save millions of dollars in future costs to society by preventing crime, school failure, welfare dependency and the need for special education. Research has indicated that for every dollar invested in quality child care, seven dollars are saved. Licensing is the first benchmark of the quality continuum. This is important to keep in mind when considering the cost of creating local ordinances to mandate the licensing of child care homes.

With the recent registered Family Child Care Home being closed by the Department of Children and Families for suspected child abuse, we, as a community, now more than ever, need to move forward with county required licensing. Of course, registered owners of these facilities will not be in favor of this effort because for one reason or another they cannot meet the licensing requirements. The good of the vast majority outweighs the needs of the small few. Please talk to your County Commissioners and let them know that all Family Child Care Homes in Manatee County need to be licensed. Manatee is one of the very few Counties in Florida that doesn’t require this licensing. Please help The Early Learning Coalition make Manatee County’s children safe.

Howard Veltz, Chairman
Board of Directors
Early Learning Coalition of Manatee County
 
For further information please contact Paul Sharff, Executive Director of The Early Learning Coalition of Manatee County / 941-757-2900 / psharff@elc-manatee.org