Child care centers ratings could ease parents' agony

Second in a two-day series

Child care centers back new system that would give state a tool most others have

A state task force on child care is expected to recommend in an upcoming report to the General Assembly that South Carolina adopt a rating system for child care facilities. Unlike a similar proposal that failed three years ago, this latest version has backing from the child care industry, including Shannon Erickson, a day care owner who recently won election to the Legislature.

Jones speaks every day with worried parents who agonize about placing their children in day care centers they know little about. "Somebody else is taking care of their child, and it's somebody they don't know," she said. "Their child may spend 10 hours a day with that person."

Kara Cole is like thousands of Lowcountry parents who struggle to differentiate between centers that meet only the minimum state requirements and those that strive to exceed them. She commutes between her home in Summerville and her job as a nurse practitioner at the Medical University of South Carolina.

Cole, 31, feels a pit in her stomach every morning when she drops off her 9-month-old daughter, Addysen, at child care, praying she stays safe. "I don't even know if there are words for it," Cole said. "You worry every day — Am I doing the right thing?"

Ranking centers based on specific achievement ratings would at least give parents a starting point, Cole said. "Consumer Reports has ratings for TVs," so why not day cares?

'North Carolina envy'

Just across the state line, North Carolina's child care laws are so stringent that some centers doing business in South Carolina would not even be allowed to operate there because of their record of violations.

A South Carolina task force proposed a child care rating system in 2004, but the child care industry opposed it, claiming the plan allowed government intrusion on private business.

"They (the child care industry) thought that a government agency shouldn't be interfering with private business," said Susan DeVenny, director of First Steps, a state agency that focuses on preparing children for school. "Unfortunately, it became a lighting rod. It had such a negative ripple."

Some say the plan faltered because it did not provide enough specifics and financial incentives to help centers achieve higher ratings.

Lawmakers eventually killed "Palmetto Stars," which would have assigned a one- to five-star rating to all licensed child care centers in South Carolina.

Nancy Freeman, a professor of early childhood education at the University of South Carolina and leader of an advisory board to Gov. Mark Sanford, was among those who shepherded the plan. She was disappointed when it failed but remains determined to devise a system that tells parents what they are buying.

"Even sophisticated parents don't know what to look for," she said. "These are lawyers and professionals, and they say 'we have no idea.' "

One Charleston lawmaker says he thinks the state is failing parents and that it is again time to push for a rating system.

"Children are the most precious commodity we have in this state, and these parents are shooting in the dark" when trying to find child care, said state Rep. Wallace Scarborough, R-James Island.

Child care rating systems are not a new concept. Nearly 40 states, including North Carolina, Tennessee and Florida, already offer parents this resource.

North Carolina, which has rated child care centers since 2000, recently strengthened its system to weed out facilities that repeatedly violate health and safety standards. Starting this year, centers can't even maintain a license unless they receive passing grades on state inspections.

Many child care center operators in North Carolina resisted a star-based rating system at first but adapted as parents demanded it, said June Locklear, chief of regulatory services in North Carolina's child care division.

"It has become a mandatory system by the consumer," Locklear said. "Programs that have not wanted the stars in the past are going for the stars."

Freeman said she and other proponents for improved early childhood education in South Carolina look wistfully across the border. "We have North Carolina envy," she said. "I think they have a lot of credibility. But they have a lot more money than we do."

The gold standard

The South Carolina child care task force is finalizing a report for the General Assembly that recommends a quality rating system. It is similar to the "Palmetto Stars" program that faltered three years ago.

Under the proposed system, centers that meet only minimum state licensing standards would have lower ratings while centers that make investments in their staff and programs could achieve higher ratings. The highest state rating would mirror national accreditation standards, the gold standard for child care.

Right now, only about 130 child care centers in South Carolina are nationally accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children.

The national accreditation program is particularly important in South Carolina, where parents looking for high-quality child care have little information on which to base their decision, said Don Owens, the national association's director of public affairs. "Parents often don't know what good quality looks like," he said. "If the toys look fresh and there aren't wires sticking out of the ceiling, they think it's OK. What about curriculum and teachers' education?"

Candace Jaruszewicz directs the N.E. Miles Early Childhood Development Center at the College of Charleston. It is one of few child care centers in the Lowcountry with national accreditation.

Jaruszewicz said a quality rating system is a good starting point, but that the program needs to be designed in a way that encourages and helps all centers achieve the higher levels. "All children, regardless of circumstances or resources, are entitled to the best care we can give them," she said.

Freeman disagrees. She says she thinks there is nothing wrong with varying degrees of quality in child care. "Not everyone can afford to stay at Embassy Suites. But a Motel 6 is clean and safe, which is fine for what you can afford."

Some child care directors who rely solely on tuition say accredited centers can afford to meet higher standards because most receive some government resources through programs such as Head Start or through public facilities such as the College of Charleston.

Jaruszewicz acknowledges that her center benefits from its affiliation with the college. For example, a steady supply of college students seeking education degrees helps the center achieve lower caregiver-to-child ratios and staff education credentials.

Still, she said, a center doesn't need to be accredited in order to offer high-quality child care. "It's so rigorous. But not having it doesn't mean a center can't be high quality," she said.

Emily Foster, owner and director Foster's Day Care in Charleston County, said higher staff education and other improvement requirements are simply out of reach for most mom-and-pop centers. "It's almost an unattainable goal to get your center to some of the higher levels. They're talking about centers with people with master's degrees," she said. "It would be virtually impossible to be able to hire and pay them what they're worth at that level."

Raising the bar

Two key differences that distinguish high-quality centers from others are the number of caregivers and their level of education.

Research shows that lower caregiver-to-child ratios lead to better care and improved childhood development, particularly for infants and toddlers. Other studies have shown links between the education level of child care providers and their ability to adequately prepare children for school.

The state requires a high school diploma for child caretakers, though many center employees are grandfathered in under an old standard that did not require one. About half of South Carolina's child care centers employed staff with only high school degrees, according to a 2001 study of the state's child care work force. The report also found that nearly 60 percent of center directors in the state did not hold a bachelor's degree and that about 20 percent of directors had no college education.

Child care centers throughout the state rely on longtime employees with decades of experience caring for children but who might lack formal education beyond high school. Some directors say college diplomas don't account for everything.

Nancy Murray, owner and director Miss Nancy's Happy Hours Day Care in Dorchester County, said lawmakers need to make practical laws for child care centers or they will be forced out of business.

"A state legislator passes a law that someone can't work at a day care without a high school diploma, but some of those kids can read and write and would make great day care workers," she said. "You don't ever know what happened in a person's life that caused them not to graduate."

Widening the gap?

Some fear that assigning quality ratings to child care centers without offering financial support to centers and parents might serve only to widen the gap between the best centers and those struggling to improve.

The state task force on child care recognized this, warning that a rating system that doesn't include incentives for child care centers to achieve higher ratings would "serve only to assist affluent parents in identifying niche providers."

One state study found that the average cost of high-quality child care per child could be as much as $10,500 a year. That's about 25 percent of the $38,000 median income for a two-parent family in South Carolina, and nearly 60 percent of the $18,000 median income for single parents in the state.

"High quality child care can cost as much as a college tuition," said DeVenny of First Steps, which offers scholarships to help low-income parents afford quality child care.

The 2004 proposal for "Palmetto Stars" recommended that the state provide financial support to day care providers and parents to ensure that no family pays more than 10 percent of its income towards child care. If the program had been approved, the state would have paid 10 percent of a child care center's program costs in exchange for a pledge that the center would seek quality improvements such as lower caregiver-to-child ratios, a more educated staff and higher pay.

Still, this state support would only "offset the degree to which programs will have to raise fees," the study noted.

Many centers are reluctant to raise staff pay or hire better-educated workers who can demand higher salaries because the facility would be forced to raise its rates.

Most child care workers earn about $8 an hour or less and usually don't have

health insurance. This leads to burnout and high turnover in the industry and a constant influx of new caregivers who lack experience and training. This trend runs counter to research that shows young children benefit from familiarity and continuity with caregivers.

"The only way you can raise the quality is to pay more for staff, and the only place that can come from is to raise tuition," Jaruszewicz said. "My biggest concern is that it's going to widen the gap."

Even when parents can find quality care that fits their budget, the center might not have space available. Jones said more stringent caregiver-to-child ratio requirements have cut into the availability of child care slots.

Cole and her husband, Brett Cole, are planning to move from Summerville to West Ashley so she can be closer to her job at MUSC. But that means finding new day care for Addysen. Though they have not been happy with their current day care — the center kept giving their daughter another child's bottle to drink — the Coles dread the thought of searching for a new center.

"If you don't have family who can help, you are left at the mercy of what's available," she said. "It's a little scary."

Jaruszewicz said parents needing child care on short notice are at a disadvantage because the better centers have long waiting lists. "If they don't put their name on the list when that child is born, they won't get into our 2-year-old program," she said.

Year of change?

Some say past efforts to improve child care quality in South Carolina sputtered because the industry resisted more regulation and wielded political influence to stop it.

Scarborough accused child care representatives on the advisory board of blocking improvements. "Those people, if they don't like a rule, they have total and complete veto power," he said. "That's the fox guarding the hen house. We (lawmakers) have no oversight."

Erickson, the child care owner in Beaufort County and longtime voice for the industry, was recently elected to the Legislature. Most child care centers support a voluntary rating system but are wary of changes that would push costs out of the reach of working families, she said.

"We are a private industry," she said. "We shouldn't be made to do it. It will be market-driven."

Tim Ervolina, president of the United Way Association of South Carolina, also has accused some in the industry of blocking stricter standards. But he said the environment has mellowed and the child care industry is more receptive to changes such as giving the state authority to fine centers that repeatedly violate state regulations and creating a quality rating system.

Ervolina said the industry is more receptive because the new plan includes more supports to help centers get where they need to be. "Child care isn't just babysitting anymore. It's an education system," he said. "I'm very hopeful we are going to finally get where this state needs to be. It's the first time in a long time we have had an opportunity to make it happen."

Ervolina and others say the fact that an academic, and not someone representing a child care business, now heads the governor's child care advisory board is one reason behind the shift. He said Erickson's election is a positive step because she is respected in the child care industry and recognizes the need for improvements.

Freeman declined to discuss whether her leadership on the board helped force the industry to make concessions. "I'll let you read between the lines," she said.

She is optimistic that the state will make significant improvements in child care in 2008. "I don't know the political winds right now. I'm hopeful."

What to consider

Questions for parents to ask when evaluating a child care center:

--Is the state license or registration posted?

--Is the bathroom clean and accessible?

--Does the area appear clean, safe and comfortable for every age?

--Is there a daily schedule posted with opportunities for active and quiet play?

--Are there a variety of toys, books and materials within the children's reach?

--Is the entire center open to parents to visit?

--Does the caregiver talk to the children on their level, make contact and listen to what they have to say?

--Does the caregiver use a calm voice with positive, encouraging words?

--Does the caregiver get down on the floor with the children? Eat with the children?

--Are most of the children smiling, laughing and busy?

--Can I picture my child having a good time here?

--If I were a child, would I enjoy being here?

For more information

Resources for parents searching for quality child care:

--To check whether a child care center has any violations or complaints, search the S.C. Department of Social Services online database at childcare.sc.gov/main/Default.aspx. The database lists violations only in broad categories such as health and staffing problems and does not detail complaints. To learn more about a particular violation or complaint, call the agency's regional licensing office for your county. In Charleston, Berkeley and Dorchester counties, the child care licensing office can be reached at 953-9780.

--Trident United Way Child Care Resource & Referral of the Lowcountry offers referrals and general information about selecting child care. 740-9000 or on the Web at www.tuw.org

Reach Ron Menchaca at rmenchaca@postandcourier.com or 937-5724.