childcare

LINCOLN, Neb. — Recent physical and sexual abuse allegations at several Nebraska day care facilities should be a wake-up call according one state lawmaker.

“I think there is a sense of urgency,” said state Sen. Carol Blood of Bellevue.

She supports a number of bills before the Legislature aimed at keeping kids in day cares safe.

“We’re talking about people’s lives, about people’s families,” Blood said.

Two legislative bills, LB 329 and LB 459, would require fingerprinting and FBI background checks for all day care providers and employees.

D.H.H.S currently conducts background checks on staff, volunteers and household and household members, but the state needs to do FBI checks to comply with new federal guidelines, according to the chairwoman of the Legislature’s Health and Human Services Committee, state Sen. Sara Howard.

“D.H.H.S. estimates that at least 12,500 checks will need to be completed and checks will need to be resubmitted every five years,” Howard said.

Blood has also signed on to a bill introduced by state Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh that would require D.H.H.S to conduct investigations within five days of receiving a complaint about a day care facility.

D.H.H.S. would have 30 days to issue a report after concluding its investigation.

“It is our responsibility to do a speedy investigation and get the information to the Department of Health and Human Services because we need to know that other children are not going to be injured,” Blood said.

The measure was fashioned from recommendation in a 2016 report by the inspector general for Nebraska Child Welfare.

Julie Rogers, the inspector general, said she also has concerns if D.H.H.S. has enough front line staff to continuously monitor day care operators.

“Are they overwhelmed, overworked?” Rogers said.

That is something Blood also worries about.

“Are the people who are taking care of these children trained appropriately and are they monitored appropriately?” Blood said.

D.H.H.S reports in 2018:

–15 day care licenses were revoked.

–One license was suspended.

–Three emergency orders were issued.

D.H.H.S officials say that all licensed child care programs have at least one surprise inspection a year. Larger facilities have two surprise inspections a year.

Investigations involving abuse are conducted within 24 hours of a complaint.

All other complaints are investigated within five days, according to D.H.H.S officials.