Protect the kids
By drowning, stomping and causes unexplained. By broken bones and burn scars and wandering into traffic. By such atrocities, suffered by small children, did bereft parents discover that day care facilities — most licensed by New York City or State — failed to provide basic supervision.
As Daily News reporter Greg Smith reports in a chilling two-part investigation, New York’s Byzantine system of day-care oversight couldn’t dn’t have been better designed to expose its de- fenseless charges to harm.
A supposed inspection system turns a blind eye to malfeasance by providers who o are paid by the head, and then keeps parrents oblivious about reported dangers.
Most appalling and inexcusable of all: l: Since 2013, five children died and eight ht were seriously injured while at day care, re, while dozens more were subjected to horrendous treatment.
This is New York, proud capital of progressivism. Gov. Cuomo and Mayor de Blasio must promptly close the vast loopholes that allow horrendous day care negligence to fester.
Responding to the News’ revelations, Cuomo drafted legislative reform measures and de Blasio vowed an ambitious crackdown, along with greater transparency for parents.
Responsibility is confusingly divided. The state licenses most of the 11,000 facilities in the five borough, the city licenses a smaller share and city inspectors monitor the safety of all.
There is additional confusion in rules for closing dangerous day care centers, with state law setting one standard for state-licensed facilities and the city applying its own set of standards. Laxity has prevailed. Centers caught cramming children beyond capacity or putting unlicensed workers in charge of k kids have continued to operate with imp punity. Where the state has suspended lic censes for unsafe practices, providers h have rebooted at a different location — s sometimes even at the same address. And parents haven’t a clue. Nowhere on city or state websites listin ing day care safety violations would they learn of e earlier incidents, because reports detailing injuries and deaths as well as lesser issues are hidden from view.
Cuomo’s proposals for clearer enforcement standards are a good starting point for a cooperative state-city reform drive. And de Blasio must follow through on a welcome pledge to hire more inspectors, step up inspections, identify unlicensed sites and require operators to post their licenses.
Governor, mayor, protect the kids — now.