The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
Lawmakers seek Boys & Girls Club compromise
HARTFORD — Citing a Hearst Connecticut Media series on a wide pattern of sexual abuse in Boys & Girls Clubs throughout the country, state lawmakers on Friday agreed they have to grapple over the extent that additional oversight may be needed and likely find a compromise.
As one bill is written, the Boys & Girls Clubs, as well as the Cardinal Shehan Center in Bridgeport and other privately run after-school programs, would be required to submit to licensure requirements similar to day care centers for young children.
But Beth Bye, a former state senator who is the state commissioner for the Office of Early Childhood, said the Hearst series, including a report that in 2016, the Boys & Girls Clubs attempted to fight additional oversight, underscores the dangers of possible lapses in health and safety standards.
“Licensing ensures accountability, oversight and transparency of these baseline standards in critical areas such as abuse and neglect, staff to child ratios, staff qualifications, health care, educational requirements and physical plant safety,” Bye told the Education Committee during a daylong hearing. “The fact that some child care programs are not required to be licensed creates a lack of equity and fairness when regulations that serve children of the same age and needs are not applied universally.”
She stressed the need for uniform standards, unannounced annual inspections and investigation of complaints, but the Office of Early Childhood has no jurisdiction over licenseexempt organizations. “We are concerned that these programs have no outside health and safety oversight to protect people in their care,” Bye said. “In multiple cases the organizations sought and secured the licensure exemption through legislation after OEC responded to a complaint, investigated and
determined that the program needed to be licensed.”
Bye said that regulations are currently under review and redrafting by the attorney general and the Office of Policy and Management. She said the Hearst report on the 2016 bill illustrated that exemptions reduce inspections, background checks, teacher standards and fingerprints.
“I know that they do incredible work for families and children across Connecticut,” Bye said of Boys & Girls Clubs. “They keep kids safe. Our goal is to have oversight but also be open to have conversations around what oversight; how we can improve oversight.”
Sarah Eagan, the state’s child advocate, also supported removing the exemption. “The default public policy of the state of Connecticut is to license child-serving programs whether they are daycare, camps, afterschool programs, the ‘Y’ is licensed,
private camps are licensed,” Eagan said.
Testimony from Boys & Girls Clubs argued that national club standards are sufficient, including mandatory criminal background checks, mandatory annual safety inspections and reporting of incidents.
“Our programs serve older children and teens who do not align to many of the current licensing requirements such as diaper-changing tables, nap cots and multiple caregivers, which is what daycare centers looking after infants would require,” said David Blagys, CEO at the Wakeman Boys and Girls Clubs of Bridgeport and Fairfield.
The testimony, combined with previous discussions about the legislation committee, prompted leaders including state Sen. Douglas McCrory, D-Hartford, co-chairman of the committee, to say that common sense would eliminate requirements for programs with very young children from licenses for the Boys and Girls Clubs.
“On the exemption, I would really
like to see you guys work this out,” McCrory said, adding that changing requirements could cost clubs money that could be spent on programming. “Clearly there’s a difference between early childhood, child daycare and the Boys & Girls Clubs where you have 15 and 16-year-olds. We all want to make sure our kids are safe.”
Sen. Eric Berthel, R-Watertown, ranking Republican on the committee, noted that Boys & Girls Clubs have national standards that may preclude the need for some state oversight. “They also have safety committees at the local board levels, at the clubs,” Berthel said. “I wonder if there could be perhaps an acceptance of, or a review of the standards that the national organization is holding them accountable to. Maybe we find a way to adopt what they are already doing and not necessarily require them to be licensed as a childcare service.”
The committee has until March 23 to act on the bill.
kdixon@ctpost.com