In 2014, the federal government created a rule requiring states to publish data on how many children die in child care every year, and how many are seriously injured or abused at facilities meant to care for them. But a decade later, an investigation from The 19th found that more than a dozen states are still failing to consistently report cases of deaths, serious injuries and abuse. Why is a regulation that was designed to ensure children’s safety taking so long to implement?
Over six months, The 19th pored over state-level reports and each of their 300-plus-page state child care plans while consulting with more than 40 experts in the child care and child welfare space. We sought input from the federal government and reached out to every state, some of which we spoke to at length about issues they were facing coming into compliance.
As Chabeli Carrazana details in her story, the lack of compliance with the federal rules has created questions about accountability, particularly for the parents and caregivers of children who have died or been hurt. Cynthia King spent years advocating for change in Hawaii following the death of her infant son. She told The 19th she’s been “chronically disappointed” at states’ lack of urgency in addressing the gaps in the safety requirements.
For King and parents like her, any effort to improve safety in child care will continue to be limited by how well the United States can track where the cracks in the system are. Only then will it know what to prioritize in fixing them.
For readers, The 19th has also created a comprehensive guide on how to find and choose child care, including questions to ask and tips on vetting programs for safety. Finally, a state-by-state dashboard details which states are in compliance, which are not and why. The dashboard has links to each state’s reports on deaths, serious injuries and instances of substantiated abuse in child care programs, as well as the states’ databases of providers, which include violation and inspection data.
These resources are designed to arm caregivers with the tools they need to confidently make one of the most important decisions before them: Who can be trusted with their child’s safety?
