DETROIT, July 25 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — Albert Garrett, President of Michigan Council 25 of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), AFL-CIO, issued the following statement regarding the Performance Audit of the Suitability of Child Development and Care Program Providers issued on July 22, 2008 by State Auditor General Thomas H. McTavish:
“Over 98 percent of the child care providers have been vetted by both the Department of Human Services and now by the Auditor General, and found to be completely free of criminal records,” stated Garrett. “There is no indication that they pose any threat to any child in their care. They are in fact providing excellent and badly needed care.
“But even one child in danger is not acceptable. The Auditor General has not indicated the time lines or even the severity of the behavior he deems ‘inappropriate’ in the remaining 1.6 percent of child care providers,” continued Garrett. “So we are constantly looking for even better ways to improve the quality and safety of child care.”
“The audit refers to a period before we represented these child care providers,” noted Herbert A. Sanders, AFSCME Council 25 Administrative Director. “Since the audit period, we have been working with the Department of Human Services to address a number of these concerns. In the contract, the department and the Union have agreed upon an extensive training process to address and eradicate most concerns related to provider qualifications. The Auditor General is pointing to outdated concerns which are already being addressed.”
“We have also supported legislation to address the need for greater training and accountability, as well as safety,” added Nick Ciaramitaro, AFSCME Council 25 Director of Legislation and Public Policy. “The Michigan House of Representatives has already passed a package of Child Day Care Reform Bills (House Bills 6214-21). These bills include a new safety checklist, limitations on the number of children under the care of day care aides, enhanced training requirements, and requirements for criminal background checks at the time of enrollment.”
“The Auditor General is speaking to a set of conditions which existed from 2003 to 2006; however, it is now 2008, and the rest of us are implementing the solutions, rather than just discovering these concerns,” concluded Garrett.
Albert Garrett also serves as Vice President of AFSCME International. Michigan AFSCME Council 25 represents more than 90,000 public workers across Michigan. AFSCME International represents 1.4 million public workers nationwide. News releases issued by Michigan AFSCME Council 25 are available at http://www.miafscme.org/Releases.htm.
Michigan AFSCME Council 25
CONTACT: Nick Ciaramitaro, Director, Legislation & Public Policy,Michigan AFSCME Council 25, AFL-CIO, 800-237-2632
Web Site: http://www.miafscme.org/
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