• Federal audits: Arizona’s inspections of daycare centers could be improved

    Source: Jessica Boehm | Cronkite News February 13, 2015 WASHINGTON — Alcohol stored in an unlocked cabinet, a dirty fish tank and a smelly diaper bin – that’s just a sampling of the health and safety infractions federal inspectors spotted at a handful of Arizona child care centers. In two reports this month, the Department of Health and Human Services said that while Arizona officials do the required number of child care center inspections, they may not have ensured “that each provider complied with one or more State licensing requirements to ensure the health and safety of children.” State officials…

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  • Home daycare where baby died not licensed

    Source: Jason Barry | CBS5 September 10, 2014 PHOENIX (CBS5) – Phoenix police are calling it a tragic accident, but there may be more to the death of a 3-month-old baby. Skylar Michelle died Monday at a home daycare in North Phoenix. Police told CBS5 that the caregiver was feeding the baby, when the infant started choking. The caregiver reportedly called 911, performed CPR, but it wasn’t enough. Investigators are calling it a tragic accident with no criminal charges pending. However, CBS5 news has learned that the home was not licensed. Erin Raden is executive director of the Arizona Child…

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  • Parents urged to research Arizona summer programs

    Source: Michelle Ye Hee Lee | The Republic | azcentral.com June 29, 2014 PHOENIX – Parents signing their children up for day programs this summer should know that some are exempt from state oversight that regulates quality of care. State law carves out a niche for a variety of child-care facilities that host day programs, allowing them to operate without licensing by the Arizona Department of Health Services. Licensing by ADHS subjects facilities and their staff to state background checks and inspections. It is unclear how many unlicensed children’s programs there are in the state. Some might have a national…

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  • Arrest Leads To Questions About Child Care Access In Arizona

    Source: Mark Brodie, Steve Goldstein | KJZZ April 11, 2014 This week, a Scottsdale woman pleaded not guilty to child abuse charges, after being arrested for allegedly leaving her two year old and six-month old kids in her truck. But there is a bit more to this story than that. Shanesha Taylor has said she was at a job interview at the time, and that’s led to some questions about the state of access to child care in Arizona. Erin Raden, the executive director of the Arizona Child Care Association, said it is pretty dismal. She hears stories all the…

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  • Advocates: Child care less affordable in Arizona than many states

    Source: Anne M. Shearer | Cronkite News November 18, 2013 PHOENIX – Arizona is the seventh-least-affordable state for before-school/after-school child care, according to a study by a national advocacy group. On average, such care cost an Arizona family $6,198 in 2012, according to Arlington, Va.-based Child Care Aware of America. The group measured the average cost against median income for a married couple – $70,149 in Arizona – to develop its rankings. Only New York, Hawaii, Wyoming, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Arkansas were less affordable than Arizona, which tied with Kansas in the group’s study. The study also reported that…

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