Alltus Calls For Day-Care Standards

Day-care centers that serve five or more children would have to meet public health standards and be inspected, under legislation introduced Thursday at the request of Rep. Jeff Alltus, R-Coeur d’Alene.

The standards now apply only to day-care centers with 13 or more children.

Alltus said North Idaho day-care providers have “noted over the years that more and more people are trusting that the government’s going to make sure these are safe places for their children to be.”

The bill also requires more training for care providers and requires an immediate investigation if a public health district reports that conditions at a center are endangering children.

Child-care standards have been a tough sell over the years in the Idaho Legislature. But Alltus said he was presented with petitions signed by 600 parents who wanted state standards to be even stricter than what his legislation proposes.

“We’re just trying to make it a little bit safer for children who sometimes spend eight hours a day in a child-care center,” Alltus said.

The House Health and Welfare Committee will schedule a hearing in the coming weeks.