[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 107 (Thursday, July 16, 2009)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7643-S7644]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. ISAKSON. (for himself, Mr. Dodd, Mr. Chambliss, and Mr. 
        Burris):
  S. 1465. A bill to amend the Child Care land Development Block Grant 
Act of 1990 to require child care providers to provide to parents 
information regarding whether such providers carry liability insurance; 
to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
  Mr. ISAKSON. Mr. President, it was September 9, 2001, in Augusta, GA, 
when Jackie Boatwright, on her way home from church, got a horrific 
call on her cell phone. The little boy, Anthony DeJuan Boatwright, then 
14 months of age that she had dropped off at day care in the morning 
had been rushed to the hospital.
  Upon her arrival at the hospital, a doctor gave her the grim news. He 
said, ``It appears your son has suffered a near drowning accident from 
falling into a bucket of mop water containing bleach. He has been 
without a pulse for more than an hour but we have managed to get a 
heartbeat. It is not a strong one right now but we have one.''
  Today, nearly 8 years later, Juan now resides with his wonderful 
mother Jackie. He is semi-comatose and dependent on a ventilator.

[[Page S7644]]

  The child care center where Juan was injured was licensed, but not 
insured. At the time, there was no way for Jackie or other parents to 
know the insurance status of child care providers.
  Today, Senators Dodd, Chambliss, Burris and I introduce straight-
forward, bipartisan legislation that will require day care centers to 
disclose whether or not they carry appropriate insurance for the 
facility.
  The House of Representatives has passed this legislation multiple 
times, but now we in this body take our turn to simultaneously both 
honor young Juan and provide parents with much-needed information about 
child care facilities.
  It is time this body passed this legislation and sent it on to 
President Obama for his signature.
  I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.
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