Child Care Quality: States' Difficulties Enforcing Standards Confront
Welfare Reform Plans (Testimony, 02/11/94, GAO/T-HEHS-94-99).

GAO questions the safety of child care being offered nationwide, both in
terms of the physical environment--everything from working smoke
detectors to properly stored food--and background checks for child care
workers.  Although the states are responsible for setting and enforcing
quality standards, they are being challenged by the surge in demand for
child care as well as by shrinking budgets.  GAO found that 17 states
did not conduct criminal background checks on child care center
providers and 21 states did not conduct checks of family day care
providers.  Although Congress recently passed legislation to remedy this
situation, it is too soon to know how much it will help.  Welfare reform
may also test states' ability to protect children.  Recent proposals
requiring welfare recipients to participate in training programs and
find work within two years may increase the demand for child care,
potentially further straining state enforcement resources.

--------------------------- Indexing Terms -----------------------------

 REPORTNUM:  T-HEHS-94-99
     TITLE:  Child Care Quality: States' Difficulties Enforcing 
             Standards Confront Welfare Reform Plans
      DATE:  02/11/94
   SUBJECT:  Day care centers
             Child care programs
             Children
             State-administered programs
             Total quality management
             Monitoring
             Sanctions
             Standards evaluation
             Budget cuts
IDENTIFIER:  Child Care and Development Block Grant
             TQM
             
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