Day Care Providers Present Their Frustrations

In-home day care providers appeared before the Senate Agriculture, Rural Development and Housing Policy Committee Tuesday, May 8, to express their frustrations with the various inspections and regulations being imposed on their industry. The Senate dedicated a hearing to reviewing the complaints due to the growing child care shortage in Minnesota, especially in rural areas.

Daycare provider Elizabeth Banqert said, "I am a walking DHS (Department of Human Services) target. That is not something that is not factually based, but is factually based. I have email evidence of that. I have a provider who reached out from Farmington and told me that DHS contacted her and asked her to testify against me. It is terrifying when you want to work with kids everyday, and no matter what you do, it's never right."

Molly Rieke-Hofschulte walked members through an extensive timeline detailing the confusing actions by the Department of Human Services following the death of one of her infant children due to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). "With great power comes great responsibility. DHS has shown that their power is too great to handle that responsibility. You have to step in," she pleaded with lawmakers.

Carolyn Ham, Inspector General for the Department of Human Services, identified the regulations in place to curb infant deaths due to SIDS as a success. "Because in 2008 we had 12 children who died of SIDS in child care...in 2016 we had one child die of SIDS in child care."

The Senate has created a subcommittee to delve into the issues causing the child care shortage, and Senator Bill Weber said the subcommittee will be working through the interim to address the issues.