A measure by assemblymembers Kristin Olsen (R-Modesto) and Cristina Garcia (D-Bell Gardens) to create transparency in child day care centers unanimously passed off the Assembly Floor with bipartisan support on Wednesday.
AB 2621 would make substantiated inspector and complaint reports relating to child care centers available online.
Currently, California does not provide a source for parents to find out about inspection and complaint reports that have been filed against state-licensed day care, pre-school, and after-school programs.
“As a working mom, one of the greatest challenges over the years has been to find child care for our children. In California, it is nearly impossible for parents to even research violations made by an unscrupulous day care center,” Olsen said. “The sooner we can begin the process of listing substantiated complaints online, the better off children in California will be.”
AB 2621 would give parents easy access to this information by requiring the Department of Social Services to post substantiated complaints on their website.
“I am excited that the legislature is working with the Department of Social Services to help it fulfill its pledge to post investigations and substantiated complaints online,” Garcia said. “It is more than time that the Department deliver and keep their promise to share valuable information with parents instead of having the records remain stored away in obscure government offices with difficult to no access.”
Both Olsen and Garcia stressed the importance of transparency, because without it, the reporting of violation has little meaning.
AB 2621 unanimously passed out of the Assembly Floor on a 76-0 vote and will be referred to a Senate policy committee in the coming weeks.
