Missouri seeks to end day-care overcrowding

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Day-care providers would have to count children related to them toward the maximum number they can supervise, under proposed regulations.

The state generally permits one person to care for up to 10 children, as long as no more than two are under 2 years old. But the day-care provider's own children, as well as cousins, nieces and nephews, aren't counted.

Kansas and most other states do count children who are relatives of home day-care providers. The proposed policy in Missouri wouldn't go that far. The compromise proposal would allow only related children who live in the home to go uncounted.

Day-care providers and parents voiced strong objections the last time Missouri regulators proposed changing its rules in 1997 and 1998.

"So many people were against the big fix," said Margaret Franklin, the bureau chief for child care safety and licensure. "Providers said it would affect their business too greatly. Parents said there wouldn't be enough space for their children."

She said the proposed rules should be ready for public comment later this year.

Even the modified proposal to count some related children is bound to run into resistance, said Martha Sanders, president of the Missouri Family Day Care Association in St. Louis.

"I don't see any provider wanting to count related children into their 10," she said. "If a provider has four related children in her home and she has to count them, that's a big cut in income. That's her livelihood."

'Some push the limits'

State inspectors say the current policy is abused. Day-care providers, they say, sometimes lie about whether children are related so they can care for more youngsters.

"We've had cases where providers told parents, 'Tell them you're related to me,'" Franklin said. "Some are trying to make more money, but some push the limits because they're trying to help parents."

Missouri officials say it would be easier to investigate complaints of overcrowded homes if all the children were counted.