Florida Paper Criticizes Inspection Exemptions For Faith-Based Day Cares

As part of its series of article on inspection of day care centers, last Sunday's Gainseville (FL) Sun carried an article critical of provisions that permit faith-based child day-care centers to be inspected by private organizations rather than the state of Florida. (FL Stats., Title XXIX, Sec. 402.316). Reporting that Florida is among a dozen states that have special exemptions for religiously-sponsored day cares, the paper contends that some centers have switched to faith-based status after unhappiness with state inspections. Some Florida lawmakers have called for stricter regulation of faith-based centers after a 2001 incident in which a 2-year old was found dead in a van operated by a faith-based day care. However proposals for change have not been enacted.