Daycare bills pass subcommittee

House subcommittee unanimously passes two bills designed to protect families from negligent childcare operators, said authorities.

Wednesday, February 20th 2008, 1:55 pm

By: News 9

NEWS 9

A House subcommittee unanimously passed two bills designed to protect families from negligent childcare operators, said authorities.

Representative Mike Shelton said he authored the bills after hearing about a three-year old boy who became disabled after alleged childcare neglect. The child was reportedly left in a hot car while at a local daycare, now he is unable to walk or talk, said officials.

Representative Shelton said these daycare bills would require childcare facilities to carry a minimum $200,000 of liability insurance and create a compensation fund for injuries caused by negligence.

"With no assistance from the state, a fund like that could help some other family--some other Oklahoma family someday, who might be in the same situation as us," said Edna Pittman, who is the mother of the forementioned three year old.

Both bills are headed the State House Human Services committee for a hearing.