Tennessee bill making various changes to daycare licensures pushes owners and parents to speak out
Daycare owners and parents say childcare is expensive and not very accessible.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) - A new bill is pushing daycare owners and parents to ask for more to be done in making daycares more accessible.
“We have our little books right here, and this is our math section,” Daycare owner Bambi Wilson said.
It’s among a long list of activities Wilson says she has for kids in her at-home daycare.
“I’ve always done childcare since my kids were little, and when I moved to the La Vergne area, I saw a big need for it. I decided to do that since I have a grand baby,” Wilson said.
In more than five years, she’s heard the same issue from parents leaving licensed daycares to turn to her for help.
“The main complaint that I’m having is the expense of the daycare,” Wilson said.
Mother Cheyenne Hayes says the cost of taking her six kids to larger facilities is unacceptable.
“Like $300 a kid, which is ridiculous especially for a mom with a lot of them,” Hayes said.
State Representative Michael Hale (R-Smithville), who helped write House Bill 106, said it’s aimed at lifting restrictions on childcare.
HB106 was passed by both the House and Senate and is headed to Governor Lee’s desk for signing.
“The previous statute was outdated and disorganized leading to confusion of both consumers and providers,” Hale said.
However, the issue is that the bill mostly focuses on lifting licensing restrictions for professional sports teams and facilities that offer three or less hours of childcare.
“This legislation will allow the departments policies to acutely capture the unique and dynamic landscape of childcare space, by ensuring exempt agencies are registered and tracked within the data management system. Opening and expanding opportunities for approved childcare,” Hale said.
But, for those unlicensed daycares, they’re left dealing with the same issues.
“Put us in a bind to where we’re restricted to only three to four kids outside of our related children,” Wilson said.
Daycare owners like Wilson say getting licensed is harder than ever, and more needs to be done to make childcare more accessible.
“More people want their kids in an in-home or more structured smaller setting. It gives us an opportunity to open up for more kids,” Wilson said.
Wilson said she’s hoping something changes soon.
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