(Dec 15, 2014) Joining me on Inside Scoop Virginia were Mary Braxton of Prince William County and Kandy Hilliard of Stafford County. Our discussion is about the lack of regulation in daycare homes, where many of Virginia’s 394,000 children are cared for each day.
Mary Braxton is a home based daycare provider in Prince William County and also the President of The Virginia Alliance of Family Child Care Associations and President of The Eastern Prince William Area Family Child Care Associations. She has worked for decades in advocating for children and families to have access to safe quality care using the best developmental practices.
Kandy Hilliard is the Assistant Director of the Child Care Network and Outreach Specialist for Childcare Aware of Northern Virginia. Kandy is also a former member of the Stafford County Board of Supervisors and she has spent 25 years of her career in early childhood education.
Fairfax and Arlington Counties, along with Alexandria city (all in Northern Virginia) have greater regulation of licensed daycare homes than the other 93 counties and 39 independent cities in Virginia. There are greater licensing requirements for dog groomers and nail technicians in those counties than there are for people who keep 5 or fewer unrelated children in their home daycare business. Sharon Veatch, Executive Director of Child Care Aware Virginia, wrote an op-ed to that affect to the Richmond Times Dispatch on October 28, 2014.
The Virginia General Assembly needs to address this lack of basic oversight to make it consistent across the entire commonwealth. Some of those recommendations include criminal background checks for every adult in the home, an inspection by the fire marshall to insure there is a fire evacuation plan in place. In September of 2014, 3 children died in day care fires in both Lynchburg and Midlothian in unlicensed homes. The brings the total to 43 children who have died in daycare in the last 10 years.
For 2015, Child Care Aware of Virginia recommends:
- Reducing the licensing threshold for child care homes;
- Training for providers to promote the safety and healthy development of children, and
- Reviewing the state licensing fee to determine whether it is set at an appropriate level to promote accountability in state oversight.
This show explores the many ways in which we can elevate the profession of daycare providers and insure greater safety for Virginia’s children.
This book is excellent. Not so much that it’s groundbreaking material, but the research and personal stories validate what most of us already know about what it takes to be perceived as a “leader.” To get the most out of it, you need to be in the frame of mind that values “what it is” over “how it should be.” While the book is not gender specific, author Sylvia Ann Hewlett’s research points to the greatest challenges for potential leaders and those challenges happen to fall heavily upon women and minorities. There is little doubt that women face substantial challenges in navigating their way to the top in a culture where male leaders predominate and always have. If you are serious about developing your Executive Presence (EP) this book will be invaluable.
(Oct. 2014) “We need to remember that our definition of what is right is, as often as not, simply the way that people in positions of privilege close the door on those on the outside. David has nothing to lose, and because he has nothing to lose, he has the freedom to thumb his nose at the rules set by others.”
An excellent book that reinforces much of what I believe about the value of giving. The pivotal idea in this particular book is that there is more than one way of being a “Giver.” Author Adam Grant, the youngest tenured professor at the Wharton School, presents compelling research on the nature of human interactions relative to professional success. He identifies three main personality types: Givers, Takers and Matchers. He opens the book by sharing research that shows some of the least successful people in businesses are Givers. He follows that up with the secondary revelation that so are some of the mostsuccessful people.
“He may be an asshole, but when he’s your asshole, that’s a very good thing.” Garet Bosiger. A wonderful book that is about the past, the present and the possibilities of the future. It’s a reality check for the global economic theories of the 21st century that look good on paper, and even make sense intellectually, but don’t really factor in the consequences on real people living in communities built on a single manufacturing industry.
I loved this book! For so many reasons. Brigid Schulte is a reporter for the Washington Post. She lives here in the DC area and many of the experts she consulted are local to where I live. I know her commute and her community, which gives this an authenticity that may not resonate with every reader but it’s real.
Subtitled: Dispatches from America’s Class War.