| By Bob Weaver
West Virginia KIDS COUNT says a review of the state's 338 licensed day care centers shows that only 8 percent of them are accredited.
The KIDS COUNT Fund review is an effort to call attention to the status of child care in the Mountain State.
In Calhoun there are 421 children under age 6, with one-half of them living with families who are in the labor force, says the Kids Count study.
There is only one licensed day care center in the county at Minnie Hamilton Health System in Grantsville.
There are five registered family day care homes in Calhoun, with about 93% percent of the county's four year olds being enrolled in pre-kindergarten.
About 64,000 WV children under the age of six spend part of their day in a day care setting.
KIDS COUNT Executive Director Margie Hale says it's important for the state to take an active role in day care quality.
Hale says studies show children are most receptive to learning when they are at a young age.
"If our society is to prosper in the future, we will need to make sure that all
children have the opportunity to develop intellectually, socially and emotionally," says Clark Hansbarger,
pediatrician and President of the West Virginia KIDS COUNT Fund.
"Scientists say the best way to do this is to provide kids with stable, responsive
relationships and positive learning experiences early in life," he said.
"Parents are children's
first and best teachers, but hard-working parents also need the support of good
childcare providers to ensure their children's healthy development. That's why
the West Virginia KIDS COUNT Fund has focused its resources on advocating for better
childcare," he concluded.
The proposed legislation would require the Department of Health and Human Resources to develop a rating and improvement system for day care facilities in the state.
More to follow regarding the welfare of West Virginia children.
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