Child-care bill provides funds for training

CARSON CITY -- Child-care workers need extra training so that they're more than just baby sitters, an Assembly panel has been told.

The Ways and Means Committee was urged to back a bill providing $400,000 in state funds for child-care training and support programs.

AB302 combines bills proposed by three Democratic Assembly members and is aimed at improving the quality of child care.

Assemblyman Wendell Williams, D-Las Vegas, said his part of the bill provides $350,000 for child-care training programs, facility repairs and other expenses in Las Vegas.

But he said the rest of the measure "unifies child-care efforts throughout the state."

Assemblywoman Sheila Leslie's part of AB302 creates a $50,000 fund to establish child-care training programs around the state.

"Child-care workers make, on average, $6.40 an hour. The only people below child care workers are the people who wash our cars," said Leslie, D-Reno. "I think that's a really sad statement about how we value our children in this state."

While the bill won't actually raise salaries for child-care workers, it will help more workers get the training they need and that could increase their market value, supporters say.

The fund would be used to create an accreditation program for child-care workers and would mandate "regulations requiring the staff of child-care facilities to obtain appropriate training and continuing education in child care."

It also authorizes the fund's managers to loan money for the construction and renovation of child-care facilities.

The $50,000 should be seed money to attract matching funds from the national Child Care Block Grant and other federal sources, according to May Shelton of Washoe County Social Services.

"The state, local and city money spent on these programs can be used to leverage money that the federal government makes available," Shelton said.

Leslie pledged to add $1,000 of her own money to get the training programs up and running, and vowed to solicit private companies and individuals for donations.

"There needs to be a better public-private partnership to subsidize quality child care," Leslie said.

Assemblywoman Jan Evans, also pledging $1,000 to the fund, said "Too often and for too long we have considered child care just baby-sitting."

The most formative part of a child's life is between infancy and 5 years old and the people who care for them should be trained as educators, not just babysitters, said Joanne Everts, president of the Child Care Licensing Board.

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