Email sent to OCFS executives:

Hello,

As promised in our reform request e-mail sent on Thursday 11/30, we have gathered real-life experiences from providers of every modality across the entire state demonstrating the oppression and injustices of the current regulatory and enforcement process and intend to share them with you daily until our requests are satisfied.

A child was injured while in care, resulting in the administration of basic first aid to a superficial skin wound. The incident was self-reported by the provider to the OCFS.  The OCFS conducted an investigation and cited the provider for not calling 911 though there was no emergency, for not self-reporting to CPS, and for incompetent supervision, though the program was in ratio at the time of the incident.  The OCFS contacted CPS and opened a case against both teachers that were present in the room as well as the owner of the program, who was not present at the time of the incident.  The CPS case against the owner affects her professionally and personally as a mother and has cost thousands of dollars in legal fees.  The license status appeared on the compliance report online as “Pending Revocation,” and someone screenshot the license status and created a post on a social media group with tens of thousands of local mothers starting rumors and public bashing against the program.

-Center-based Childcare Provider in Western New York

Your urgent consideration and action is requested as a systemic reform is long overdue and there are elements of the current regulatory/enforcement process that infringe on our constitutional protections. We eagerly await your response.

NYS Childcare Providers