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.

Hours after receiving a clean inspection, a newly licensed in-home provider was contacted by the regulator who explained the supervisor was forcing a violation for not having completed 2 shelter-in-place drills in 2022.  The provider was licensed with only 60 business days left in the year, half of which were spent building enrollment from 0 children.  The provider respectfully debated that there was not a reasonable amount of licensed time with children enrolled to expect 2 shelter-in-place drills to be completed.  After several communications with OCFS representatives in Albany, the violation was ultimately removed.  The regulator returned shortly after to complete another inspection and to announce his resignation and told the provider upon his departure, “watch yourself, my supervisor has it out for you for getting that violation removed.”

-Family Childcare Provider in Western New York

In addition to our upcoming meeting with Monica Wallace’s chief of staff and Legislative Director Lila Balali, we have now captured the attention of state senate minority leader Robert Ortt’s district director, Andrew Dugan, who is also requesting a meeting with us next week to discuss our concerns.

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