Early Learning Coalition to grade day cares on quality of care

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — Orange County officials have started grading day cares after they said video surfaced of a day care worker abusing a child.
 
Kimberly Reid is facing child abuse charges in connection with the video, which authorities say showed her hitting and throwing a child.
 
"That was absolutely horrible, horrible video. But what we're trying to do is develop the quality of the teachers in these programs," Karen Willis of the Early Learning Coalition of Orange County said.
 
The coalition will grade day care centers by evaluating the quality of care. The primary focus is the level of interaction between staff and children.
 
Twenty-four facilities have been graded on a five-star scale, and the coalition hopes to reach 200 in the next year and a half.
 
"It's one more tool in the tool kit for (parents) to decide where they place their child," Willis said.
 
The Florida Department of Children and Families maintains the licensing of child care facilities, conduct the investigations if there is an incident and check on safety issues.
 
No statewide program looks at quality of care.
 
The star rating also relies of facilities that volunteer to participate.
 
The day care for which Reid worked is in Clermont and has not been graded by the coalition.
 

Cox Media Group