WHEREAS, During the past summer an infant died in an unregulated child care establishment; and
WHEREAS, There were allegedly several reports of abuse that had occurred to infants in the same facility within the previous six months; and
WHEREAS, There are tens of thousands of small children in unlicensed and unregulated child care facilities in the City of Philadelphia; and
WHEREAS, Working parents must rely on local and state governmental agencies to insure that their children are protected in child care settings; and
WHEREAS, The Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare, the State Office of Children and Youth, the Philadelphia Department of Licenses & Inspections, the Philadelphia Division of Children & Youth in the Department of Human Services, and the Philadelphia Police Department all have varying degrees of responsibility in these areas; and
WHEREAS, City and State officials and citizens of our City need to understand what events occurred that caused the death of this infant in order to prevent its reoccurrence; and
WHEREAS, There may exist a need for new procedures, stricter laws and regulations, and a general review of the responsibilities of the City and State in addressing the issues of child care establishments in our City; now therefore, be it
RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, That it hereby authorizes the City Council's Committee on Legislative Oversight to hold a hearing to examine how the City of Philadelphia and the State of Pennsylvania can work together to better insure the safety of our children in child care settings.
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