Analysis of Child Daycare Home Problems in Michigan

1. Analysis of Child Daycare Home Problems in Michigan CJ Chung 1189 Garwood Dr. Revised 3-20-06

2. Contents • Background and History • Problems • Unique Characteristics of Daycare home business • Child Day Care Accidents – Data • Why more accidents in daycare homes? • Problems of using the basement • State vs. Local City government • Problems with neighbors • Suggestions • Conclusion and Summary • Epilog

3. Background • 72% of moms are working • Increased demand → high cost • Day care homes were welcomed!! • Affordable • flexible

4. Types of Daycare Homes (*) Detroit News, Sep. 14, 2003

5. History of Daycare Homes • Child Care Licensing Act enacted in 1973 in Michigan • State courts ruled that family day care homes were permitted in all residential areas (Zinger vs. B. Island) • Currently, townships and counties can not prohibit licensed group homes • But group day care homes are not, since State laws do not have the same restrictions in Cities

6. Problems of State, City , and Group Day care providers State says it is a business

7. Percent of Children Served by Types of Child Care in MI Child Care Bureau, Administration for Children and Families, US Department of Health and Human Services (2000-2004)

8. Number of registered child care facilities in Michigan 4,868 9,105 3,756 Feb. 11, 2006, MI/DHS website

9. Unique Characteristics of Home Daycare Business

10. Child care accidents: Number of suspensions, revocations, and refusal to renew Source: MI/DHS website

11. Percent of violations by type of care in Michigan 2000-2004 Source: MI/DHS website

12. Types of Home Daycare Violations • Sexual contact/molestation/assault • Example: … (see the full article) • Many cases by minor household member • Improper physical contact/punishment; abuse • Example: Police found 5 children strapped into car seats inside bedroom closets (Sep. 2003) • Negligence / inadequate supervision • Example: 3-month-old infant dead in the basement in Troy (July 2003) • Many children floating dead in hot tubs and pools • Children health and safety violation • Example: Drugs and guns in the day care home

13. Examples of incidents From a few daycare homes

14. Relatively more violations / accidents in group homes Percent of Children Served Percent of violations

15. Relatively more violations / accidents in daycare homes … Percent of violations Percent of number of facilities

16. Why relatively more accidents in day care homes? • Home are located, designed and built to maximize privacy • Caregivers may have feeling that no one is watching them! This may welcome negligence, violence, and temptation • In many cases, homes are not designed and built for the safety of several babies • Home furniture is not designed and located for the safety of children • Lack of State inspection: Detroit News, Sep. 14, 2003

17. Problems of Basement Usage for the Care of Infants • No or limited sunlight is available in the basement • Dampness promotes the growth of mold and other microbial agents • Radon is an invisible radioactive gas in the basement. • Children are particularly susceptible • the second leading cause of lung cancer • Recently DHS is requiring radon test

18. Dispute with some Neighbors • Business Noise problem • Invasion of privacy • Parking • Increased traffic • Safety • children died/injured on the driveway while cars were backing over. • Home owner is responsible, if a daycare child is injured or killed in your territory • Increased demand for city services: e.g. 6 trash cans • Beautification problem due to trash cans and ugly screens without standards • Lowering property value of neighboring homes

19. Examples of noise early in the morning when neighbors might be sleeping • Slamming the entrance door • Slamming car doors • Occasionally, babies are crying & screaming when they enter the day care home. More frequent in winter. It is said that screaming baby sound is one of the loudest sounds in nature. (85 decibel, ff) • Parents usually talks to their baby before going into the day care home • When customers start the car • When customers use remote key to lock the car • When daycare owner shovel snow very early in the morning before their customers arrive • When customers talk/phone outside of the home, sometimes

20. Examples of noise during the day • The same problem as listed in the previous slide when parents are coming to pick up babies • Screaming children when they play outside of the day care home • Noise when the group day care employee dumps trashes into trash cans usually placed outside

21. Dinning room window Garage Day care door Group Day Care Home Garage Master bedroom 17.8’ Drop off area 27.99’ Drive way Drive way Noise and invasion of privacy case in Troy

23. Previous GDCH Home, 1991-1999

24. Other noise problem cases Outdoor Play area Deck or Patio Side by side Neighbor Window Side by side Neighbor Day Care Home

25. Day Care Home Driveway Driveway Neighbor Z Parking Problem Case Critical section!

26. Lowering property value of neighboring homes, an example • SEV (State Equalized Value) which is 50% of the market value • SEV in 2005: $212,670 • Tentative SEV without knowing Group Daycare in 2006: $191,530 (*) • The re-assessed SET by the city after recognizing Group daycare home: $182,500 – 4.7% reduction of market value (*) I surely believe this price has been affected by the group daycare home. Because - the sale price of 1161 Garwood in 2005: $392,000. - It was less than $395,000 that was the price of 1203 Garwood in 2001, 5 years ago.

27. Market value reduction of 4.7% …

28. Troy City Planning Commission's Decisionon Dec. 13, 2005 - not to recommend allowing group daycare homes for the following reasons: • Negative impact on the neighboring property owners • Michigan Building Code Requirement Violation such as • automatic sprinklers in basements • Michigan barrier-free design and • the Federal Americans with Disabilities Act • There is nothing within the child care licensing law that exempts these facilities from the Michigan Building Code provisions. • The current ordinance allows for family day care homes but limits enrollment thus permitting a needed service while minimizing the intrusion and negative impact on neighboring properties

29. Troy City Planning Commission's Decisionon Dec. 13, 2005 - In case City Council wants to allow them, they recommended the following reasonable conditions (listed only important ones): • To maximize the safety and the privacy and to minimize noise for the neighboring properties, Group Daycare Homes shall be allowed on properties greater than one-half acre in size and having a minimum side yard setback of 20 feet • Group Daycare Homes with vehicular access on a major thoroughfare shall be required to have a circular drive or an unobstructed turnaround area. • To maximize the safety and the privacy for the neighboring properties, if the outdoor play area is located on the premises, the play area shall be fenced or screened with a 6-foot high fence. • The applicant shall identify the entrance(s) for drop-offs and pickups. The parking and drop-off areas shall be designed to maximize safety and privacy, and minimize noisefor the neighboring properties. • To prevent the commercialization of residential districts, Group Day Care Homes shall be not be located within 1,000 feet of another state licensed residential facility. Suggested to add

30. Suggestions and Solutions • Long-term suggestions • Promote parent care!! • More Centers with affordable fees: see next slide • Mixed-use zone development • Short-term feasible solutions • State and city must work together • Reasonable city ordinance for considering neighbors in strictly restricted residential zone • Subdivision design considerations: see next slides • Caring neighbors: examples – more trees, screens, fences, Electric Snow Melting System on the driveway! • Open door policy for the real quality child care • Wireless smart sensors and pervasive computing technologies to prevent from accidents

31. Summary • Daycare homes are relatively accident-prone because homes were *not* located, designed, and built for large scale daycare service • Parents need to analyze carefully pros and cons of putting their children in daycare homes • Some daycare homes caused some clashes in the community due to problems such as noise, parking, invasion of privacy, etc. • Need a good city zoning ordinance for the future with common sense, without biases

32. We need more institution supported Centers! – See the national data below* Michigan : National 16% : 58% Percent of Children Served by Types of Care (National 2000-2004) (*) Child Care Bureau, Administration for Children and Families, US Department of Health and Human Services (2000-2004)

33. Living area Living area Living area Living area Living area Living area Living area Living area Garage Garage Garage Garage Garage Garage Garage Garage Living area Living area Garage Garage Better Subdivision Design Considerations I

34. Day Care Home Day Care Home Driveway Driveway Better Driveway Driveway 30’ Neighbor A Neighbor A Subdivision Design Considerations II

35. My master bedroom Wonderful Idea by my neighbor Driveway Car Drop-off area naturally customers are using left-side car door Car

36. Conclusion • Do not let your children start their first lives in illegal facilities any more • Homes are *not* located / designed / built for caring many children • Some neighbors have been bothered by some daycare businesses • The State and City must view residential zoning regulations as a covenant with citizens who purchase property in the city, and city’s actions must honor this commitment or • City must have strict restrictions

37. If there are no reasonable restrictions… • Some of the current family daycare homes will become Group Daycare homes, since Group Daycare home business model is more profitable.

38. Crisis and Opportunity • Let’s use this conflict to make the ‘best’ childcare system in the USA • I am volunteering to organize and host a conference to improve child care systems in Michigan; Let’s “dialog” • Personally, I am interested in • The development of wireless smart sensor system for your home PC; To be used data-mining for SIDS research • Sunlight induction system to the basement • Solar powered (or hybrid) Electric Snow Melting System for the driveway and sidewalk

39. Is this OK? A worst case scenario Screaming babies Master bedroom Loud noise when SUV’s engine starts Slamming car doors Think of max. 13 cars at 6 A.M.!

40. Epilog “You can either learn from your past or run from it” Rafiki, The Lion King