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Politics

Day care rule ruffles Pinellas parents

A state legislator proposes eliminating the county's limit of 12 hours at one place.

By ABHA BHATTARAI
Published November 20, 2006

ST. PETERSBURG - Shannon Warhurst drops off her 2-year-old son at day care on her way to work at 7:30 every morning.

She picks him when she's done at 3:30 p.m. Then she drives down the street and drops him off at another home day care.

He and his sister, 8-year-old Savannah, stay there until 10:30 p.m., when Warhurst finishes night school.

It would be much easier if her children could stay at the same home all day, Warhurst said.

But Pinellas County laws governing day cares are the state's most restrictive. A special act in Pinellas prohibits kids from being in the same day care for more than 12 hours per day.

The 66 other counties in Florida allow children to be in day care for as long as 24 hours without special permission.

When the act was passed in 1961, it was meant to ensure that parents had quality time with their children.

But day care providers and parents - many of them single parents juggling multiple jobs - are arguing that the rule is outdated and impractical.

"This isn't keeping children safe anymore," said Lynn Gibson, a 24-hour day care provider in Largo. "After 12 hours, I'm supposed to tell parents, 'Sorry, that's it'? I'm licensed, I have beds, I know these kids, and still, I have to say no."

Parents who need additional care because of work, school or medical emergencies can apply for a variance that allows children to stay at the same facility for more than 12 hours.

The county's licensing board made it easier for parents to get a variance at its last meeting Nov. 1. But state legislators think parents need more relief.

On Thursday, state Sen. Dennis Jones introduced a bill to get rid of the 12-hour restrictions in Pinellas. The Pinellas County Legislative Delegation will vote on the bill at its Jan. 4 meeting. If it passes, the bill will have to be approved by the full Legislature.

"Parents shouldn't have to go through all that red tape," Jones said. "Things have changed in this county since 1960, and the licensing board needs to be more elastic."

The licensing board remained unconvinced.

Jewel Waiters, a board program manager, said the 12-hour rule is in the best interest of families.

"Most parents want their children at home in bed or whatever," Waiters said. "As a parent, I'd want my child in their own surroundings, having their own routines."

But single parents like Christopher Dziuban of Largo said it's not so simple.

"I wish I could always be there for my son, but I also have to work," said Dziuban, who works 24-hour shifts for the Coast Guard. "It's not like I can quit my job or always call in sick."

Many parents - some working 12-, 16- or 24-hour shifts as nurses, firefighters or paramedics - said they've found ways to work around the restrictions.

Many shuttle their children back and forth to different providers, some have quit their jobs, and others said they've opted for unlicensed care.

Linda Tamanini, the licensing board's executive director, said most parents who work long hours have "already worked out their child care needs." Many leave their children with another parent, a relative or a friend they trust, she said.

Some fear that the laws might have economic repercussions if the county continues to push away mothers and fathers willing to work longer shifts.

"Do I think better child care would attract more nurses to work? Absolutely," said Beth Hardy, Morton Plant Hospital spokeswoman. "The lack of accessibility to child care is creating problems for this county."

[Last modified November 20, 2006, 10:34:40]