Child Care Administration

AccessAbility given contract by state agencyAccessAbility Inc. in Glenelg, a disability awareness training company, has been awarded a contract by the state Human Resources Department's Child Care Administration.The company will provide workshops in 12 Child Care Administration regions in the state on topics such as how the Americans with Disabilities Act applies to the child care industry.

Day care providers participating in a state subsidy payment program protested yesterday at the Maryland Child Care Administration, claiming the agency has been late with their checks. The American Home Daycare Association, a national organization with about 200 members in Baltimore, stormed into the agency's downtown Baltimore headquarters and tried to deliver to its executive director, Linda Heisner, a "Turkey of the Year" award. About 20 protesters eventually were granted a 20-minute meeting with state officials -- including Heisner's boss, Calvin Street, who is deputy secretary for programs.

A Millersville day care facility could lose its license amid accusations that understaffing created an unsafe environment for its more than 100 children, some of whom reportedly were hit and bitten at the center, according to the state Child Care Administration. In September, the state revoked the license of Cloverleaf Child Development Center, in the 8200 block of Cloverleaf Drive, based on about 100 violations and 20 complaints since 1997 regarding supervision and child protection. That is twice as many complaints as most other centers in the county file, said Barbara Rice, director of program standards for the Child Care Administration.

Ten years as a homemaker and mother taught Rhonda Kuykendall one thing for sure: It's tough to find a sitter at the last minute on a Saturday night. So for Howard County parents who have had the same experience, Kuykendall's new business proposes a solution - drop-in child care. Kids Time Out opens today in the Clarksville Square shopping center across from River Hill Village Center, introducing a new concept of child care to the area. The new center is an on-the-spot baby-sitting service for children ages 2 1/2 to 10, that allows parents to sneak away for up to four hours - as late as 1 a.m. on weekends.

A Howard County woman has been ordered to pay $500 in fines and serve a year of probation for operating a home day care center despite having her license revoked for "repeated, serious violations" of state day care standards.Katrina Anderson, 28, of Footed Ridge in Columbia, pleaded guilty to operating an unregistered day care center. Howard County District Court Judge Alice P. Clark ordered a $1,000 fine and $55 in court costs, but suspended all but $500.District Court records show that Anderson once operated a licensed child care center from her home, but that her license was revoked by an administrative judge in June 1995.

Day care providers participating in a state subsidy payment program protested yesterday at the Maryland Child Care Administration, claiming the agency has been late with their checks. The American Home Daycare Association, a national organization with about 200 members in Baltimore, stormed into the agency's downtown Baltimore headquarters and tried to deliver to its executive director, Linda Heisner, a "Turkey of the Year" award. About 20 protesters eventually were granted a 20-minute meeting with state officials -- including Heisner's boss, Calvin Street, who is deputy secretary for programs.

Because of incorrect information supplied by the state Department of Human Resources, an article Sunday in The Sun misstated how much of their child-care subsidies some working families would lose.Low-income working families who have their children's day care subsidized by the state's Child Care Administration would lose their subsidies on these days only: Jan. 28, Feb. 14, Feb. 28, March 14, March 28, April 12, April 26, May 14, May 27, June 14 and June 28.Low-income working people whose children's day care is subsidized by the state will lose either all or part of that help, a state administrator said Friday.

A Millersville day care center filed an appeal yesterday of an administrative law judge's decision revoking its license. In its appeal, Cloverleaf Child Development Center asked Anne Arundel County Circuit Court to block the revocation order until the case is decided, saying that closing during the appeal would disrupt the lives of 115 children, their parents and center employees. Lenora Porzillo, owner of the day care center in the 8200 block of Cloverleaf Drive, contended that the ruling issued March 13 by Administrative Law Judge Georgia Brady contained inaccuracies.

CENTREVILLE -- Facing two counts of involuntary manslaughter in the accidental suffocation deaths of two infants at her Stevensville home day care last spring, Stacey W. Russum pleaded guilty yesterday to lesser charges in a plea arrangement she hopes will keep her out of prison.Russum, the first child care provider to be prosecuted on criminal charges for violating Maryland day care regulations, entered an Alford plea in which she admitted no wrongdoing but acknowledged that pros- ecutors probably had enough evidence to convict her on two counts of reckless endangerment.

State child care investigators yesterday told the owner of a popular West Friendship day care center that she will have to keep the center closed until she earns a state license.That decision comes just a week after angry parents met with state officials to try to persuade them to reopen Aunt Linda's GREATDAY Care, which investigators closed July 8 for operating without a license.The center's owner, Linda Heigh, is completing requirements to earn her license and said she would not fight the state for amnesty, which would allow her to operate the center while she fulfills licensing requirements.

A Millersville day care center filed an appeal yesterday of an administrative law judge's decision revoking its license. In its appeal, Cloverleaf Child Development Center asked Anne Arundel County Circuit Court to block the revocation order until the case is decided, saying that closing during the appeal would disrupt the lives of 115 children, their parents and center employees. Lenora Porzillo, owner of the day care center in the 8200 block of Cloverleaf Drive, contended that the ruling issued March 13 by Administrative Law Judge Georgia Brady contained inaccuracies.

An administrative law judge has upheld a state decision to revoke the license of a Millersville day care facility accused of having unqualified staff and an unsafe environment, ruling that the center takes a "nonchalant" approach to regulations. In a decision received yesterday by counsel, the judge ruled that the numerous violations by Cloverleaf Child Development Center, in the 8200 block of Cloverleaf Drive, threatened the health, safety and welfare of the more than 100 children under its care.

A Millersville day care facility could lose its license amid accusations that understaffing created an unsafe environment for its more than 100 children, some of whom reportedly were hit and bitten at the center, according to the state Child Care Administration. The state revoked the license of Cloverleaf Child Development Center, in the 8200 block of Cloverleaf Drive, in September, based on about 100 violations and 20 complaints since 1997 regarding supervision and child protection. That is twice as many complaints as most other centers in the county file, said Barbara Rice, director of program standards for the Child Care Administration.

An Arbutus woman has voluntarily surrendered a state-issued license to provide child day care at her home after a toddler she was supervising nearly drowned Monday on a field trip in Carroll County, authorities said yesterday.Davon William Jasper, 2 1/2, of Forest Park died yesterday at Sinai Hospital in Baltimore, where he had been on life support since Monday evening.The child care provider, Andrea Gwynn, operated Basically Kids from her Arbutus home. Several messages left for Gwynn since Tuesday were not returned.

CENTREVILLE -- Facing two counts of involuntary manslaughter in the accidental suffocation deaths of two infants at her Stevensville home day care last spring, Stacey W. Russum pleaded guilty yesterday to lesser charges in a plea arrangement she hopes will keep her out of prison.Russum, the first child care provider to be prosecuted on criminal charges for violating Maryland day care regulations, entered an Alford plea in which she admitted no wrongdoing but acknowledged that pros- ecutors probably had enough evidence to convict her on two counts of reckless endangerment.

A Howard County woman has been ordered to pay $500 in fines and serve a year of probation for operating a home day care center despite having her license revoked for "repeated, serious violations" of state day care standards.Katrina Anderson, 28, of Footed Ridge in Columbia, pleaded guilty to operating an unregistered day care center. Howard County District Court Judge Alice P. Clark ordered a $1,000 fine and $55 in court costs, but suspended all but $500.District Court records show that Anderson once operated a licensed child care center from her home, but that her license was revoked by an administrative judge in June 1995.

Angry parents met yesterday with state officials to try to convince them to reopen a popular West Friendship day care center that was closed July 8 because it doesn't have a license."

An Arbutus woman has voluntarily surrendered a state-issued license to provide child day care at her home after a toddler she was supervising nearly drowned Monday on a field trip in Carroll County, authorities said yesterday.Davon William Jasper, 2 1/2, of Forest Park died yesterday at Sinai Hospital in Baltimore, where he had been on life support since Monday evening.The child care provider, Andrea Gwynn, operated Basically Kids from her Arbutus home. Several messages left for Gwynn since Tuesday were not returned.