Ohio lawmakers want cameras in day care centers

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(The Center Square) – Child care centers in Ohio could soon be required to install cameras both inside and outside of buildings give the state immediate access to the footage.

Two Ohio legislators have introduced legislation requiring the cameras, and they say would to fraud and increase safety at publicly funded day care centers.

The proposals come in the wake of a day care fraud scandal in Minnesota reports have said some day care centers that received public funding were found to be empty, with no children there.

The legislation by Reps. Josh Williams, R-Sylvania Township, and D.J. Swearingen, R-Huron, would require day care centers to install cameras in general areas of the facility, but not in private spaces, the legislators said.

“Ohio has a responsibility to ensure that children in publicly funded childcare centers are safe and that taxpayer dollars are being used honestly,” Williams said in a statement. “The state needs to possess adequate tools to fully audit these centers and to guarantee child safety in a meaningful and appropriate way. This legislation closes that gap.”

The Ohio Department of Children and Youth would have live access to the video to perform attendance audits, oversight and checks on child safety, the lawmakers said in a news release.

Day care centers would have to keep video footage for at least 60 days, under the legislation.

The bill would also allow for dayc are centers to lose public funding “upon credible suspicion of waste, fraud or abuse,” the news release said.

“This is a reasonable requirement for child care centers that accept public funds,” Swearingen said. “It protects children, respects privacy, and gives the state the tools it needs to hold bad actors accountable. By raising the standard for compliance, Ohio can lead the nation in preventing fraud in a system that must put children first.”

Earlier this month, Williams said there have been multiple reports of alleged fraud at publicly funded child care programs that bill the state for children who don’t attend. He cited facilities in the Columbus area that need to be investigated.

However, Gov. Mike DeWine said Ohio has procedures in place that would prevent fraud similar to that alleged in Minnesota.

Ohio pays day care centers based on attendance, not enrollment, and uses personal identification numbers with photos or a location-specific QR code to confirm the identities of children in attendance, the governor said.