Safety guidelines aim to protect children at daycare

OKLAHOMA CITY (KOKH) — The Oklahoma Department of Human Services watches closely for violations at child care facilities.

Casey White, the communications manager at DHS, said they want to prevent any children from being harmed while they're there.

"It could be anything from just ensuring that staffing ratios are correct in a particular classroom," White said. "Ensuring that food safety is met."

DHS will do three unannounced visits to child care businesses every year. Staff will do more if there is a complaint or non-compliance to make sure any violations are fixed.

"They monitor their program's particular issues and anything they see happening with their child," White said. "Parents should rest assured that their child care program is being looked into."

Local mother Ali Dodd is an advocate for child care safety. She pushed to have a law passed in 2016 that tried to eliminate dangers when children are sleeping after her son Shepard died in 2015.

She posted on Shepard's Watch Facebook page, "There are no words other than we are so sorry this has happened again to another Oklahoma family" and "Oklahoma, we must, must do better."

White said sleep issues are something that must be monitored closely.

"Safe sleep is very, very important in a child's safety and in a child care program so that's something we look at as a serious concern," White said.

We still don't know the circumstances surrounding the infant's death in Stillwater.

Reports can be viewed about DHS visits to child care facilities on the department's website.