Rep George Sayler fights for kids safety rights

Idaho lawmakers will have the opportunity to consider a bill to require licensing of all day care facilities with four or more unrelated children. The day-care licensing bill from Rep. George Sayler, D-Coeur d’Alene, and Sen. Tim Corder, R-Mountain Home. Proposed and killed each year for at least the last five years, this year’s version, Corder told the panel, is “a fine piece of legislation for you to consider this year.” He said, “We cannot cover every problem or guarantee all facilities are safe all the time, but we can … protect more children than we are now.”

The bill would set minimum standards for day cares, including criminal background checks.Rep. George Sayler, D-Coeur d'Alene, says he is hopeful the bill introduced on Monday will pass muster with lawmakers who have declined to act on similar legislation for the past several years.

The state now licenses daycare centers with 13 or more kids and has a certification program for smaller facilities with seven or more children. Smaller daycare operations with six or fewer kids aren't subject to regulation.