Wednesday, October 12, 2011, 8:46 A.M.
REPORT: SAFETY, HEALTH ISSUES AMONG SHORTCOMINGS IN EARLY LEARNING CENTERS
Describing safety hazards, accessibility issues and impediments to learning in dozens of early childhood education centers and out-of-school-time facilities across Massachusetts that could cost millions of dollars to remedy, an early education advocacy group on Wednesday urged early learning centers to consider alternative funding sources, such as partnering with utility companies to save on energy costs or tapping into Race to the Top funds. The Children’s Investment Fund, a 20-year-old program that seeks to expand access for low- and middle-income Massachusetts residents to early education facilities, found that in a study of 182 facilities across Massachusetts, only one met all accessibility standards, and none complied with all the best practices required of such facilities. The research, conducted for the children’s fund by Wellesley Centers for Women, found that a third of all centers had “entrapment hazards” in their play equipment, and about a quarter lacked screens in windows for ventilation. About a quarter of the sites in the study lacked “acoustical tile” or “ceiling treatment” to minimize noise and promote concentration. A fifth of the sites had at least one classroom without windows, and a third failed to meet recommended temperature standards. Although most of the sites missed some of the standards, the report described as “positive” the fact that most of the sites met 80 percent of regulators standards, 50 percent of professional standards and 50 percent of best practices standards. “Despite budget constraints, most programs did their best to maintain physical environments that met the state standards for safety and health,” according to the report. “All programs provided adequate classroom space to accommodate varied activities and children playing individually or in small or large groups.” The report also suggested that any inability to meet standards “should not be construed as negligence or lack of interest on the part of program operators. The problem lies in the revenue model and the inability to generate enough revenue to adequately address capital needs.”
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