Some Michigan Child Care Centers Did Not Always Comply With State Health and Safety Licensing Requirements

Although the Michigan Department of Human Services' Bureau of Children and Adult Licensing (State licensing agency) conducted the required inspections at all three of the licensed child day care centers (providers) that we reviewed, this onsite monitoring did not ensure that providers that received funds from the Child Care and Development Fund complied with State licensing requirements related to the health and safety of children. We determined that the three providers that we reviewed did not comply with one or more State licensing requirements to ensure the health and safety of children. Specifically, we found that two providers did not always comply with one or more requirements related to the physical conditions of the child care centers, and all three did not comply with required criminal records or protective services checks.

We recommended that the Michigan Department of Education (State agency) work with the State licensing agency to (1) ensure through more frequent onsite monitoring that providers comply with health and safety regulations and ensure adequate oversight by reducing licensing inspectors' caseloads and (2) ensure that providers' employees (current and prospective) who provide direct services to children have had criminal record checks and protective services checks. The State agency partially concurred with our first recommendation and concurred with our second recommendation.