How are early childhood centers keeping children safe?
FOX NASHVILLE
[{'start': '0.190', 'end': '3.389', 'text': '[Music]'}, {'start': '3.919', 'end': '7.600', 'text': 'Tonight, new data from the Child Care'}, {'start': '5.759', 'end': '9.920', 'text': 'Employment Center shows that daycare'}, {'start': '7.600', 'end': '11.920', 'text': 'workers in our country get the short end'}, {'start': '9.920', 'end': '15.839', 'text': 'of the stick financially. In fact, just'}, {'start': '11.920', 'end': '18.400', 'text': 'about every other job, 97% of employment'}, {'start': '15.839', 'end': '20.560', 'text': 'positions pay better than this one. Fox'}, {'start': '18.400', 'end': '22.800', 'text': '17 News investigates, taking a closer'}, {'start': '20.560', 'end': '25.680', 'text': 'look at parents growing concerns about'}, {'start': '22.800', 'end': '27.119', 'text': 'daycarees. Fox 17 News Amanda Chin sits'}, {'start': '25.680', 'end': '29.119', 'text': 'down with two different families and'}, {'start': '27.119', 'end': '31.599', 'text': 'also speaks with an expert to learn'}, {'start': '29.119', 'end': '35.120', 'text': 'about the challenges the daycare system'}, {'start': '31.599', 'end': '37.760', 'text': 'faces. Nearly half a million children in'}, {'start': '35.120', 'end': '40.000', 'text': 'Tennessee qualify for early child care.'}, {'start': '37.760', 'end': '43.120', 'text': 'However, advocates say the quest for'}, {'start': '40.000', 'end': '45.520', 'text': 'quality care is far from simple. And'}, {'start': '43.120', 'end': '49.320', 'text': 'behind each statistic is a family'}, {'start': '45.520', 'end': '53.280', 'text': 'struggling to navigate a system full of'}, {'start': '49.320', 'end': '56.160', 'text': 'challenges. By age five, 90% of a'}, {'start': '53.280', 'end': '58.559', 'text': "child's brain has already developed."}, {'start': '56.160', 'end': '60.399', 'text': 'This makes quality early childhood care'}, {'start': '58.559', 'end': '62.160', 'text': "critical for shaping a child's"}, {'start': '60.399', 'end': '64.320', 'text': "development. That's according to the"}, {'start': '62.160', 'end': '66.479', 'text': "nonprofit First Things First. We can't"}, {'start': '64.320', 'end': '68.240', 'text': 'go too high on this one. The Thompson'}, {'start': '66.479', 'end': '71.200', 'text': 'family of Wilson County says the search'}, {'start': '68.240', 'end': '73.040', 'text': 'for quality care was a big issue.'}, {'start': '71.200', 'end': '74.880', 'text': 'Surveillance video at Stay, Learn, and'}, {'start': '73.040', 'end': '77.280', 'text': 'Play Child Care Facility in Wilson'}, {'start': '74.880', 'end': '79.680', 'text': 'County recorded a moment that still'}, {'start': '77.280', 'end': '81.040', 'text': 'haunts Natalie and Ray Thompson. I mean,'}, {'start': '79.680', 'end': '83.520', 'text': 'even the way she carried him into the'}, {'start': '81.040', 'end': '85.200', 'text': 'room was just very disturbing. Um, and'}, {'start': '83.520', 'end': '87.600', 'text': 'then she like forces him down in the'}, {'start': '85.200', 'end': '89.759', 'text': 'chair. Natalie believes the video shows'}, {'start': '87.600', 'end': '92.240', 'text': 'the worker tossing their three-year-old'}, {'start': '89.759', 'end': '94.479', 'text': 'son to the carpet. In March, Mount'}, {'start': '92.240', 'end': '96.600', 'text': 'Juliet police charged Kendrell Harris'}, {'start': '94.479', 'end': '99.280', 'text': 'with child'}, {'start': '96.600', 'end': '101.600', 'text': 'abuse. Fox 17 News spoke with the owner'}, {'start': '99.280', 'end': '103.280', 'text': 'of the daycare over the phone. The owner'}, {'start': '101.600', 'end': '105.439', 'text': "says she doesn't condone Harris's"}, {'start': '103.280', 'end': '107.200', 'text': 'behavior and apologizes for the'}, {'start': '105.439', 'end': '109.360', 'text': 'situation. I mean, a mixture of'}, {'start': '107.200', 'end': '111.840', 'text': 'emotions, very heartbroken. Um, I was'}, {'start': '109.360', 'end': '113.920', 'text': 'angry. I definitely cried throughout'}, {'start': '111.840', 'end': '116.799', 'text': 'this, you know, whole situation. Um,'}, {'start': '113.920', 'end': '119.360', 'text': 'just very hurt and angry. And the'}, {'start': '116.799', 'end': '121.600', 'text': "Thompsons aren't alone."}, {'start': '119.360', 'end': '124.000', 'text': 'Whoa. Christy Garcia says her son'}, {'start': '121.600', 'end': '126.320', 'text': 'Anthony, also three, came home with'}, {'start': '124.000', 'end': '129.119', 'text': 'disturbing claims of his own that a'}, {'start': '126.320', 'end': '132.560', 'text': 'worker at the same daycare put hands on'}, {'start': '129.119', 'end': '134.720', 'text': 'him. So, it was just very upsetting. you'}, {'start': '132.560', 'end': '136.480', 'text': 'know, like I brought you my child so'}, {'start': '134.720', 'end': '137.680', 'text': 'that you could watch them while I work'}, {'start': '136.480', 'end': '139.599', 'text': "and you're supposed to take care of them"}, {'start': '137.680', 'end': '141.879', 'text': 'and teach them and love them like we do.'}, {'start': '139.599', 'end': '145.040', 'text': 'You know, Christy pulled her son out'}, {'start': '141.879', 'end': '147.040', 'text': 'immediately. For years, Fox 17 News has'}, {'start': '145.040', 'end': '149.520', 'text': 'reported on dozens of other daycare'}, {'start': '147.040', 'end': '152.480', 'text': 'complaints, including cases involving'}, {'start': '149.520', 'end': '154.720', 'text': 'unlicensed facilities. In Operation'}, {'start': '152.480', 'end': '157.920', 'text': 'Crime and Justice, our first contact'}, {'start': '154.720', 'end': '160.160', 'text': 'with an illegal daycare center operator.'}, {'start': '157.920', 'end': '162.959', 'text': 'Just this month, police in Palaski'}, {'start': '160.160', 'end': '166.120', 'text': 'charged a worker at Kit City, USA with'}, {'start': '162.959', 'end': '169.519', 'text': 'child abuse, uncovering multiple alleged'}, {'start': '166.120', 'end': '172.959', 'text': 'victims. In 2024, the state reported'}, {'start': '169.519', 'end': '176.000', 'text': 'more than 1,000 serious injuries and 10'}, {'start': '172.959', 'end': '178.599', 'text': 'confirmed child abuse cases at licensed'}, {'start': '176.000', 'end': '180.879', 'text': 'child care centers. So, the question'}, {'start': '178.599', 'end': '182.879', 'text': 'remains, how are daycarees keeping'}, {'start': '180.879', 'end': '184.800', 'text': 'children safe? The Tennessee Department'}, {'start': '182.879', 'end': '187.519', 'text': 'of Human Services mandates background'}, {'start': '184.800', 'end': '190.200', 'text': 'checks from the TBI and requires daycare'}, {'start': '187.519', 'end': '192.640', 'text': 'staff to complete 12 to 18 hours of'}, {'start': '190.200', 'end': '196.080', 'text': 'training. But according to Tennessans'}, {'start': '192.640', 'end': '198.879', 'text': 'for Quality Early Education, TQE, the'}, {'start': '196.080', 'end': '202.400', 'text': "issue isn't just safety, it's also the"}, {'start': '198.879', 'end': '205.720', 'text': 'quality of care. TQE reports childare'}, {'start': '202.400', 'end': '209.120', 'text': 'workers earn an average of'}, {'start': '205.720', 'end': '212.560', 'text': '$23,780 a year, creating one of the most'}, {'start': '209.120', 'end': '214.480', 'text': 'underpaid workforces in the country.'}, {'start': '212.560', 'end': '216.080', 'text': 'Rachel Flynn specializes in early'}, {'start': '214.480', 'end': '218.319', 'text': 'childhood education at Belmont'}, {'start': '216.080', 'end': '220.480', 'text': 'University and emphasizes the'}, {'start': '218.319', 'end': '223.920', 'text': 'significance of those early childhood'}, {'start': '220.480', 'end': '226.000', 'text': 'formative years. It is um really'}, {'start': '223.920', 'end': '228.239', 'text': 'important for them to have opportunities'}, {'start': '226.000', 'end': '229.640', 'text': 'to develop cognitively, physically,'}, {'start': '228.239', 'end': '231.280', 'text': 'socially, emotionally, and'}, {'start': '229.640', 'end': '233.280', 'text': "linguistically. And that's where"}, {'start': '231.280', 'end': '236.720', 'text': 'highquality early childhood care comes'}, {'start': '233.280', 'end': '239.280', 'text': 'into play. The TQE report warns low pay'}, {'start': '236.720', 'end': '241.439', 'text': 'hurts workforce recruitment, causes high'}, {'start': '239.280', 'end': '243.680', 'text': 'turnover, and discourages people from'}, {'start': '241.439', 'end': '245.920', 'text': 'pursuing a career in the industry.'}, {'start': '243.680', 'end': '248.159', 'text': 'Childcare labor shortage is exasperating'}, {'start': '245.920', 'end': '251.120', 'text': 'the problem of simple access to child'}, {'start': '248.159', 'end': '254.720', 'text': 'care while low pay often results in'}, {'start': '251.120', 'end': '257.199', 'text': 'lower quality care. So what more can be'}, {'start': '254.720', 'end': '259.759', 'text': "done? There's been discussions around"}, {'start': '257.199', 'end': '262.560', 'text': 'looking for funding ways to help these'}, {'start': '259.759', 'end': '264.800', 'text': 'educators continue their education um'}, {'start': '262.560', 'end': '266.960', 'text': 'providing affordable um professional'}, {'start': '264.800', 'end': '269.360', 'text': 'development for them. Because at the'}, {'start': '266.960', 'end': '272.320', 'text': 'heart of it all, every parent just wants'}, {'start': '269.360', 'end': '274.560', 'text': 'to know their child is safe, cared for,'}, {'start': '272.320', 'end': '277.440', 'text': 'and seen. Cheater, you cheater. You'}, {'start': '274.560', 'end': '279.040', 'text': 'cheater. While state agencies maintain'}, {'start': '277.440', 'end': '281.199', 'text': 'safety standards for child care'}, {'start': '279.040', 'end': '284.160', 'text': "facilities, families say there's still"}, {'start': '281.199', 'end': '286.560', 'text': 'more to be done to ensure both safety'}, {'start': '284.160', 'end': '288.560', 'text': 'and quality. You can read more on how to'}, {'start': '286.560', 'end': '290.479', 'text': "check a daycare's license status and"}, {'start': '288.560', 'end': '292.880', 'text': 'quality rating on our website at'}, {'start': '290.479', 'end': '294.639', 'text': 'fox7.com.'}, {'start': '292.880', 'end': '298.720', 'text': "Reporting in the studio, I'm Amanda"}, {'start': '294.639', 'end': '298.720', 'text': 'Chin, Fox 17 News, your code red'}]