A state lawmaker says more needs to be done to keep drug dealers away from child care centers. State Representative Mark Gundrum (R-New Berlin) wants to require state-and-local inspectors of child care providers to report suspected drug activity. This comes after the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel uncovered more than a dozen child care providers, receiving tax dollars, were linked to drug operations.
Rep. Gundrum (:25)
The state Department of Children and Families recently announced reform measures for the tax-funded Wisconsin Shares program for the working poor, after cases of fraud and sex offenders living at day care centers were brought to light by the press.
Gundrum is pleased at the steps DCF has taken but believes the agency need to be more proactive.
“They have a massive state agency, millions and millions of tax payer dollars are going there; and we need to have a single Journal Sentinel reporter be the person who actually uncovers this and forces the changes to be made,” says the New Berlin Republican.
Gundrum also introduced a bill in October that mandates anyone convicted of felony drug offense, to wait 10 years before being able to participate in Wisconsin Shares or get a child care license.
The legislature in November approved a Democratic measure that reduced the waiting period to five years. Gundrum says he’ll try to make the waiting period longer again.
The Democrats bill, signed by the Governor, also bars anyone convicted of a serious crime such as crimes against children or violent activity, from being involved in the Shares program. The new law also requires child care center inspectors to report suspected fraud in the subsidized program.