EXCERPT FROM: KCTV 5 News
By KCTV STAFF
FAIRWAY, Kan. -- Lexie's Law passed in the early morning hours on Tuesday in the Kansas Legislature.
By nightfall, two tired mothers couldn't be happier.
"We started out this for Ava and Lexie, but it became much more than that," said Alecia Patrick, Ava's mother. "It became trying to protect other children in day cares."
Kim Engelman and Patrick share a heartbreaking bond. They might never have known each other if not for two tragedies that brought them together.
Engelman's 13-month-old daughter, Lexie, died in 2004 at her Mission day care after no one saw her get stuck between a playpen and a stairwell. Patrick's 18-month-old daughter, Ava, died last year at her Olathe day care after getting trapped in the slats of an indoor fence.
The stories served as heartbreaking reminders to daycare providers everywhere that small children can't ever be left unattended. The families took their effort a step further, getting Lexie's Law passed creating an extra level of protection for children in Kansas.
"There are 2,600 providers in Kansas that are home day cares," said Engelman. "Those homes are currently not inspected. But they will be starting July 1."