EXCERPT FROM: Suburban Journals
By Kevin Carbery
Since the death of her 3-month-old son three years ago at an in-home care setting, Shelley Blecha has been campaigning to tighten child care regulations.
The Imperial resident and her husband, Steve, have worked with legislators such as state Rep. Rachel Storch, D-St. Louis, on a bill named after their child called "Nathan's Law." It is intended to strengthen the rules regulating child care providers.
"I feel Nathan's Law could save other children," Blecha said.
Nathan's Law addresses such issues as how many children a caregiver can oversee at time, requires unlicensed facility operators to disclose their status and would allow regulators to immediately shut down an illegal facility.
But she has been discouraged with its progress through the legislature.
"I think, with all the recent budget cuts, things have not improved at all," she said. "We've gotten Nathan's Law introduced in Missouri, but because they were so focused on finances, we didn't even get a hearing."
To further the cause, Blecha, 34, recently participated in the National Association of Child Care Resource & Referral Agencies' (NACCRRA) National Policy Symposium in Washington, D.C. She and her husband are on the NACCRRA National Parent Advisory Council.
Through the symposium, Blecha met another participant from Imperial, Jennifer Wright, who is concerned about affordable childcare.
"When I started looking for childcare for my daughter, most of the facilities cost more per month than our house payment," Wright, 30, said.
And she has not seen any improvement.
"The prices have not gone down," she said. "People must choose between quitting their jobs and using unlicensed day care. We are using a church-based childcare center. They are more reasonably priced."
As Blecha was already involved with NACCRRA, that organization's officials readily invited her to the symposium. Wright's involvement in the symposium came about through her use of the NACCRRA state chapter - Missouri Child Care Resource & Referral Network (MOCCRRN) - to help her locate affordable childcare.
"They ask for your story," Wright said. "MOCCRRN then asked me to be a part of the conference."
At the NACCRRA symposium, Blecha and Wright spoke with Missouri legislators on Capitol Hill to discuss their childcare provider issues. The event drew 500 attendees from around the nation, though only a handful were from Missouri, the women said.
Blecha and Wright are now working together on a MOCCRRN group planning the organization's agenda for the next year.
Storch, who is leaving the state Legislature when her term ends this year, says she believes other Missouri lawmakers will continue to fight for Nathan's Law.
"Generally speaking, Shelley's advocacy has been absolutely critical to the process," she said. "I will make sure someone else files the legislation. The fight has only begun. It's something that will be life saving. We need to make sure that we follow this."