The state's history of inconsistent enforcement of child care regulations - which was exposed by a Columbian investigation of licensed facilities in Clark County - is disappointing but not surprising, Gov. Chris Gregoire said Tuesday.
The Columbian's review of complaints filed since 1995 found that roughly one in 10 Clark County child care facilities have repeatedly violated health and safety regulations with little or no consequence.
The governor said she expects her move last year to consolidate child care programs under one agency will eventually improve oversight. She also said she expects that the new agency she created with the consolidation, the Department of Early Learning, will be able to improve parents' access to facilities' compliance records.
"Our No. 1 customer is the parent," Gregoire said.
Gregoire called The Columbian on Tuesday after reading the newspaper's three-day series of stories on child care. The series not only exposed inconsistent enforcement of child care regulations, but found that gaining access to facilities' violation records was prohibitively difficult.
Before the series was published, the newspaper contacted Gregoire's office three times to ask for an interview about the investigation's findings. Two staffers said the governor - who has said that quality child care is among her top priorities - declined to be interviewed. One staffer issued a written statement on the governor's behalf for the story, but confirmed on Tuesday that Gregoire hadn't seen the statement. In that prepared statement, Gregoire was quoted as saying "we created the Department of Early Learning to serve as an effective resource for parents and teachers, reduce bureaucracy and utilize funds more efficiently."
Gregoire said Tuesday that she was not told about the newspaper's interview requests.
"I don't decline interviews," she said.
The Columbian's investigation found that a bureaucratic culture of mentoring contributed to lax oversight and that providers often effectively fought enforcement action.
Gregoire, who previously served as the state's attorney general, said she's aware that a child care license revocation procedure routinely becomes a "knock-down, drag-out fight." Child care providers and their advocates typically argue that the state is interfering with an individual's right to operate a business.
Gregoire said she believes Jone Bosworth, the director of the Department of Early Learning, will consistently enforce the laws that govern licensed child care facilities.
But she added that sweeping change takes time.
"(Bosworth) can't change that culture overnight," Gregoire said.
There is evidence, however, that enforcement is becoming more rigorous.
Between 2002 and 2006, the state revoked five licenses of Clark County child care providers.
Since The Columbian began final interviews for the series last month, the Department of Early Learning revoked the licenses of four Clark County facilities.
Gregoire also said the agency's Web site will be improved to give parents greater access to information about providers.