A proposal to expand a quality measurement system for preschools and day-care centers won't pass the Legislature this year, its sponsor says, so he's going to look for private backing.
Sen. Stan Bastian, R-Eagle, said his bill won't even be introduced. Bastian said Sen. Patti Anne Lodge, the chairwoman of the committee that would have heard the bill, told him that constituents wouldn't want to spend about $5 million to monitor all of the state's preschools and day-care centers. She won't let him introduce the bill in her committee, he said.
"I am a little surprised," said Bastian.
Lodge, R-Huston, did not return calls Friday.
Bastian wants to improve the quality of the child care offered at public, private and church-based preschools and day-care centers by expanding the state's existing IdahoSTARS voluntary child care rating system.
IdahoSTARS serves only 22 centers. Among other things, his measure would have helped child care centers come up with quality improvement plans and used $100,000 for an assessment to show whether improving child care led to measurable improvements in achievement as children entered school.
Bastian's measure was supported by the Idaho Association for the Education of Young Children.
"I would like to see people have the option to be able to choose a higher-quality setting," said Buffy Drewett, who runs the Little School House Christian Preschool in Boise. She wrote a letter asking senators to support Bastian's bill.
But with no support forthcoming, Bastian said Friday he's now planning to bring his ideas before private foundations and business groups that might be able to help him get his program under way.
Full article available at the Idaho Statesman.