Daycare amendment would exempt baby-sitting

Catherine Jun / The Detroit News

Lansing -- An amendment could go into effect this week that will exempt baby-sitting from the state's daycare laws, a change that several parents in Irving Township are applauding.

"It was dumb," said Lisa Snyder, a mother who challenged the law after she received a letter in the fall saying she may be running an illegal daycare by watching her neighbors' children in the morning. The amendment, approved by legislators within a month of its introduction, showed her "how ridiculous the law was," Snyder added.

Gov. Jennifer Granholm is expected to sign the bill this week.

In September, the governor directed the Department of Human Services to work with legislators to amend the law after she heard Snyder received a warning letter from the agency urging her to cease her babysitting activities. Snyder defended herself, saying she was assisting three mothers in the neighborhood by watching their children, ages 5 and 7, for free before they boarded the school bus outside her door.

The amendment won unanimous votes in both the House and Senate.

"It's an issue that anybody can relate to," said Rep. Brian Calley (R-Portland), the bill's sponsor and a father of two. Calley said he, too, watches his friends' children, and vice-versa, which under the current law could be viewed as illegal.

The amendment will exempt uncompensated childcare and babysitting from licensing requirements. Babysitting is defined as caring for another's child for less than $600 a year.

Human Services agreed that once the law is enacted, it will revise the warning letters sent to future suspected violators, softening the language by eliminating any mention of penalties.

"DHS supports this new legislation," said Colleen Steinman, spokeswoman for the state agency. "We were able to work closely with the legislature to come up with something that was in the best interest of children in care."

The state received 300 complaints of unlicensed care last year, said Jim Gale, director of the bureau of children and adult licensing. All incidents were resolved without resorting to prosecution, he said. When the agency suspects children are in danger, investigators conduct onsite inspections, he added.

Mindy Rose is a single mother and registered nurse. Though state investigators questioned her in the fall, she didn't stop driving her five-year-old son, J.C., to Snyder's house on her way to work. She was confident the law would be amended.

"It was a lot of time spent and a lot of stress that we went through, but I'm glad I can explain to my children: This is the way communities should work and help each other out," Rose said.

cjun@detnews.com (313) 222-2019