Kids Watch Project

Tara Kyser
Email: kyst3@aol.com
P.O. Box 174
Kinston AL 36453
Home: 334-897-2277

Babara Evans
Email: bevans@alabamawatch.org
278 Harriet Tubman Road
Lowndesboro AL 36752
Home: 334-284-0555
Office: 334-324-7222

Kids Watch Project

What is Kids Watch?

Kids Watch is a special project of Alabama Watch. Kids Watch is the result of two terrible tragedies in Alabama. Baby Douglas Hernandez died while in day care after being administered unauthorized non-prescription medicine. Baby Steven Kyser died in a licensed day care home after being placed on his stomach on a soft pillow and being left alone in a room for over an hour. Both children were attending their very first day of day care. Baby Steven?’s mother, Tara Kyser, is the volunteer coordinator for Kids Watch.



Although our first issue is day care, Kids Watch, as it grows will likely address many more safety issues to protect and nurture Alabama?’s most important resource, our children.

The project will involve parents and grand parents in the the legislative and regulatory process when it comes to issues of children?’s safety. Issues that will be addressed are:

Safety of children in child care facilities

Rules and regulations of the Alabama Department of Human Resources

Access of parents to the courts

Legislation affecting children and parents

Kids Watch held its first meeting on February 3, 2006. Child advocates and community activists were invited. We have asked Governor Riley to appoint two parents to the Child Death Review Board to fill vacancies. We have also asked The Department of Human Resources to give us a say in the penalties or deficiency reports for Alabama's daycare centers.

WHAT WE BELIEVE

We believe that the State of Alabama should fund the Department of Human Resources so that they have adequate staff to monitor day care facilities.

We believe that any deaths of any children in day care centers must be fully investigated and that there should be swift action in the case of negligence.

We believe that any deficiency reports on day care facilities must be posted on the front door of that facility to alert parents.

We believe that all day care centers should be licensed by the state.

We believe workers in day care centers should be well compensated for their important work and that Alabama should set licensing standards for day care workers.

We believe that every Alabama child has the right to a safe environment.

We believe that every day care facility, whether a center or a home day care, should have adequate liability insurance.

We believe that Alabama citizens have the right to seek redress of grievances by going to court, and that arbitration should not be allowed in contracts for human services.

We believe that the government has the responsibility to insure that products used by children are safe, and we believe there should be no secret settlements in product liability lawsuits.

We believe that most licensed day care centers are safe and accountable, and we believe most day care workers are dedicated, and we ask that they join in our efforts to weed out the few ?“bad apples?”, and insure that incidents are fully and fairly investigated.