Protecting Our Children From Predators

Licensed Home Day Care Centers Should Always Have Video Surveillance

In 2012, there were 67 incidents of child abuse, physcial neglect, and sexual assault at Licensed Home Day Care centers right here in CT.  While you’re at work, are your children safe? Unfortunately, if you live in CT you have no way of knowing for sure. Lax State Child Safety laws, a very weak Department of Public Health, and no requirement for video surveillance at day care centers has left CT children un-protected when dropped off at day care.

However, simple solutions exist so long as the State Legislature can take up a bill proposed in 2013 by CT State Representative, Dan Carter.  The proposed bill, No. 5535, “An Act Concerning Video Surveillance in Day Care Centers” was referred to the Committee on Public Health during the January 2013 General Assembly session but went absolutely nowhere.  

As one Bethel, CT family can attest:  

“Had this law been in place, our children would not have been molested or police and investigators could have determined if our children’s reports of being molested were true or false.”

As a direct result of not having surveillance footage to review following a claim of sexual assault, and regardless of the local police having probable cause and applying for an arrest warrant, Danbury States Attorney, Colleen Zingaro would not sign the arrest warrant since the case lacked solid physical evidence and the probability of conviction was not certain. Had video surveillance been used at the Bethel based home day care center this matter could have been resolved.

Instead, the State Department of Public Health shut down the home day care center after substantiating claims of both physical neglect and sexual abuse. However, since the alleged pedophile was not arrested the Child Care center was allowed to re-open as long as the alleged pedophile did not renew his license and was not at the center during business hours. 

But again, without requiring surveillance, the State has no way of knowing if the order is being adhered to since the person alleged in this incident also lives at the same residence and is married to the owner.

BUYER BEWARE: Do not leave your children at any day care center that does not have continuous surveillance during business operations.

Contact your State Legislators and demand they protect our children from sexual predators by taking up and passing this simple measure that has already been written and proposed.

Locate and contact your legislative representative here: http://www.usa.gov/Contact/Elected.shtml

The videos below led to the arrest, closure and firing of child abusers at day care centers only because they had surveillance to prove what had happened. CT needs to do the same. Now.

Daycare abuse caught on #B2268B

Must Watch Child Abuse a#B226B7

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Child care workers charg#B22847

Child abuse at daycare o#B2278B

Worker Fired After Dayca#B227E1