Article Link: http://exchangepress.com/article/bringing-childrens-stories-to-capitol-hill/5023530/
Elly Lafkin was a new mother returning to work after just 12 short weeks following the birth of her daughter Cami, when her husband received a call from their licensed child care provider letting them know Cami was in the hospital and unresponsive. Elly and her husband rushed to the emergency room to find that their daughter had died of Sudden Unexpected Infant Death (SUID).
As more details about the case emerged from Child Protective Services and the sheriff, the Lafkins learned that the police had found drugs in places accessible to the children in the child care provider’s home. It was also discovered that the provider had five aliases and prior felony convictions — information that never turned up on the background check when the Lafkins were initially looking for someone to care for Cami. Despite feeling as though their provider had become a part of their family in the time the Lafkins had known her, she was actually a total stranger.
The Lafkins partnered with Child Care Aware® of America (CCAoA) to receive the guidance and support to fight at the federal level and help get the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) Act of 2014 signed into law. CCDBG ...