1/25/2008 11:12:00 AM Are YOUR kids in harm's way? ‘I don’t want anyone else to go through this’ says mom of baby who was hurt by a minder, amid urgent calls to close loopholes
Convicted: Child minder Betty Jean Steede had a criminal record.
The mother of a baby who was seriously injured at the hands of an illegal child minder has called for urgent action amid fears that up to 1,000 children could be in unregulated care.
Laneh Simmons, 22, has finally witnessed justice for her son, La'Naiye, after Betty Jean Steede was convicted of grievous bodily harm and told she faces a prison sentence.
But only during the trial did Ms Simmons learn that Ms Steede, 50, had no licence to operate, had a criminal background, and had been illegally looking after up to seven children at any one time.
Today Ms Simmons describes in full the terrifying ordeal endured by her and La'Naiye, who was only five months old when he suffered a complicated spiral fracture of his thigh. (See mom's story on page 5).
And Ms Simmons also calls on the Government to implement a proper system of checks on minders to make sure children are safe.
Her call has been echoed by child-welfare experts, who estimate that up to 1,000 Bermudians up to the age of four are being left daily in an unregulated "black market" daycare system.
Ms Simmons told the Bermuda Sun: "Doctors said my son could have died. How many more mothers and children have to go through something like this before we take it seriously?
"I thought my baby was safe. I had no reason not to. This woman seemed professional, she showed me everything [contracts and other forms] I thought she needed. And now when I think of who I was leaving La'Naiye with everyday it makes my stomach turn.
"We need background checks and spot checks because otherwise who knows what kind of people are looking after our children. Imagine if this happened to your child? No one wants to leave their baby with someone they don't know, but we all have to because we all have to work."
Ms Steede, who has two previous convictions, including one of importing heroin, showed Ms Simmons a form saying she was registered with the Department of Health. However, registration is a simple process that requires no background checks and does not presume any specific skills or qualifications.
Sheelagh Cooper, head of the Coalition for the Protection of Children, said that information from the most recent census and her own research suggests up to 1,000 children are being cared for in similarly unregulated environments.
She said: "The problem is huge. We have got to address the conditions that have created this almost black market care system. There is no accountability, it's all going on underneath the radar, and a lot of it is illegal.
"If we want our children protected, we are going to have to be much more vigilant in applying the standards that do exist, and we've got to look at tighter controls."
Mrs. Cooper said that financial pressures often force minders to take on 10 or more children. In turn, parents often turn to overstretched minders because they cannot afford to pay the top rates.
Mrs. Cooper said that babies in overcrowded environments suffer increased physical danger, but they also suffer a lack of attention that can leave them emotionally and educationally inferior by the time they start school.
In its election manifesto, the PLP promised to introduce free daycare for all mothers in need. Although the Government has so far been unable to say how or when the scheme will be implemented, Mrs. Cooper welcomed the idea in principle. "This is a chance for the Government to live up to its promises and address one of the most serious issues facing the country. This should be top of the priority list."
Peter Carey, of the Family Centre charity, also welcomed the idea of free daycare. However, he said that more vital was a proper structure of background checks and training to reassure parents.
Mr. Carey said: "If you just throw money at free daycare, you will get hundreds more minders coming forward, and we won't know if they are capable or not. You have a recipe for a Government-subsidized nightmare.
"There are internationally-recognized standards in caring for children which could be easily adapted in Bermuda. No-one is saying that every sweet old lady who is unlicensed is a danger.
"But we can't just continue to guess who are the sweet old ladies and who are the monsters. Parents need to know as much as possible about where they are leaving their loved ones."
