With no information online to detail inspections, complaints, or violations, many parents are left out of "the know" when forced to choose a reputable daycare center. Those who want to check up on a particular daycare center must either call the Division of Family Services in Trenton or drive there to peruse reports.

One state legislator is trying to change all that. Assemblywoman Mary Pat Angelini, a Monmouth County legislator, said she is going to introduce legislation in the fall when the assembly reconvenes that would significantly tighten the belt on daycare center oversight. The bill would require thorough mandatory inspections each year while the inspection information would be posted online for easy access for any parent.

"Working parents with young children already have enough on their plates and should not have to worry about whether or not their daycare facilities are being properly managed," said Angelini. "This legislation will help protect children and make parents feel more confident when bringing their children to child care centers."

According to the New Jersey Department of Children and Families (DCF), of the daycare facilities in the South Bergenite coverage area, 10 have been cited within the past five years for a total of 58 violations. The largest quantity of violations derived from Hilltop Daycare in Lyndhurst and The Meadows School in Rutherford with 14 and 15 respectively. In order for the South Bergenite to obtain further information on the inspection records of just those two daycare centers with the highest violation rates, a specific request had to be made to the state, a route many parents are not familiar with. Violations for the other eight daycare centers were not readily available to the South Bergenite.

Although the violations at both daycare centers have been sufficiently abated upon DCF inspections, parents would have had to reach out to the state to know that in Hilltop’s instance, it had minor violations like stained ceiling tiles but was also cited for several more serious violations. Those included were not having a designated person in charge in the absence of the director, not maintaining medical records for children and on sanitation, making sure hands were washed after diaper changes and using the bathroom. At Meadows School, violations prior to being abated ranged from neglecting to document criminal history and child abuse background checks to the staff not being actively engaged with the children.

DCF spokesman Andy Williams said although inspections are only mandated every three years, the agency can inspect anytime in between. If not an imminent hazard, the response time can be up to seven to 10 days for an inspector to come out.

"We can inspect at any time during that period," said Williams. "Any complaints received by the Office of Licensing are investigated; if any violations are cited during a complaint investigation or a licensing renewal inspection, inspectors would continue to visit the center until all violations are abated."

For parents, choosing a center can be a daunting task when trying to find a reputable daycare facility that also fits their budget.

"I think it’s important to both visit and hear from other parents what they think, but there should be more done to ensure they are keeping up with their license requirements. There should be an outlet for us to see that that’s really the case," said Patty Limento of North Arlington who will soon put her two-month-old daughter Alicia into daycare when she returns to work from maternity leave. "It would be nice to know they’re providing the programs that they should, the place is always clean, and the staff is certified as it should be."

Angelini’s proposed initiative comes on the heels of a recent study by the National Association of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies (NACCRRA). The study ranked the state near the top in laws that govern daycare centers, but near the bottom amongst regulatory oversight of the laws and dissemination of information to the public.

"DCF recently rolled out a new licensing information system, which replaced an IT system that was more than 30 years old," said Williams. "We hope with the aid of this new system we will be able to work on posting more center-specific information."

Some centers, like the Rainbow Academy at the Meadows Office Complex in Rutherford, have given parents the ability to have more oversight of their children through a series of cameras placed throughout the center that can feed directly to a secure account online, called ParentView. Williams suggests parents visit centers unannounced at different times of the day when shopping around and request the center show them their most recent license inspection records, which should be maintained on file.