Should Day Care Scores be Public?

The state Department of Early Care and Learning (DECAL) uses an internal scoring system to rate day cares to determine if they are compliant with its health and safety rules.

DECAL only started this scoring system in 2007 and revised it three times changing the process in which the scores are given through colors, numbers or letters.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported approxiamately 2,500 Georgia day care programs did not meet the state's standards at least once in the past four years through an investigation of their own. 

Parents aren't able to view the ratings DECAL gives because officials told the AJC they were for internal purposes only and helped DECAL determine which day cares need more attention.

Do you think the DECAL day care scores should be public?

The following Woodstock day cares were Not Compliant for 2011, according to the AJC:

• Terisa R. Hill-Johnson (2010 and 2011)

The inspections include categories in discipline, field trips, hygiene and supervision with a varying degree of violations from a child's death to a child's wellbeing. Points are only taken off for violations, not given for postive impacts.

The AJC reported out of the 220 day cares that received failing scores for at least two years in a row, 200 of them are still open.