Preston Burkhardt plays with blocks at his child-care center in the First Christian Church in downtown Tulsa. Parents have the right to review public inspection reports of providers.
When my sister had a baby three years ago, I insisted she look at the physical inspection reports of all the child-care centers she was considering.
She was busy, didn’t know how and was fine with the online DHS summary and friendly recommendations.
Not enough I said. I offered to do it for her.
Having covered child-care issues for nearly 15 years for this newspaper, I know the the actual public records hold more knowledge.
The online summaries provided by the Oklahoma Department of Human Services give an indication of quality but not give near enough detail to decide where to place a child.
In all the preparation we do to have babies, it is worth the trip to read the public DHS files.
The file includes all recent inspection records and any and all complaints made about a provider with the investigation results.
Investigators write narratives of what they observed, and providers may include additional information about incidents or plans for improvement.
In short, these files contain a wealth of information not found online that needs to be included in your evaluation of a child-care provider. Here’s how to access them:
*If in Tulsa County, call 918-581-2563 to reserve a time to review the reports. If outside the county, call your local DHS office or the Oklahoma City headquarters at 405-521-3561 or 1-800-347-2276 to find your local contact.
*When calling, provide the name and address of the providers you want to review. Give at least 24 hours notice so workers can gather the reports.
*The files are held in three different offices in Tulsa County, so the location where you will review the records will be determined when you call.
*If you have questions, DHS workers are on hand to explain what the reports mean.
*Have a conversation about concerns you find with the provider. Providers deserve a chance to be heard. Maybe they had a rogue staffer who was fired immediately. Maybe the problems fell under previous management. Maybe not. But it’s worth finding out.
*Once you get into care, review the reports annually. Facilities are required to post the reports and investigation results. But it’s hard to take notice with everything else posted and the chaos of dropping off and picking up children.
*The online summaries at
DHS Child Care Locator will give a tally of violations or general results of complaint inspections.
*Not all inspection violations are the same. Infractions found with playground soil impact depth or not having enough vegetables at lunch are not as serious as leaving kids unattended or a child getting access to medication. You can only evaluate this type of detail by reading the file.
*Don’t forget before- and after-school programs require DHS inspections too.
My providers knew what I did for a living and knew I checked their reports regularly. They didn’t mind. Good providers never mind when parents do their due diligence.
Whenever my center had an inspection, they would tell me about it before I read about it. It opened up a conversation about the quality of care they are providing, and it reassured me that my children were getting a good early learning experience.
And about my sister’s decision: I discovered a center she was leaning toward had three substantiated complaints regarding workers hitting children as discipline and using other questionable forms of discipline.
That’s why reading the file is important.
Ginnie's previous blog entries:
Aug. 15: Wake up Sleepy Head!Aug. 1: Time to round up school uniforms, suppliesJuly 28: 50 Shades of TMIJuly 26: Little League PuzzleJuly 18: Pregnancy and drinkingJuly 11: To Pierce or Not to PierceJuly 4: Slow cooker meals for busy momsJune 27: Best places to get haircuts for kids
