Kennedy. Contributed photo.
State Rep. Kathy Kennedy (R-119) submitted testimony March 9 opposing legislation which she said would severely hurt the Boys & Girls Club of Milford and other Boys & Girls Clubs across the state by requiring the clubs to either reconfigure their after-school programming style in order to fit into an alternate exemption or become licensed as child care centers.
The legislation, An Act Eliminating the Licensure Exemption for Certain Organizations Providing Child Care Services, received a public hearing in the Education Committee on March 6.
“This bill could result in the club serving significantly less children, there could be added costs to the working parents and ultimately the club could be forced to close its doors,” Kennedy said. “Why would we change a successful working model and potentially negatively impact working parents in the greater Milford region and more importantly leave our most vulnerable children without a safe place to go after school?”
“I will always support measures increasing safety but we must remember that clubs like the Milford Boys & Girls Club are not daycares and only provide services to school-aged children. Let’s not destroy a value asset to the community,” said Rep. Kennedy.
Milford Boys & Girls Club Executive Director Megan Altomare said, “The Boys & Girls Clubs support legislation that keeps kids safe – plain and simple. As a youth development after‐school program serving as an expansion of the school day, programs at local clubs are designed to help youth succeed academically, make healthy choices, and become college and career ready. It is important to understand that Boys & Girls Club programs serve older children and teens, who do not align to many of the current licensing requirements such as diaper changing tables, nap cots and multiple caregivers, which is what daycare centers looking after infants would require.”
Altomare added, “In many cases, our clubs exceed state safety requirements. For example, Connecticut requires background checks at least every five years when we require them annually.”
The Milford Boys & Girls Club provides academic enrichment and recreational activities to help young people ages 5 to 18 improve their lives by building self-esteem and developing values and skills during critical periods of growth. The program is available during those critical times of the day when youth might be home alone, otherwise unsupervised with the possibility of being exposed to at risk behaviors.
As a member of the Education Committee, Kennedy plans to vote against any type legislation that would hurt the Boys & Girls Club if the bill proceeds to a vote in committee.