Finding daycare options for Missouri children with complex medical needs can be tough, but legislation on track to become law this week aims to help with that problem. The bill from State Sen. Rusty Black, R-Chillicothe, would create a prescribed pediatric extended care center license.
“In our state of Missouri, until August 28 this year, a childcare facility could not take care of kids with medical complex issues, need to be on respirators, tube fed, etc. without having an individual nurse for each and every child,” said Black.
These services require continuous care for at least four hours a day.
“It’s going to help the children in the fact those children aren’t going to be only at home, only with their family members with friends around their family,” he said. “It’s going to allow those kids an opportunity to interact with other children their age and I hope make their life better.”
Services that these care centers could provide include skilled nursing, personal care, nutritional and developmental assessment, and speech, physical, and occupational therapy.
Despite the small number of children that this new law will affect, Black said they need the proper support and attention.
“I believe in what the group’s trying to do,” he explained. “You know, there was so many benefits of doing this even though it may only help, you know, might (help) 40 kids at the most in two-or-three years in the state of Missouri. Hopefully it grows past that, but it won’t be that large a number.”
Certain places such as hospitals, sanitariums, homes for medical treatment, as well as programs licensed by the Missouri Department of Health are exempt from the new requirements.
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