Daycare safety bill headed to governor

Daycare safety bill headed to governor

By George Howell

A bill named the 'Jaclyn Frank Act', which seeks to ban cords from all state-licensed daycare facilities, has passed through both the House and the Senate. It now heads to the governor for review.

The bill is named for little Jaclyn, who died at a home daycare on Dec. 1st, 2005 when she was strangled by cords from window blinds.

"I can't tell you how good it felt, just for the moment... when I found out the bill passed," said Jaclyn's father, Larry Frank.

Jaclyn's parents have made it their mission to make sure no other child dies the way their Jaclyn was killed.

"When something like this happens to you, it's like there's nothing you can do to bring her back. No matter what you do, she's gone," Larry Frank said. "The only hope for us is that we'll get to see her again, but through this process, we've got to do something."

The cords to window blinds aren't even a source of concern for most parents, but government statistics show they kill at least one child every two weeks.

"If we can make this not only known in daycares, but in every home throughout the U.S., then Larry and I are doing our job," said Jaclyn's mother, Michele Frank. "Now we're looking at the next step - how do we get this passed in other states."

The Franks have set up the Jaclyn Frank Organization, which informs parents about potential hazards to children.

"They don't think about this. This empowers them to think about it," Larry Frank said. "And what better way to get rid of the dangers than to put it out in the open and say, 'here it is.'"

The governor has until May 15th to sign the bill. If she chooses to sign, the bill would become law within 90 days of her signing.
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