Alabama is one of seven states that allows religious child care centers to operate without license. A bill that would have ended the religious exemption for such facilities failed to pass the legislature. That means close to half of child care centers in Alabama remain uninspected by state officials for basic health and safety standards.
If you are a parent looking for childcare, we talked to Jeanetta Green, Director of the Child Care Services Division with Alabama’s Department of Human Resources (DHR). Green said the number one thing parents should do is visit a potential child care center by appointment and unannounced.