I have a state licensed family childcare center and I am very tired of careless people making a bad name for the rest of us. I follow all the state rules and I'm tired of all these added rules and costs to my small bussiness because of careless group centers and parents. It's very frustrating.

This is the price we pay, since Common Sense passed away a long time ago. More laws, more policies, some of which are needed to save the lives of little ones. The most ridiculous stories are the ones where the parent goes to work and FORGETS that the kid is in the vehicle. A daycare worker who doesn't do a thorough check can at least on some levels resonate as a remote possibility. Lots of these deaths occur when a parent "forgets". In true fashion of legislation, a bill is crafted that misses the chance to enforce the prevention of a very sizeable number of accidents. I say make it automatically a punitive offense to leave any child unattended in a parked vehicle. Currently, it's up to the discretion of a prosecuting attorney to levy charges in such a case. Criminalize the entire act in it's entirety- it's common sense

Heatherpink:
Some larger daycares provide pick up service to bring them to daycare, but if they would take attendance and call the parents when a child isn't there, unless the parents have already called, then most of the accidents would be prevented...including when the parents themselves forget their child in the backseat. That is the policy where I work and has been my practice in all my years of childcare. I have disturbed parents day-off-sleep-ins, because they forget to tell me they were taking the day off.

Where does a daycare provider, that has 6 or more kids absolutly have to drag these children to, that can't wait till after the children leave? I understand there are trips to the zoo or a museum, but its always, a child left in a vehicle at Walmart, or the dry cleaners..ect.

gpawcat: A nanny state! I agree. I don't just think this is another "revenue enhancement scheme", I consider it pandering.
Aren't there already laws against negligently endangering someone?
I'm sure someone will say "if just one life is saved...it's worth it!". That begs the question, where does it end? Shouldn't ALL vehicles have an alarm? I've heard more stories of parents forgetting about their sleeping kids than I have about day care providers doing so.
And aren't day care providers already subject to certain rules and regulations in order to get licenses?
Makes me wonder if some lawmakers' "friends&families" don't just happen to be in the day care vehicle alarm business.

WOW, talk about a nanny state. $1000 fine and a year in jail. Is this another crazy revenue enhancement scheme?

janesvillean - I don't think you need one per seat, just one per vehicle. The driver is supposed to walk to the back of the vehicle to turn it off while checking the seats. They're about $200-$350 each.

The sad thing is that this shouldn't even be needed, if people would THINK.
Guess that's too much to ask.

An alert mechanism for one child seat is about $100-200.

My bet - the cost will be passed onto the PARENTS. For those receiving public assistance programs, the STATE will pay that tab. And unfortunately, this will mean many day cares will discontinue or not even start any trips to avoid this cost all together!

Great idea but I agree who will be required to pay for this? The teachers? The day care?

Not to minimize the seriousness of the situation, but how much is this going to cost the daycares and who will pay for it. There are already safeguards that should be in place that would have prevented these tragedies...in the classrooms. Do they not call the parents when a child is absent? This alone would have alerted the parents and the daycares that the child is missing and was indeed sent to school.