San Antonio, TX

Neighborhood nannies care for your children at an affordable rate, but are those providers registered with the state?

By Texas law, anyone who cares for more than four unrelated children, for an extended amount of time, must list their services and comply with state standards.

Little lives entrusted to strangers … homes that house the health and safety of your child. Yet, among the credible child care providers, illegal operations exist.

“We have had some cases where children have been seriously injured and even died in unregulated care,” said Yvette Gutierrez, an investigator with the San Antonio Department of Child Care Licensing.

Neighborhood nannies who open their doors without the state’s knowledge aren’t subjected to strict standards, and many times lacking the training, knowledge and regulation necessary to ensure a child’s well-being.

“The oversight is not there. They’re not being monitored in any manner. There’s no checks and balances. They’re not properly trained to care for children,” Gutierrez said.

The statistics are staggering — as is the caseload for Child Care Licensing investigators. Each is responsible for 120 facilities within South Texas.

“Children in unregulated care are 16 times more likely to be seriously injured or even die in unregulated care than in regulated care,” Gutierrez said. “We can’t be everywhere at all times.”

Often times, that means investigators miss those that operate under the radar, like one Marion woman. Her name was found her name on Craig’s List, and found she’s operating illegally.

She’s not the only one.

According to Child Care Licensing, 74 home day cares have been busted for operating illegally. Of those, only 15 have obtained licenses from the state.

The other 59 have either closed their doors, or are currently seeking a license. Meanwhile, they are frequently inspected by the department to ensure compliance.

“There are legal avenues that we can take, such as an injunction, to legally stop someone from operating. We will not hesitate to do so, especially if we feel the children are at risk,” Gutierrez said.

A strong position taken by the state, which wants to watch over those who watch over your child.

“These types of homes have to be reported, in order for us to ensure it is a safe environment for children,” Gutierrez said. “If it’s not, then we need to ensure they cease operating.”

To find out if you child care provider is operating legally, visit the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services.