Drowning and Day-Care Safety

It was with great dismay that I read the account of the drowning of 18-month-old Ariel Nicole Moon at an Orange County day-care center (“Toddler Pulled From Swimming Pool Dies,” May 9). This tragic death might have been prevented had the director of the center been properly trained in cardiopulmonary resuscitation and first aid.

California, with more than 600,000 children in licensed day-care centers, does not require the employees or the directors of day-care facilities to have training in first aid, cardiopulmonary resuscitation or preventive health practices.

The drowning of Ariel Moon illustrates the urgent need to enact my Assembly Bill 962. This legislation would require that at least one staff member trained in pediatric first aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation be available at all times when children are present at a day-care facility. This requirement would be a condition of licensing or relicensing for all licensed child day-care facilities and family day-care home providers.

Training would include at least four hours of pediatric cardiopulmonary resuscitation, eight hours of pediatric first aid and three hours in one or more of the following: control of infectious diseases, childhood injury prevention, sanitary food-handling, nutrition and emergency preparedness and evacuation.

This measure is a sensible and reasonable approach to protect the safety and health of our children in day care.

DIERDRE ALPERT, Assemblywoman, 75th District, Del Mar