Kentucky ranks 39th in the U.S. for the state of its child care centers—earning high marks for posting complaint records online but poor marks for not requiring center directors to have bachelor's degrees, says a new report.The report, from Child Care Aware of America, said Kentucky could improve its child care center's regulations by requiring state and federal fingerprints for checking criminal backgrounds and changing its educational requirements for lead teachers.The report also suggests that Kentucky adjust its ratios for staff to children.The report ranks Kentucky's oversight at 21 in the nation and its program standards at 43.The report relates to a long-standing issue in Kentucky child care—state regulations, says Susan Vessels, executive director for the Louisville advocacy organization Community Coordinated Child Care.Kentucky's regulations for child care centers are too myriad and are not created strategically, Vessels argues."It's not child-centered, that's why," she said. "That's the basic bottom line, is that it really has way more to do with paperwork than it does with the work of making sure that a child is in a stimulating environment that's going to help them be school and life ready."The Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services counters that its made changes since Child Care Aware of America began compiling its information—and that steps have already been taken to address the issues raised in the report.A cabinet spokeswoman also noted that the state is making improvements—Kentucky ranked 40th in 2011.The report recommends that Kentucky:
