Most of you in the Capital District have probably already seen this story:
https://www.timesunion.com/news/article/harriman-campus-wee-care-day-care-probed-baby-18673506.php
I really have very little to say about the specifics (partially because there’s relatively little information). But this is simply horrific, in any number of different ways.
How was this allowed to happen? The really horrifying question is, how many other childcare facilities like this operate in our state right now?
Who will suffer the consequences for this, beyond that innocent child and its parents? I sincerely hope that some executive or shareholder will, but I’m not optimistic. I also sincerely hope that it’s not some overworked, underpaid woman who simply had the bad luck of needing a job and finding one particular want-ad. Given the current DA’s habit of avoiding prosecuting anyone with an iota of power, I doubt the justice system will do much here, regardless of the facts.
Why on earth is the child-care center on the state office campus run by a private entity? It’s likely it’s a holdover from decades of neo-liberal leadership (pre-dating my time as a New York voter). When I was a state employee just under fifteen years ago, I don’t think the childcare center was run by the state then either. But this isn’t something that should be farmed out to the lowest bidder. The state should be providing robust, safe, and fully-funded childcare for its employees.
On a related note, the state seems to be having real problems finding enough civil servants. Given that they doubled-down on an almost draconian return-to-office policy and then allow services like this to provide support for their employees, it’s no wonder.