Bill lowering child care rules passes Kansas Senate

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Child care regulations would be lowered in Kansas under a bill that has won Senate approval and created a debate over how best to address a shortage of day care spots without compromising safety. The 21 to 17 vote Thursday sends the measure, backed by the parents of two young children, to the Kansas House. The bill would roll back some of the changes put in place under a law named after Lexie Engelman, a 13-month-old child who suffered fatal injuries in a Johnson County day care in 2004. It would decrease training and continuing education requirements from teachers and staff in child care facilities while increasing the child to adult maximum ratio requirement for facilities.