APRIL 12, 2002 - Tune in on Saturday morning from 8-9 a.m. to “Consumer Insider” on the Michigan Talk Radio Network for the first show in a two-part series on choosing a licensed child care in Michigan. More than 350,000 children are in licensed child care in the State of Michigan.

The show is in recognition of this week’s designation as the Week of the Young Child, which highlights the importance of families, early childhood professionals, and communities working together to support every child's healthy development and early learning.

This week’s guests will be:

·        Jim Sinnamon, Director of Child Day Care Licensing  Division, Michigan Department of Consumer & Industry Services’ Bureau of Regulatory Services.

·        Rick Curtis, Kids’ House Christian Day Care, located in Midland. Kids’ House is a 2000 Governor’s Quality Care Award recipient.

·        Cheryl Beery, Creative Child Care, located in Traverse City. Creative Child Care is a 2001 Governor’s Quality Care Award recipient.

“Consumer Insider” is a weekly live talk radio program about CIS & State of Michigan resources in an effort to educate consumers about state government services. The show is hosted by CIS Director Kathleen M. Wilbur.

Consumer Insider is aired live from 8-9 a.m. on Saturdays on the Michigan Talk Radio Network and simulcast on www.mlive.com. It is rebroadcast on Sunday from 3-4 p.m. and archived on www.mlive.com. Affiliates in the Michigan Talk Radio Network currently broadcasting the radio show include: WABJ-Adrian (1490 AM), WKMI-Kalamazoo (1360 AM), WSJM-Benton Harbor (1400 AM), WMFN-Grand Rapids (640 AM), WMMI-Mt. Pleasant (830 AM), WLDR-Traverse City (1210 AM), WJML-Petoskey (1110 AM), WNBY-Newberry (1450 AM), WMIQ- Iron Mountain (1450 AM) and WHAK-Alpena (960 AM).

 “Our department has oversight of more than 21,000 licensed child care homes and centers in the state so we can help address the questions every parent faces in choosing care. This week we’re focusing on child day care homes and what to look for in a provider to ensure that your child is receiving care that provides the necessary ingredients so he or she can grow intellectually, physically, socially and emotionally,” Wilbur said. “Next week we’ll turn the discussion to child care centers and before & after school programs, which have different regulations to follow since they are in facilities other than a home setting and often involve a greater number of children.”

Wilbur has been director of CIS since it was created in 1996 when the licensing and regulatory functions in the former Departments of Commerce and Labor were merged together with agencies from five other departments. Some of the agencies within CIS include: the Liquor Control Commission, Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Michigan State Housing Development Authority, and the Office of Financial and Insurance Services.

Read more Michigan Department of Consumer & Industry Services press releases.