Web site lists day-care violations, not punishments

Robin Farmer of the Richmond Times-Dispatch used the Freedom of Information Act to investigate licensed day-care centers in Virginia. Parents can look-up online if their child's center has violations, but the site does not reveal whether the center has been punished for them. The Times-Dispatch found that "nearly 95 percent of 2,600 centers had at least one violation last year. There are more than 600 standards for centers to meet." The story also includes two sidebars, the first lists the day-care centers appealing their sanctions, and the second lists information that is not available on the state's Web site.