NORWICH – The idea of offering enhanced services to better meet customer demands is nothing new; but with state regulations often pulling the strings, it can often be a bitter pill to swallow.

For child care providers, something as simple as assisting a child with their asthma inhaler or making sure they receive prescribed medication on time is considered taboo in the eyes of the state and regulatory officials. Likewise, if a child needs to be administered an emergency allergy medication (like an EpiPen for a bee sting), that too is off limits for child care providers without the proper certifications.

Paula Crawford, Director of the Kids In Direct Supervision (KIDS) program at The Place, said, “It became apparent that we were not able to provide our services to school-aged children who need routine medication. We realized that if we became accredited as a facility to dispense medications to the children that need them, we'd be of better service to the community.”

In keeping with the sprit of taking things one step at a time, Caldwell – along with another Place staffer, Roberta Crawford – have completed the first steps that will eventually enable them to administer medications while supervising The Place's school-aged children.

Rebecca Sands, Executive Director at The Place, commented that as the regulations stand now, the only medical intervention that staff at the nonprofit can take is the application of a topical ointment or a band-aid.