The Monmouth-Ocean Educational Services Commission recently reversed its policy of maintaining a "nondiscriminatory open enrollment policy." Children who have attended the program of after-school care are being asked to leave based on medical diagnoses, disabilities or allergic reactions.
Some of these children have attended these programs for five years, and their medical condition was never a problem before.
The program my child attends is in a public school which receives money from the government, and it is obligated to follow the ADA guidelines. Excluding children goes against this.
The superintendent of the program, Timothy P. Nogueira, must feel his workers are incompetent to care for children.
He stated to me that "they were just a bunch of housewives" and they could not provide the care it states they would in the enrollment packet that is sent to all guardians to fill out before the child can be enrolled.
Its current medical policy states it "will perform immediate first aid for small emergencies. For accidents in need of greater care, the parent will be contacted to give further instructions."
This policy has always been adhered to in the past, and now the superintendent says he can no longer provide this level of care.
When asked to see the new discriminatory policy, it could not be produced.
The workers at my child’s program have been there for an average of two to three years and are very competent caregivers. I feel all children should be allowed to attend programs such as this one regardless of their medical condition or disability. Our children should not be penalized for the ignorance of a few people in management.
Daureen Vales
Oceanport