I don't have a college degree, and I haven't read a bunch of studies on the subject of childcare. I DO have a 3 year old in a caring and nurturing childcare facility. I have seen the way she has blossomed in the 9 months that she has been there. 

My child is adventurous, and she falls.  Often.  I cannot imagine that 9 inches of mulch is going to protect her any more than 6 inches.  Its physics:  She's only 32 pounds, and even if she falls off the slide from four feet then 6 inches of mulch is just fine with me.

Adding 10 square feet to the minimum playing/living space doesn't make sense, either.  One square yard + one square foot will not make my child's quality any better.  It may, however, force our facility to decrease its population. If the school is forced to decrease its population by 30% then logic says our tuition will increase by the same amount.  (By the way, how will they choose who will be asked to leave?)  It is hard enough for a working family to make ends meet.

I truly believe that these proposed changes were made in the best of intentions.  Please make sure that common sense prevails.  Let's make sure that working people have quality childcare and not forced into leaving our kids at Grandma's with no educational curriculum.