As a previous child care provider, I am appalled that this suggestion has even been made.  Doing away with annual training for Medication Administration is inviting a serious state-wide decline in Child Care quality.  During my child care employment, I was in a position to administer non-regular medication or first aid more than once a month.  I, personally, felt much more qualified to administer these treatments knowing that I had passed the exam less than two months before.  If it had been three years since I had been exposed to these methods of treatment, I would not have been nearly as comfortable.  Not only does the refresher course provide peace of mind for caregivers and adequate treatment for our children, but it also allows opportunities for providers to become familiar with unfamiliar treatments.  For example, had I not had training in how to use the Epi-Pen, I would certainly not have been comfortable using one.  As often as our doctors are prescribing new treatments or methods of treatments, three years between trainings could be the difference between the life and death of a child, if the provider is unfamiliar and unprepared to administer the child's medication.  If we support this change in an effort to reduce costs for child care providers, we are placing a significantly insignificant price on the wellness of our children.  I, for one, am vehemently opposed to that.

Laura Strube