Nathan Blecha

Gov. Mike Parson has signed into law restrictions involving how many kids can be watched at in-home day cares. The businesses will be limited to overseeing six kids with no more than three of them under the age of 2. A loophole previously allowed in-home day cares to supervise four kids, but an unlimited number of relatives.

Under House Bill 397, a wide-ranging child protection legislation, violators face a misdemeanor and fines. The provision was championed for ten years by State Sen. Jill Schupp, D-Creve Coeur.

The bill – called “Nathan’s Law” – is named after Nathan Blecha, an eastern Missouri boy who died from suffocation in 2007 at a Jefferson County in-home day care serving 10 children.

The new law takes effect August 28.

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