She’s been called a crook. A con artist. A snake in the grass. But in Alabama, the only thing that really matters to state regulators is that the day care operator calls herself a Christian.
The God Loophole
How religious freedom for day cares can come at a high price for children
From ‘hot hand’ to ‘banana pinch,’ church day cares are hurting kids
Four states have carved out exceptions for religious day cares. Here are some of the ways we found children were punished.
Whipped, hit and locked in closets: Life inside some religious day cares
Physically punishing children is outlawed in almost all day cares in America. But four states offer an exception for religious providers, and Reveal found that hundreds of those day cares exploited the rules.
Religious day cares get freedom from oversight, with tragic results
Thousands of religious day cares across America legally are allowed to run their facilities with little government oversight. But freedom from regulation can come at a high price for children. And when things go wrong, parents have little recourse.
The religious freedom loophole
In this episode of Reveal, we explore the tricky territory of religious freedom and how different groups have exploited this loophole across the U.S.
These 6 states have little to no regulation for religious day cares
Most day care facilities are regulated by state agencies. But some states exempt religious day cares from the rules.