BRUNSWICK, Ga. – A Georgia lawmaker is pushing for new safety requirements at childcare facilities following the death of a 16-month-old child last May.
The child, Jamal Bryant Jr., choked on a watermelon seed given to him by staff at a now-closed daycare in Brunswick named “The Kids Nest Learning Center.”
RELATED: Brunswick child care facility shut down after 16-month-old dies from choking
Georgia State Representative Rick Townsend says if the bill proposal becomes law it would require all childcare facilities in the state to have portable airway clearance devices.
When used, the device is placed over someone’s mouth and then pushed down to allow suction to remove or loosen objects stuck in the airways.
Townsend says the reason he proposed the bill is because of what Bryant Jr‘s family went through.
“When you see a young boy like that tragically die it tears you up,” he said.
The lawmaker added that if the airway clearance device was available at the daycare, Bryant Jr.‘s life could’ve been saved.
The bill also seeks to ensure that all employees at centers or homes that look after children are CPR-certified within 45 days of employment.
When News4JAX obtained records from the Georgia Department of Early Care last year following Bryant Jr’s death, it showed that some employees at the daycare did not complete the training within 90 days of starting work.
Townsend said the vulnerability of children increases the importance of dealing with this issue.
“The kids going there, many of them are young like Jamal,” he said. “He was barely walking and talking at the time if you think about it…They’re the most vulnerable, they’re the ones who [have difficulty] asking for help."
Another safety measure Townsend wants to add to childcare centers is making sure they have minimum liability insurance, saying a bill proposal on that should be submitted to the State House in the coming weeks.
He also said the bill proposal for the clearance device and CPR requirement will go through its first read on Monday in the Georgia House.
News4JAX reached out to Bryant Jr.’s parents for comment on this story. They said they’d contact us later in the week.