Religious daycare administrator asks council to align city life-code ratios with Alabama DHR rules

Bobby Johnson, administrator of Evangel Christian Preschool and a representative for Evangeline Temple, asked the Montgomery City Council to amend the city-adopted National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) life-safety code provisions that, he said, led to more restrictive staff-to-child ratios for religious day cares than those allowed by the Alabama Department of Human Resources (DHR).

Johnson told the council the change adopted by the city created an unfair competitive disadvantage for church-run day cares, saying the revised code reduced permitted child-to-staff ratios and cut revenue roughly 40% under the church program’s model. He asked the council to remove the section of the NFPA language dealing with ratios and replace it with the DHR ratios applicable to state-licensed day-care centers.

A fire-department official told the council that the ratios in the city’s life-code ordinance had not changed since at least February 2012 and that the department would re-inspect and review the matter. The official said staff would follow up and, if needed, return a recommendation to the council for an ordinance change.

Council members asked the fire department and other city staff to coordinate a reinspection and to report back with findings and any proposed changes to the ordinance or enforcement approach. No ordinance change was adopted at the meeting; staff committed to a follow-up inspection and to working with the administration on next steps.