House approves bill after baby-sitting flap

LANSING, Oct. 28, 2009 (AP): The Michigan House has voted unanimously to exempt baby-sitting from day care regulations after the state ordered a woman to stop watching her friend's children before school.

The legislation approved 107-0 Wednesday next goes to the Senate.

In August, the Michigan Department of Human Services sent a letter to Lisa Snyder of Barry County's Irving Township, which is 25 miles south of Grand Rapids.

It warned her that if she continued watching three children for about an hour each day before they got on their school bus, she'd be violating a law aimed at the operators of unlicensed day care centers.

Gov. Jennifer Granholm has instructed the department to work with lawmakers to change the law so people providing free baby-sitting service won't need day care licenses.