Memphis, Tenn.: It Took Three Dead Babies

Then tales of financial abuse began to roll in. A state audit found a clerk in the department of children's services had been taking kickbacks to allow ineligible kids into a state-financed day-care program for abused and neglected children. Other audits found four centers that had misused thousands of dollars in state funds and another that had received federal dollars for 8,184 breakfasts and 5,208 snacks that children never received. (One center is appealing its audit.) Investigations by the Memphis Commercial Appeal found still other day-care centers paying their executives six figures while paying their experienced teachers only $6.50 an hour. "The mind-set is that this is money up for grabs," says Dennis Dycus, the state official who oversaw most of the audits. "The systems are set up in such a manner that they promote people to steal--they beg people to steal."

Last month, three years after the death of Destiny Williams, the pressure for change at last overwhelmed the religious, financial and political opposition. The sweeping reforms, which received even Senator Ford's support, include more mandatory training for day-care workers and random audits for centers that take in more than $250,000 in subsidies. Perhaps most important, the state will now provide day-care center report cards, giving parents the tools for deciding the best place for their kids. Chumney, happy with her victory, is nevertheless cautious about the future. "I'm trying not to overplay it," she says. "Change takes time."