St. Louis-based Child Day Care Association has awarded its annual Children’s Champion Award to Shelley and Steve Blecha and Missouri State Rep. Rachel Storch, D-St. Louis.

The organization, which provides parents with quality child care referrals, honored the three at their annual awards breakfast Thursday for their efforts to improve child care safety standards in Missouri.

The Blecha’s infant son, Nathan, died of accidental suffocation about two years ago at an unlicensed Jefferson County in-home day care after he was placed on his stomach in a portable crib for a nap. He was discovered unconscious about three hours later.

Afterwards the Blechas learned the caregiver had significantly exceeded state enrollment standards and was violating other safety requirements. But under existing state law, the provider was subject to a mere $200 fine for operating without a proper license. It was a misdemeanor so inconsequential, Jefferson County prosecutors declined to pursue it.

The Blecha’s experience prompted Storch to draft Nathan’s Law which, among other things, proposed greater fines and the end of a state loophole that allows licensed caregivers to watch over an unlimited number of related children. The loophole essentially allows caregivers to exceed existing child to adult worker ratios mandated under state law.

Though Storch’s bill made it out of committee, it failed to reach the House floor this year. She plans to pre-file it for the 2010 legislative session.

Andi Schleicher, Child Day Care Association executive director, said the Blechas are an inspiration.

“We actually feel honored that they accepted that award from us,” she said. “It’s such an inspiration that they have taken their tragedy and used that to make sure no other family suffers that kind of loss.”