Readers of both the print and online editions of The Telegraph no doubt have seen our promotions the past few days for our upcoming four-day series on child care centers in Greater Nashua.

The series, which kicks off Sunday and will run through Wednesday, is based on an examination of hundreds of inspection records compiled by the New Hampshire Bureau of Child Care Licensing on 188 child care centers in Greater Nashua.

Arguably the most ambitious part of this project -- and what we believe will be the most useful to our readers -- is an extensive online database of local child care centers with links to the actual inspection reports: the documents that contain the details of all violations as identified by state inspectors.

Specifically, the database contains the name, address, capacity, license number and a Google map of each licensed child care center in the region. Once you select a particular center, a summary page lists the date and description of each violation, as well as the date a corrective action plan was approved. One more click will bring you to a PDF file of the child care center's license and the actual reports compiled by state inspectors.

How did we do it?

First, we requested and obtained paper copies of the actual inspection reports on the 188 licensed child care centers in Greater Nashua from the state Bureau of Child Care Licensing. We then scanned them into our computer system, converted them into readable PDF files and then worked with our management information services team to make them available to you on our Web site.

Why did we do it?

Because public service is at the heart of all good community journalism -- and what could be more of a public service than helping area parents make an informed decision on where to place their children.

As you can imagine, this was an incredibly labor-intensive project that was months in the making. It actually grew out of an encounter Telegraph reporters had with state officials earlier this year while reporting on allegations of sexual abuse at a child care center in Nashua.

Even though state officials had told us -- and we had reported -- that anyone could view the files of any child care center at the Bureau of Child Care Licensing, we were rebuffed when we put in a request for copies of all the files that related to child care centers in Greater Nashua.

Those reports led to Gov. John Lynch ultimately directing the bureau to make brief summaries of all state inspection reports available online within 30 days on a special state Web site. Copies of the actual reports can be requested from the state by filling out a form on the site.

As for our four-day series, here is a thumbnail sketch by day:

Sunday: How Greater Nashua child care centers fared in our extensive review of state inspection records.

Monday: A day in the life of a state inspector based on a visit to a child care center in Nashua.

Tuesday: An examination of the cost of child care.

Wednesday: Some expert advice on how to choose a child care center that's right for you.

So please take some time this week to read the series and check out our online database of state inspection reports. As always, we would welcome your comments, letters to the editor, or participation in our online forums. Or you can respond to me directly by commenting on this blog or by e-mailing me at npappas@nashuatelegraph.com.