What Am I Missing?

[Crystal]

Call licensing and ask for a book of regulations and rules.
Trust me they didn't give me anything either and after over almost 8 years ofbusiness I learned a lot from this site.

Also if you have a county health nurse she may have info for you as well. She or he will be able to help you on all things related to health and safety.

Unfortunately Ca doesn't provide the book anymore....it's all on-line. At least not in Sac.

[sharlan]

Unfortunately Ca doesn't provide the book anymore....it's all on-line. At least not in Sac.

Everything available is online, even the forms.

Back in the old days, licensing provided you with all the forms that you needed. Now you have to download everything.

[daycare]

Everything available is online, even the forms.

Back in the old days, licensing provided you with all the forms that you needed. Now you have to download everything.

True, but my county health nurse just gave me one about 3 months ago. It was dared 2009...

[mom2many]

Yes, don't ever feel like asking a question is stupid! I get so frustrated trying to stay within regs here in CA and if I didn't care, it would be no biggie...so I can totally imagine how it must feel starting out and trying to make sure you are doing everything right.

After my last visit, I poured over regs for hours trying to ensure I was completely 100% in compliance and was appalled to find so little in writing and available to providers to follow.

[MarinaVanessa]

Everything available is online, even the forms.

Back in the old days, licensing provided you with all the forms that you needed. Now you have to download everything.

Unfortunately even though you can download everything online in CA it isn't exactly spelled out there either... and like it's been mentioned, each county and region and even each licensing worker interprets the regulations however they want.

Someone from licensing that may have had experience with a drowning for example could completely freak out about a small container (tupperware size) left in the yard overnight with a small amount of water in it or cite a provider for a bathroom door left open without a lock on the toilet whereas someone else from licensing wouldn't see either one of these as a problem.

Unfortunately licensing in CA is all over the place. I appreciate what they do and what they are trying to accomplish but I wish they were more unified and more specific. I do understand that they can't be specific however because there's always going to be some dodo bird that will say "Well, it doesn't say that in the policies". I think it's all a matter of common sense.

[familyschoolcare]

I hear some of you from California say things like " it's against California law to have a baby sleep upstairs" or " it's against California law to have a baby sleep in the carseat". I'm at the very end stage if getting licensed and I haven't been given any info like that. Is there somewhere else I'm supposed to be reading to know about all those little specific rules? I just read through the huge manual of policies and procedures and saw no specifics like that. What am I missing?

Everything, everyone has said is good advice.

Just wanted to add that where I leaned about not leaving an infant in a "restraining device" was my health and safety class. The teacher also talked about how to prevent SIDS for 30 mins when she did say that an infant in a child care setting should never be placed to sleep in a room that does not have an adult in it, esp. upstairs.

[Jenniferdawn]

Everything, everyone has said is good advice.

Just wanted to add that where I leaned about not leaving an infant in a "restraining device" was my health and safety class. The teacher also talked about how to prevent SIDS for 30 mins when she did say that an infant in a child care setting should never be placed to sleep in a room that does not have an adult in it, esp. upstairs.

i guess i get the logic behind being in the same room as a sleeping infant, but really, being practical, when you have 8 kids in the house, how in the world can you have a sleeping infant in the main room and expect them to actually sleep with the ruckus of the rest of the house going on around them?

[familyschoolcare]

i guess i get the logic behind being in the same room as a sleeping infant, but really, being practical, when you have 8 kids in the house, how in the world can you have a sleeping infant in the main room and expect them to actually sleep with the ruckus of the rest of the house going on around them?

both of my children always slept in the main part of the house during the day (I even vacuumed right next to them) if it is done starting at an early age it works.

[Cat Herder]

i guess i get the logic behind being in the same room as a sleeping infant, but really, being practical, when you have 8 kids in the house, how in the world can you have a sleeping infant in the main room and expect them to actually sleep with the ruckus of the rest of the house going on around them?

I do it everyday, but it requires routine, routine, routine and consistency. (ages birth through 4)

It took a few years to perfect.

[Crystal]

i guess i get the logic behind being in the same room as a sleeping infant, but really, being practical, when you have 8 kids in the house, how in the world can you have a sleeping infant in the main room and expect them to actually sleep with the ruckus of the rest of the house going on around them?

I do it with 14 kids.....infants do adjust to noise levels, and the others learn to not yell when babies are sleeping

[sharlan]

i guess i get the logic behind being in the same room as a sleeping infant, but really, being practical, when you have 8 kids in the house, how in the world can you have a sleeping infant in the main room and expect them to actually sleep with the ruckus of the rest of the house going on around them?

Routine and consistancy. I've always kept my infants in the family room with the rest of us. I've always had a great fear of SIDS. I keep a small crib or pack and play in the corner, totally off limits to all little ones.

[mom2many]

Routine and consistancy. I've always kept my infants in the family room with the rest of us. I've always had a great fear of SIDS. I keep a small crib or pack and play in the corner, totally off limits to all little ones.

Yes, this is what I have always done too! They sleep through all of the chaos and playing in the same room or adjacent room. I always want to keep an eye on them!

[Crystal]

Re. California Licensing Regs....I want to say that just because something is not listed in the regs doesn't mean that we should allow a lapse in judgement that could potentially cause harm to a child. Some very common sense things are not listed in the regs.....California has VERY minimal licensing standards, and due to that there are a significant number of injuries and deaths each year in licensed facilities. I have always thought their standards were to simple and that basically anyone can become a licensed provider.....there are more exceptions for people with criminal backgrounds than one would ever imagine.....pages and pages in the regs on criminal activity that allows for exceptions, yet no spelling out of the most basic health and safety related care of children.

I think it is highly neccessary for providers to educate themselves and not rely on the fact that they recieved a license based on minimal standards to allow them to do things they should not do. I think providers MUST go above and beyond what is required by licensing to provide SAFE, HEALTHY, NURTURING care and environments.

[sharlan]

Re. California Licensing Regs....I want to say that just because something is not listed in the regs doesn't mean that we should allow a lapse in judgement that could potentially cause harm to a child. Some very common sense things are not listed in the regs.....California has VERY minimal licensing standards, and due to that there are a significant number of injuries and deaths each year in licensed facilities. I have always thought their standards were to simple and that basically anyone can become a licensed provider.....there are more exceptions for people with criminal backgrounds than one would ever imagine.....pages and pages in the regs on criminal activity that allows for exceptions, yet no spelling out of the most basic health and safety related care of children.

I think it is highly neccessary for providers to educate themselves and not rely on the fact that they recieved a license based on minimal standards to allow them to do things they should not do. I think providers MUST go above and beyond what is required by licensing to provide SAFE, HEALTHY, NURTURING care and environments.

That blew me away the first time I read the regs. As you say pages and pages on exemptions, yet I can't find any info on sleeping regs - do kids need sleeping cots or can they just sleep on the sofa as I've always let them - at what age can I let them play alone in the backyard while I do dishes - at what age can I allow them to ride bikes alone on the sidewalk in the front yard.

[Crystal]

That blew me away the first time I read the regs. As you say pages and pages on exemptions, yet I can't find any info on sleeping regs - do kids need sleeping cots or can they just sleep on the sofa as I've always let them - at what age can I let them play alone in the backyard while I do dishes - at what age can I allow them to ride bikes alone on the sidewalk in the front yard.

Cazy, huh? It is baffling how little they put in print but expect us to know.