What Would You Do?

[MamaBear]

I got an email from a lady looking for childcare for her 6 month old boy. She tells me that he is preemie and goes to a specialist 2 days a week for his developmental delays. She says he is is in daycare now. I respond with questions about how is doing in his current daycare and why she wants to switch daycares. I have had bad luck in the past taking children that parents pulled from other daycares... because most of the time they got terminated but lie and say they just didn't like it.

Anyway... she responds with that it "wasn't actually a daycare", but her friend that would watch her baby. She said that he would cry all day there and she couldn't figure out why until she realized her friend does homework all day and would never hold the baby so thats why he'd cry. So she pulled him out of her care last week & terminated immediately. If she was just a friend watching her son, it sounds weird to say she "terminated care" from her. But ok...

I am very leary about how I choose in the daycare due to having so many bad experiences in the past. I also have a great group of children right now and am so scared to mess up the mix. When I read her email, I see red flags.

I see he is a preemie and has developmental delays... but I'm not sure exactly what that means... I see that he cries a lot - so much that either she pulled him out of her friends care OR it was actually a daycare and they terminated him because he cried all day. I was thinking of touring her tomorrow just to see what the baby is like.

I've never had a preemie in my daycare... he's 6 months old now but not really sure what to expect? What do you guys think? Are my red flags right in your opinion?

[bunnyslippers]

I think you should go with your gut instinct. If you feel like something is probably off, then it probably is. Babies are a LOT of work, and if you have a good thing going, I would steer clear of this one. Developmental delays in preemies can run anywhere from mild to severe. Good luck!

[MrsB]

contract

Do you have a "trial" period in your contract? Mine is 2 weeks. Anytime in the 2 week trial period you can say yay or nay if it is going to work.

[MamaBear]

Yeah I have a 2 week trial period... But sometimes I just don't want to even try it because of the red flags. He has 3 months premature... so its kinda like he's a 3 month old right vs a 6 month old, right? Is it rude to ask her what his delays are exactly?

[MissAnn]

I got an email from a lady looking for childcare for her 6 month old boy. She tells me that he is preemie and goes to a specialist 2 days a week for his developmental delays. She says he is is in daycare now. I respond with questions about how is doing in his current daycare and why she wants to switch daycares. I have had bad luck in the past taking children that parents pulled from other daycares... because most of the time they got terminated but lie and say they just didn't like it.

Anyway... she responds with that it "wasn't actually a daycare", but her friend that would watch her baby. She said that he would cry all day there and she couldn't figure out why until she realized her friend does homework all day and would never hold the baby so thats why he'd cry. So she pulled him out of her care last week & terminated immediately. If she was just a friend watching her son, it sounds weird to say she "terminated care" from her. But ok...

I am very leary about how I choose in the daycare due to having so many bad experiences in the past. I also have a great group of children right now and am so scared to mess up the mix. When I read her email, I see red flags.

I see he is a preemie and has developmental delays... but I'm not sure exactly what that means... I see that he cries a lot - so much that either she pulled him out of her friends care OR it was actually a daycare and they terminated him because he cried all day. I was thinking of touring her tomorrow just to see what the baby is like.

I've never had a preemie in my daycare... he's 6 months old now but not really sure what to expect? What do you guys think? Are my red flags right in your opinion?

I would at least ask for references from previous care....so that would be her friend. I once asked for references and the lady refused to give them....so I told her that I would not enroll her child without it....and she never called back although she was very interested. Red flags are important to pay attention to!

[MamaBear]

I would at least ask for references from previous care....so that would be her friend. I once asked for references and the lady refused to give them....so I told her that I would not enroll her child without it....and she never called back although she was very interested. Red flags are important to pay attention to!

Ahhh great idea MissAnn Thank youuu.

[small_steps]

I do not think it's rude to ask what his delays are. He may require special care because of it and in that case you definately need to know. You will be required to care for him for most of his waking hours so I would think you have the right to ask anything you want.

[countrymom]

sounds like he would be alot of work. how did the mom know that the friend was doing homework all day, that seems weird, was she spying on her.

[Meeko]

Reading between the lines....sounds like Mom wants someone to hold the baby all day.

[MamaBear]

Well I had the tour scheduled this afternoon and she just emailed me to cancel! Too funny. I was dreading it anyway so now I'm relieved. I had emailed her yesterday just asking questions about what his schedule is like thru the day, in what ways is he developmentally delayed (since she told me he is - I want to know what exact ways) and if she realized that I am pretty far from her area. She basically lives an hour from me! So she'd be driving an hour south to my house then 30 minutes back north in the other direction to go to work! I wasn't sure if she realized that. She only responded that she didn't mind the drive?!? Okaaaaay. But she didn't answer any of my other specific questions about him.

Anyway - I got a really short email just now saying "thanks for scheduling the tour for us. But I decided to look at other daycares". She must not have wanted to tell me more about her son. So she's hiding something which is silly because I'd find out if he came here anyway.

So I'm relieved. I cleaned for the tour so at least my house is now super spic and span