Swimming Pool rules

[My4SunshineGirlsNY]

This will be my first summer being registered...I am in NY and we are NOT allowed to have daycare use the swimming pool unless we get a written plan that is approved (which my registrar tells me is VERY difficult to do).

I'm fine with that, I would rather not have all the daycare kids in there...1st for the liability and 2nd for all the extra chemicals I would need to buy and added time to keep it clean.

My kids LOVE to swim, hence the reason we bought a big pool. My mother lives right next door to us, so does anyone know if it's a no no to have my own kids use the pool while my mother watches them in the pool while I do the daycare?

I think I remember asking my registrar this at my inspection and slightly remember her saying she advises against it because it's not fair to the other daycare kids...but just because she advises against it, doesn't mean it's against regulation, right? As long as my mother is keeping an eye on my kids in the pool and my sole attention is on the daycare children, I should be ok, right?

I will call eventually to ask for sure, but just wanted to see others intake on it. Ya, it doesn't seem fair to the other daycare kids, but it is our pool...I guess this could be a debate that goes both ways...I'm sure many will have different opinions on this, I'm just wondering if my thought is within regulation.

[originalkat]

Honestly, I would let my kids go swim if I had my mom there to watch them. It may sound harsh, but that is just one of the disadvantages of the other kids being in daycare. There are rules and regs that have to be followed and sometimes that means they cant participate in certain activities. I look at it the same way as my kids bedrooms. My kids can go play in their own room and have their own toys to play with. The daycare kids arent allowed in there. Sorry. That may be unfair, but this is their house and they should have some private space to go to play if they wish. When a child questions me like "Why does she get to go in there and I dont?" I just say "Because she lives here and that is her room. You have your own room at your house." They seem to think that make since and dont complain after that.

[My4SunshineGirlsNY]

Honestly, I would let my kids go swim if I had my mom there to watch them. It may sound harsh, but that is just one of the disadvantages of the other kids being in daycare. There are rules and regs that have to be followed and sometimes that means they cant participate in certain activities. I look at it the same way as my kids bedrooms. My kids can go play in their own room and have their own toys to play with. The daycare kids arent allowed in there. Sorry. That may be unfair, but this is their house and they should have some private space to go to play if they wish. When a child questions me like "Why does she get to go in there and I dont?" I just say "Because she lives here and that is her room. You have your own room at your house." They seem to think that make since and dont complain after that.

That's how I see it too...not trying to be rude, but we are not talking about a $10 toy here...we chose to have this pool for our family and is very pricey to keep chemicals in it and time consuming to clean...if my kids want to use it, they should be able to, that's why we bought it....I don't feel I should spend the extra money or extra time cleaning it (the more kids in there, the more often you need to vacuume/clean).

I just want to make sure I'm not doing anything illeagal but it doesn't seem it should be if my mother is in charge of my kids in the pool and my responsibility is still soley on the daycare kids.

[misol]

Honestly, I would let my kids go swim if I had my mom there to watch them. It may sound harsh, but that is just one of the disadvantages of the other kids being in daycare. There are rules and regs that have to be followed and sometimes that means they cant participate in certain activities. I look at it the same way as my kids bedrooms. My kids can go play in their own room and have their own toys to play with. The daycare kids arent allowed in there. Sorry. That may be unfair, but this is their house and they should have some private space to go to play if they wish. When a child questions me like "Why does she get to go in there and I dont?" I just say "Because she lives here and that is her room. You have your own room at your house." They seem to think that make since and dont complain after that.

I agree 100%.

[melskids]

i think you also have to test the ph everyday and keep record of that too. swimming to me is too much of a hassle, both in liability and paperwork. we dont have a pool, and i wont take them to the community one either. to me, watching 6 children in water is not my idea of fun!!! way too stressful!

anyway, as far as your mother coming to watch your kids, i agree with you that it should be fine, and a privilige for your kids. however, i can imagine you will have other very unhappy kiddos seeing they can't swim too. i would just be prepared to deal with that, or any parents who may pitch a fit that its unfair, kwim? maybe have a set time for your kids to swim while the others are inside occupied with something else.

[gbcc]

I dont see where that would be illegal but this is NY we are talking about so I would double check. I would maybe just advise that if the older children are present that you keep them inside while your children are swimming. I understand your logic, as a daycare provider I feel the same way. However, thinking as a parent on 80-90 degree days I would not appreciate my child watching your child swim. A parent may also think that thier own room and the pool are different in the fact that a room is thier personal private space where as the pool is in the shared daycare/personal space (the yard) so it's not fair resoning.

[Childminder]

My back yard is not part of the area licensed for child care. That being said if I want to allow my children to swim I can. If I want daycare to swim it has to be with a parent signed permission slip and we have to have one to one adult supervision re; state of MI license. Check your state licensing rules, I'm sure it's spelled out for you.
R 400.1921 Water hazards and water activities.
Rule 21. (1) The caregiver shall ensure that barriers exist to prevent children from gaining access to any swimming pool, drainage ditch, well, natural or constructed pond or other body of open water located on or adjacent to the property where the child care home is located. Such barriers shall be of a minimum of 4 feet in height and appropriately secured to prevent children from gaining access to such areas.
(2) Hot tubs and spa pools shall not be used when children are in care.
(3) Hot tubs and spa pools, whether indoors or outdoors, shall be made inaccessible to children in care by the use of a locked hard cover.
(4) Wading pools may be used when the following requirements are met:
(a) The pools are clean and free of debris.
(b) The pools are emptied and cleaned after each play period or immediately when they become dirty or contaminated.
(c) The pools shall remain empty at all times they are not in use.
(5) Before use of a residential pool or any other body of water by children in care, a caregiver shall assure that the water is clean, safe, and sanitary, and the children will be appropriately and adequately supervised.
(6) Public swimming areas may be used only if a lifeguard is present.
(7) If there are 2 groups of children, 1 group in the water and 1 group out of the water, then the caregiving staff to child ratios, as required in R 400.1910, shall be maintained for each group, with the exception that the in-the-water caregiving staff to child ratio for children under 3 years of age shall be 1-to-1 at all times.
(8) Rescue equipment shall be readily accessible at all times.
(9) A working telephone shall be immediately accessible in the water activity area.
11
(10) A caregiver shall obtain, and keep on file, written permission from a child’s parent for the child’s participation in either of the following:
(a) Before each outdoor water activity at a swimming pool, lake, or other body of water off the child care home premises.
(b) Seasonally for water activities occurring on the child care premises.
(11) The emergency plan in R 400.1945 shall include procedures for water emergencies.