Firearms and ChildCare: To Disclose or Not

[familyschoolcare]

My husband is in the Navy reserves and we have several firearms in the house. They are locked according to licensing rules. I also disclosed all this

information when I was licensed. Which was not as easy as it sounds; she wanted to know how many of what kind of firearms only she did not know the

difference between a riffle and a pistol. LOL



I tell parents during the interview that my husband works for the district attorney in the crime lab and is in the Navy reserves ring e interview

process. To date no body has asked about firearms. My plan if they do is to be honest about the situation. However, if Day Care Children and/or their

children are present then I will hand them this written response.


DO NOT READ THIS OUT LOAD Yes, we have firearms in the House. However, none of the day care children are not aware of this and I would like to keep it

that way. If you would like to know more about this then we will need to make an appoint for later.



The firearms are in a liberty safe and the safe cannot be opened with out the code, if you try the code unsuccessfully to many times then the safe beeps

and “locks” up. The safe is always locked if not being opened we keep more than the weapons in it. We where very dilligent about this even before

opening the day care. The safe is in the closet in the master bedroom. The master bedroom is at the end of the hallway all of the bedrooms are off

limits. This means that the only times the children are in the hall way is to go o the bathroom. In addition, to get to the closet you have to go around

the corner from the bedroom door I cannot explain in writing just how far from the children the safe is. It is far enough away that I will not go their

even to use the bathroom when the day care children are present, because not only can you not see the children you cannot hear them. The master

bath is just past the closet.

[itlw8]

there have been far to many cases of children getting hurt because the parents thought they could not reach the gun or they knew not to touch it.

Yes I think it is a reasonable question to ask. They did not want to know if you owned a gun but if there were any in the home

You answer yes we own guns but do not keep them here because of the children

Or yes we have guns we use trigger locks and store them in a locked gun safe. We keep the key for the trigger lock in a different locked location


If someone carried a gun I would want to know that. I would not enroll my child in a place that guns were not secured. On the body is not secured.

[renodeb]

To be honest I have never had the issue comeup with potential clients. If it did I would reassure them that every precaution is being taken and that all safety regs are being upheld.
Wether or not I had a permit I would never have it on me bacause there is always a chance something could go wrong and a child could get hurt.
I think if they dont ask then dont tell! It is your home after all.
My licensing monitor asks at each visit if we have firearms and I say yes and tell her that they are under lock and key where no kids coupd get to them at all.
Debbie

[wdmmom]

A very interesting topic and thread!

It has never come up during interviewing. I have never worked for a police officer or anyone in the military that may have a firearm on their side during arrivals or departures.

Iowa has changed their gun laws to make a permit to carry and conceal very attainable. I have considered taking the course. Not for the fact that I want to carry a gun on me but because I find target practice a very entertaining sport. I am a great shot and I'm fortunate to have family in rural areas that I can go whenever I want.

I will say this much. I have access to firearms but they are not located on my property.

I also know another provider in my area that just has several firearms on property. They also have 5 children. The thought of the provider having 5 children and having a daycare where weapons are located would not be a contributing factor to my decision making.

If I used weapons as a deciding factor, I couldn't have my own parents care for my children!

[Heidi]

As far as the guns go, we do not currently own any, but if we did, I would be happy to disclose that if asked. Our state requires it, I believe. We may even have to have it in our policies-I don't know because I usually check N/A when I get to that section. THey must be locked up seperatly from the ammo, etc.

As far as the other things go, I would probably tell if asked as well. Heck, I'd probably tell anyway because I am a big blabber-mouth, and I my son were Gay, and that's a problem for you, you should probably go elsewhere.

As a matter of fact, my son's aren't, but my daughter is almost 15, and she considers herself "romantically BI", whatever that means. I think it's called confused-for-now. According to her, it means she's romantically attracted to both genders, but isn't intersted in being intimate with either. I'm fine with that, because she's 14, and has no business being intimate anyway, although a number of her friends are...

See, I told you I was a blabbermouth!::

[GretasLittleFriends]

I have never had a parent ask if we have guns on our property. It is required by licensing that they are locked up, with ammunition locked separately. My licensor does check this each time she is at my house. I would have no issue telling my parents that we own guns and they are locked. I would gladly show them if they were interested in proof to ease their minds.

I honestly don't know the rules about disclosing to parents, but I do know for a fact that ALL of my daycare parents own guns. I would say over 50% of my daycare kids eat more wild game (and fish) than they do store bought meat. My DH and some of the parents have talked hunting, so I assume that they know we too own guns. It's never been an issue.

Though I did just have an interview Monday and the mom asked me if we had issues with wild animals. I said "you mean besides the two-legged ones she just met (meaning my ds7 and dd2)?" She laughed. Her parents are having an issue with a bear in their area right now and she is afraid of bears. We do have one, but I've never seen it, just droppings and prints. It's not a big bear. Our collie scares most of the animals away from our house. She seemed relieved. Those kiddos start next week.

[Heidi]

I have never had a parent ask if we have guns on our property. It is required by licensing that they are locked up, with ammunition locked separately. My licensor does check this each time she is at my house. I would have no issue telling my parents that we own guns and they are locked. I would gladly show them if they were interested in proof to ease their minds.

I honestly don't know the rules about disclosing to parents, but I do know for a fact that ALL of my daycare parents own guns. I would say over 50% of my daycare kids eat more wild game (and fish) than they do store bought meat. My DH and some of the parents have talked hunting, so I assume that they know we too own guns. It's never been an issue.

Though I did just have an interview Monday and the mom asked me if we had issues with wild animals. I said "you mean besides the two-legged ones she just met (meaning my ds7 and dd2)?" She laughed. Her parents are having an issue with a bear in their area right now and she is afraid of bears. We do have one, but I've never seen it, just droppings and prints. It's not a big bear. Our collie scares most of the animals away from our house. She seemed relieved. Those kiddos start next week.

We have black bears in our area, too. I've never seen one, but I have talked to DS about what to do if he ever sees one. We have lots of coyotes, too, so I worry about my Shih-Tzu.

We live about 3 miles from town, and one of Dh's buddies (who lives in town) came home (a little drunk) in the wee hours to hear what he THOUGHT was a racoon in his tree. Upon closer inspection, it was a bear! He called the police, and they removed the bear...alll 300 lbs of him.

[saved4always]

We do not own any firearms. But, if we did, and a parent asked about them, I would tell them the truth about having them, where and how they are kept and why we have them. As a parent, I would want to make an informed decision about whether my child will be in a house with firearms.

[Jewels]

We have guns, my husband is a hunter ,so we have a safe downstairs in the laundry room, where the guns are stored, and according to regs, like an above poster posted, them ammo, is all in a locked container all the way in the garage up high, I always disclose this, and most parents ask to see the safe.
However if I owned guns and stored them somewhere else I would not disclose that, if its not on the property, its none of there concern.

[Blackcat31]

We have black bears in our area, too. I've never seen one, but I have talked to DS about what to do if he ever sees one. We have lots of coyotes, too, so I worry about my Shih-Tzu.

We live about 3 miles from town, and one of Dh's buddies (who lives in town) came home (a little drunk) in the wee hours to hear what he THOUGHT was a racoon in his tree. Upon closer inspection, it was a bear! He called the police, and they removed the bear...alll 300 lbs of him.

The bears come and eat from our bird feeders on a regular basis. Most of them are more afraid of us then we are of them.

As far as the coyotes go, they are nocturnal hunters so more than likely, you little dog is pretty safe unless he/she spends lots of time outdoors at night.

We have LOTS of coyotes in our woods and they rarely make their presence known until after sunset. Although they travel in packs, they are kind of chicken so they are much like black bears, in their reputations are far worse than their actual behaviors.

[saved4always]

In my area, we are required to disclose whether or not we own a gun and whether or not it is kept on the daycare premesis even if it is kept in rooms/outside where the daycare children do not have access to.

However, what makes me concerned is me sitting there on an interview with what is actually complete strangers and having to tell them, "No, I do not have a gun in my home." I feel like I might as well continue and say, "so, yes, you can come back later tonight and rob me blind and you now know that I have no real means of protecting myself and family."

I fully understand that the parents of the daycare children should have the right to know what potentially dangerous items are in the home that they are leaving their child in, however, it also makes us have to tell complete strangers that we don't have a weapon and therefore are an easy target for them if they are the crazy ones!

We don't have any fire arms and I do not feel that I am putting my home or family at risk of being robbed because people know I don't have any guns here. I do have 2 dogs. I find that the German Shepherd face at the window and the wild barking of the other dog is a good deterent for anyone who might want to get into my house to rob us.

[nannyde]

The bears come and eat from our bird feeders on a regular basis. Most of them are more afraid of us then we are of them.

As far as the coyotes go, they are nocturnal hunters so more than likely, you little dog is pretty safe unless he/she spends lots of time outdoors at night.

We have LOTS of coyotes in our woods and they rarely make their presence known until after sunset. Although they travel in packs, they are kind of chicken so they are much like black bears, in their reputations are far worse than their actual behaviors.

You eat bear Black?

[daycare]

I have not gotten a chance to read all of the responses, however, guns to me is like seeing a toothbrush.. where I come from everyone has one... In my home country you would walk out your front door and you would see a man walking to the grocery store with one on his back. Maybe a riffle or machine gun. It was also not uncommon to hear about young children often shooting themselves because they were playing with a gun.

BUT ..... Now that I live here in a big city, I don't have any.

I have had clients ask me and I tell them I don't.

I always always ask my own kids, friends parents when they go over to a new friends house if they have guns. If they say yes, I ask are they properly locked? I tell my kids, (when they were old enough to understand) that if your friend ever shows you a gun, you run and tell their parents right away.

The only way I would ever own a gun, is if I moved to a farm or out in the country.....

[Blackcat31]

You eat bear Black?

Yes, although the older I have gotten, the less I really like it. Too lean INHO. My dad is a super big black bear hunter. My cousin (a girl) shot the largest black bear in the state last year with a bow/arrow.

Black bear is a very common food source here

[Unregistered]

It is nice that everyone is being so respectful concerning this topic, and that we can have a good, educational conversation for everyone on the subject. (Unregistered thumbs up)!

I think the general consensus that everyone seems to agree upon is that if you are asked, it is best to tell the truth. It also seems that it is also a matter that licensing looks into as well, which is understandable.

I did hear a lot of you state that you don't like guns, and that you are afraid of them. Guns are very powerful weapons! I would urge those of you who do have these fears to go outside of your comfort zone and seek out a licensed training program (they often have some just wor women) to familiarize yourselves about guns, to help quell some of the fear of the unknown. You dont have to buy one or keep it at your house, you dont even have to like them- but you should be knowledgeable about them, how they work, and how you would handle a situation if you ever found a gun in your presence. The biggest danger in guns is not knowing how to use them properly.

A quick lesson that I teach my kids, since we come from a family of hunters and they will be around guns at some point:

1. ALL guns are loaded. No matter what. Even if its pink and plastic and shiny and fun. If you think it is a toy, you better ask first. Do not touch a gun without asking, even if you think it is a toy! (My daughter will ask if she can touch Nerf guns at the store because of this rule).

2. ALL guns are loaded.

3. Never put your finger on the trigger, even to hold it, until you are ready to shoot.

4. Never point the gun at anyone. Everyone must ALWAYS be behind the firing line.

5. Know your target AND what is behind it. Bullets will go through walls, trees, etc.

6. If you have had a sip of alcohol, you are not allowed to touch a gun. Period.

7. All guns are loaded.