Need help before going to a brainstorming meeting!!

[Rubysmom]

I am another Minnesota provider against the changes on the horizon. How can I have a BS degree in Child Development, and it doesn't count because I graduated more than 5 years ago? Ridiculous! I too elieve family child care is on its way out. Sad. It is going to be extremely expensive for infant care in the future.

[Crystal]

I do wonder how in the world is CA going to support the man power for this program? Where will the funding come from? It's bad enough that we are not monitored enough as it is. I get a lic visit once every 3-4 years...

thats a really scary thought

California recieved a $50 million grant form the Race to the Top Early Learning Challenge from the Federal Government. There will be more funding after the Pilot program.

[daycare]

California recieved a $50 million grant form the Race to the Top Early Learning Challenge from the Federal Government. There will be more funding after the Pilot program.

wow that is amazing... I did not learn this before you telling me....

Just to think too I am on the round table email list and I heard nothing of this

[Country Kids]

Curriculum:

Infant/Toddler

Highscope Infant/Toddler
Beyond Cribs/Rattles

Preschool

The creative Curriculum
HighScope
Opening the World Of Learning

Family Care

The creative Curriculum

Now if ours isn't listed we have to write how it meets the criteria. MMM, I might think it meets it but they might not.

[Heidi]

Provider #1

Comes out of high school not knowing what she wants to do. Daddy buys her an education anyway. After graduation, she marries Daddy's pick and moves into her nice home. Bored......she opens a home daycare. Lots of spare money to spend on all the fancy equipment and furnishings and latest toys. Lots of room for setting up centers/craft areas etc.

Licensing come and ooh and ahh over her great education and fancy set up. 5 stars. Then leave the bored kids with their dis-interested provider.

Provider #2

Been doing daycare for more years than Provider #1 has been alive.. Has an average home which she shares with her daycare kids. No room for many 'centers" etc. Not the very latest in toys, but plenty of good old fashioned blocks etc. She spends her time working with the kids and parents and is very respected. The kids LOVE her as have many, many before them. But licensing see she doesn't have a college education, doesn't have time for classes because she wants to spend that time with her own family and her home is average.
2 stars.

Guess which one I would rather take my child to? Except if I was a unknowing parent looking at the star ratings...I would automatically assume that #1 was the better choice.

well, to be fair, neither of those providers would be a 5 star. Provider 1 does not engage actively with the children (unless she's an outstanding actress come rating time), doesn't assess the children's development, doesnt plan activities, doesn't do portfolios, doesn't have a business plan or a budget, and a few other things I can't think of right now.

Provider 2 is missing some of these things and the education component....

There is some variation in each state, for sure.

[Country Kids]

What if your stars are kinda all over the place? How will that work? Say you have 3/4/5 but not everything is lining up.

[Willow]

Can I ask, why you are against going back to school?

Only speaking for myself - I am busy enough running a business 10 hours a day, taking care of my family while my husband works out on the road 4 out of the 7 days a week, we are desperately trying to have another baby which means loads of doctors appointments, our children have homework and extracurricular activities, I have a very large and close family that likes to spend time with us both in and out of town, I like to have at least a little bit of time for my own hobbies........simply put there would be absolutely no time for me to take on trying to get another education on top of that.

Add to that, I am dyslexic so course work/book learning is incredibly difficult for me. I got through it once, I have no desire to put myself through it again.


24 hours of training a year I could more than manage, and I plan to obtain my Montessori certification because I've read that's creditable, but going back and getting another college degree.....no way.

I could care less if it's free.


There would be nothing rewarding to me about being forced into participating in something that is going to take time away from my life that I don't have time to give to learn things I already know.

[Meeko]

I respect that some are against it too. I understand the fear, I understand that some feel they are losing control of their own business, etc. For those of you who feel this way, I say, get involved while they are still in the process of setting up these systems. They really do want to hear your voice and your voice CAN make a difeerence in how it is implemented in your State.....I know, because I have witnessed it first hand.

My state doesn't want to hear anything from providers. Meetings at 10AM on Monday mornings???? Please.

If they REALLY wanted feedback, they would have meetings at times when providers could actually go without having to shut down their daycare. It's all smoke and mirrors and pretending to listen.

[Crystal]

It's been proven time and time again that more policies, more rules, more laws, are never the answer to an issue like this.

Would you say the same for restaraunts, medical facilities, dental offices, elementary schools etc?

ENFORCEMENT of current standards is. I agree that this needs to happen. However, many current standards are very dated and need to be realigned to support current research.


If you think creating more rules is going to stop the Jessica Tata's of the world you are sadly mistaken. People that don't give a hoot and don't care to stay in compliance never will.

I definitley think more rules would help stop people like her. Just knowing the requirements to meet the standards would scare alot of people like her away from ever even considering opening a child care program.


I say take all the money they plan on dumping into this crap and put it towards hiring more licensing workers to enforce what's already on the books. If that can't be maintained how in the heck do they expect to keep up with so much more???

The money to support the QRIS is coming from the federal government. This will provide more resources to licensing agencies as well.

I haven't seen or heard from my licensing workers since January and when she was here I knew more about what she needed to be doing and checking for than she did.

THAT'S the problem. That is definitley a problem. BUT, a year is nothing.....it was 6 years before I finally had an unnanounced inspection this year. Part of the problem is that licensing spends most of their time investigating complaints.....which would occur less if there were more regulation in to what constitutes quality care.

The fact that she hasn't been around to check to see if I am in compliance for all that time? Anyone can put on a show for a day and a college degree has nothing to do with keeping kids safe. A college degree doesn't, but SOME sort of education in to safe practices does. It's why pediatricians can still be child molesters, it's why business CEO's can still run Ponzi schemes This can happen in ANY profession, degree or not. It is not a good argument to NOT have a degree, or at least SOME professional training. and it's proof that whether or not Jessica Tata had a piece of paper on the wall saying she read a bunch of about caring for children safely has nothing to do with whether or not she actually will. Perhaps if she DID, she wouldn't have done what she did and those children would still be alive.


A degree is nothing more than a promise made by a stranger. "I have this paper so please trust my intentions are good." I disagree, and am actually insulted by this remark. I ahve worked VERY hard and will finally have my Master's Degree in May. I actually did it for myself, not for my business, but it shows to parents that I am committed to my work with children, that I care about what is Developmentally appropriate for their children, that I am knowledgeable and concerned about best practices. My degree is not at all a piece of paper that I use to make people think I am doing a good job when I am not.

Experience and reputation however is tried and true PROOF. "I have all of these years I've SHOWN my intentions, so you KNOW they are good."

Experience is not proof.....it is GREAT but it is not proof. Anyone can SAY they are doing a good job....there was a case recently in which a very experienced provider was found to have been doping babies and putting them in dark closets all day so they would sleep. She had experience and no formal education. For years everyone thought she was a great provider. Then they found out the truth.

I replied in bold above

[Country Kids]

I don't know a lot about all of this, so this is a great thread. Crystal, I am on board with what you are saying and I am in school now and can't wait to see my hardwork pay off in the end. I am so ready to be treated with respect and seen as a preschool teacher and not a babysitter, because this IS why I went back to school.

Please keep givng all of your great information

From the meetings I haven't heard anything about us getting to go to school on them.

Now it would probably take me about 5 years to even get a 2 year degree. Then I'm stil going to be working for the same wages. How is that going to help me? I'm not going to be able to outprice myself because I have a degree. I'm still working in my home and its not going to get any bigger so I'm not going to be able to take any more kids.

I have a friend right now that graduated at 50 and all the money they make are going back into paying off loans. Also, the only job they could find was being a teachers aid-definetly not what they went to school for, barely making above minimum wage.

[daycare]

From the meetings I haven't heard anything about us getting to go to school on them.

Now it would probably take me about 5 years to even get a 2 year degree. Then I'm stil going to be working for the same wages. How is that going to help me? I'm not going to be able to outprice myself because I have a degree. I'm still working in my home and its not going to get any better so I'm not going to be able to take any more kids.

I have a friend right now that graduated at 50 and all the money they make are going back into paying off loans. Also, the only job they could find was being a teachers aid-definetly not what they went to school for, barely making above minimum wage.

gee CK you are really making my dream of owning my own gym become more of a reality.

I am in school now and while I love it, I still have a way to go. But yes, I a paying out of the you know what to go to school. and don't blast me for this, but I am soooooo tired of being told NO you can't get any grants, but I see people left and right getting them all day every day when I go to the admission office at school.

[Crystal]

I am another Minnesota provider against the changes on the horizon. How can I have a BS degree in Child Development, and it doesn't count because I graduated more than 5 years ago? Ridiculous! I too elieve family child care is on its way out. Sad. It is going to be extremely expensive for infant care in the future.

I wonder, will it count if you take some refresher courses? I disagree with them discounting degrees that were achieved 5 years ago, but if it was 10-15-20 years ago, there should def. be some requirement to update the degree, as a lot of research has changed the way ECE is viewed.

[Country Kids]

gee CK you are really making my dream of owning my own gym become more of a reality.

I am in school now and while I love it, I still have a way to go. But yes, I a paying out of the you know what to go to school. and don't blast me for this, but I am soooooo tired of being told NO you can't get any grants, but I see people left and right getting them all day every day when I go to the admission office at school.

I'll fly down and be your first member-

Oh, I so know what you mean about paying for schooling. My daugher only received loans! No job, no saving, no nothing and has loans. I know they go off of our income but last time I checked our family was making less then the year before. Very, very frustrating. Its like we fall in that whole of not being poor enough/rich enough. Just the middle man=

[Crystal]

Curriculum:

Infant/Toddler

Highscope Infant/Toddler
Beyond Cribs/Rattles

Preschool

The creative Curriculum
HighScope
Opening the World Of Learning

Family Care

The creative Curriculum

Now if ours isn't listed we have to write how it meets the criteria. MMM, I might think it meets it but they might not.

Creative Curriculum is FABULOUS!!!!! I think, given a chance, you would LOVE it!!! It is very play and relationship based!!! And, see, you have an option of arguing to use your own curriculum!! That is GOOD!

[Crystal]

My state doesn't want to hear anything from providers. Meetings at 10AM on Monday mornings???? Please.

If they REALLY wanted feedback, they would have meetings at times when providers could actually go without having to shut down their daycare. It's all smoke and mirrors and pretending to listen.

Yeah....that makes it difficult. Ours are held in the evening. If I were you, I'd write a letter demanding to be included in meetings that are accessible outside of business hours.