The Media Is Out To Get Daycare In My Town!

[crazydaycarelady]

A few months ago we had a very terrible incident in my town. A big center took the kids on a movie theater field trip. They took 3 vans full of kids but ended up leaving a 4yo locked in one of the vans for the whole duration of the movie., over 2 hours. Fortunately the movie started at 10am so it didn't get dealthy hot in the vehicle and the child was okay. The newspaper picked up on the story and ran with it, with I am totally fine with. This story was reported heavily and is still being reported on as the case goes through court.

However now the paper is reporting on any little thing that happens at a dc. Last week they reported an alleged "sexual assault" at a dc. Apparently a 4yo girl went home and asked her parents if they were married. When they said yes she then confirmed that it was okay for them to have babies then? The paper printed the address and name of the daycare, which I am sure is now ruined.

They are on some kid of bandwagon. I am just shocked how they can take an ALLEGED story, print it, and ruin someones livelihood.

[SilverSabre25]

The movie theatre thing is definitely awful, but I'm kind of aghast at the sexual assault thing...really...a 4 yo asking about marriage and babies?! how on EARTH does that constitute even an alleged assault and furthermore how in BLAZES did the media even get that story and why the crap did the parents even report it (if in fact they did, which if they did, they're insane)?!?!

[cheerfuldom]

I dont personally see the alleged case as ruining a daycare. its clearly debatedable about what happened or if it was a big deal....now the 4yo in the van, that is a cut and dry case. someone screwed up there and they are lucky that kid was okay.

[MarinaVanessa]

What you can do is get together with other DC providers/DC centers and have them each write letters to the news station in complain about how unfair and biased they are being simply to get ratings and ask for proof for the DC stories that are based only on allegations. If a lot of people complain they might issue an apology or rethink their strategy. If you got all of the parent's involved it would help even more.

If you sent letters to the newspaper about the complaint and send them copies of the letters that was sent to the news station they might print some of the letters in he paper (granted, make sure that the newspaper and news station aren't owned by the same company).

You can also boycott that station and let them know it.

I hate that the news now is so biased, it's a waste. That's why I don't bother to watch it. I read the paper instead and even then it's not the greatest.

[itlw8]

You can also be proactive. Call the station and suggest they do a story on the great childcares in town. Suggest they cover what a parent should look for. Stopping by unannounced and expecting an interview is NOT one of the things on the list. A national report suggested you should be able to do so if the place is good. Explain how for a family childcare that would be extreemly unsafe for the children enrolled.

If you have a Family childcare association, a local NAEYC they would be perfect to call and set up a report at one or more quality programs.

[allieannarbor]

I grew up in your town and visit the newspaper online, in general it seems they post these 4 sentence stories for the big headline so that online viewers will click on the headline and ultimately end up paying for a subscription to read the online content. (Their newspaper website is set up where you can only read so many articles a month before you need to pay for a subscription to read more, obviously they want you to use up your clicks so they have taken to using sensational headlines).

This most recent "story" contained no information other than a slanderous sentence that yes has probably unjustly killed someones livelihood. I would feel on edge operating in that town. Providers should come together to address this issue, utilize the media as tool on your side, contact the news station about doing some sort of expose on the new newspaper strategies.

[Unregistered]

Just more media down talk in this field!

What you can do is get together with other DC providers/DC centers and have them each write letters to the news station in complain about how unfair and biased they are being simply to get ratings and ask for proof for the DC stories that are based only on allegations. If a lot of people complain they might issue an apology or rethink their strategy. If you got all of the parent's involved it would help even more.

If you sent letters to the newspaper about the complaint and send them copies of the letters that was sent to the news station they might print some of the letters in he paper (granted, make sure that the newspaper and news station aren't owned by the same company).

You can also boycott that station and let them know it.

You can also be proactive. Call the station and suggest they do a story on the great childcares in town. Suggest they cover what a parent should look for. Stopping by unannounced and expecting an interview is NOT one of the things on the list. A national report suggested you should be able to do so if the place is good. Explain how for a family childcare that would be extreemly unsafe for the children enrolled.

If you have a Family childcare association, a local NAEYC they would be perfect to call and set up a report at one or more quality programs.

I like both of these and was going to suggest the same. Get all the local FCCP or even all local child care providers together and have them write letters to the local news station/newspaper. Tell them their stories are giving a bad name to all daycare businesses, not only the ones being publisized because they are only focusing on the negatives but not the positives which makes more people affraid to become registered or lisenced providers do to fear of state regulations/inspections and even making great professional daycare providers go out of this business out of fear or low enrollment due to media-pushed propaganda. A reason why many people don't want to watch the news anymore- its all about sex and violence and celebrity gossip! It's like the media thinks if someone isn't having an affair or getting killed its not news.

It may also be making some parent's who have children in daycare feel more uneasy or even guilty that they cannot afford to stay home with their children. Maybe talk to some of your daycare parent's and ask them some of their thoughts on how the media is portraying daycares, assure them that you do your best to keep a safe/clean environment and see about asking them to join in.

Maybe see about talking to the station about having a local businesses (or schools/daycares) spot light where once or twice a week (since most news is just repeats from the rest of the week anyway); where they can ask questions about their business and their services and any credentials/awards/ratings they have gotten. nd make sure that they include daycare businesses in that as well.

The thing about forgetting a kid and them being locked in a car for hours is awful but the other thing seems like it was blown out of proportion so must have been a slow news day. You always hear about things like SIDS, overcrowded centers/homes, frequent violations and child molestation/abuse accusations.

One lady in a town I used to live at did home daycare and her adolecent son (between 9-13) was accused by one of the DCM's of molesting her daughter. Turns out he didn't and it was proven he didn't but the DCP still lost some clients and she might have closed (I'm not sure it was a friend of another daycare lady I worked for).

But how many times in the media do you hear about a provider doing something good?
Like if the provider has been in business for a long time (10-30 years) and having a celebration or when a home-based preschool is celebrating it's 15th anniversery graduation. Or a daycare volunteering to help raise canned foods for the needy?

I know no one goes into daycare for the recognition or the money (because there is none ) and if you do go into it for that reason you are in the wrong field. But it doesn't help your job when the media is using fear tactics to scare people into thinking that all daycares are just "babysitting services" that they are dangerous when many actualy have stricter policies and regulations that the child's actual home EEK! We need to take back the media and use their powers for good.