Question for CA providers

[CrackerJacks]

I don't provide care for children under 18mo. My daughter was already 2yo when I started family Childcare 6 years ago. Here's my question, I know that licensing does not allow bouncy seats and exerdaucers and you are not permitted to put children in a pack n play unless they are sleeping. However, how do these rules pertain to your own children? Lets say I decide to have another baby...would I not be able to allow my own child to be put in a pack n play, or have the use of a bouncy seat? Are swings allowed?

[snbauser]

I am no longer in CA and I'm sure one of the many ladies on here that are will correct me if I am wrong. When I was in CA, the rule applied to your own children as well. Depending on your licensor, some would not even allow you to have it on site to use after hours because if it was there, there would be a chance that you would pull it out and use it.

[proudmommyofthree]

What the pp said is. Order. The rules applied to your own children as well. I started daycare when my son was 8 months old. I was not allowed to use anything during daycare hours. I was told that I could have the bouncer, etc. in my house as long as it was put away during daycare hours. I trying it depends on your licensor.

[mom2many]

What the pp said is. Order. The rules applied to your own children as well. I started daycare when my son was 8 months old. I was not allowed to use anything during daycare hours. I was told that I could have the bouncer, etc. in my house as long as it was put away during daycare hours. I trying it depends on your licensor.

Yes, I was told the same thing. A provider friend of mine had her own newborn in a pack and play, when licensing came out to her home and she was cited for leaving her baby in it awake and was told it was only to be used for sleeping.

The crazy thing is that it is okay for them to be on the floor...just not in a safe place like a pack and play. I totally get the "not wanting to confine an infant", but a newborn isn't going to be crawling anywhere! Just another example of CA licensing regs having absolutetely NO common sense!

You can use swings while the child is awake, but no bouncy seats or any other kind of seat that "confines" a child...ie; high chairs can only be used for eating, not for playing in.

[Starburst]

From what I understand in most cases when any child is in your care during daycare hours they have the same rights and rules (to an extent) as any child in your daycare, and that includes your own children. I think the only exception is if they are not enrolled in your program (such as an unregistered sibling or cousins to enrolled kids visiting during pick up/drop off) you are not legally required to feed them or let them play with the daycare toys.

I know for one FCCP I worked for she got cited for just having a walker on the property (in the backyard), it wasn't even in use and it for only a particular child and it was from his home. The provider didn't know at the time that it was against regulations. But she did have multiple baby swings and was never cited for those.

[Oneluckymom]

Yes, I was told the same thing. A provider friend of mine had her own newborn in a pack and play, when licensing came out to her home and she was cited for leaving her baby in it awake and was told it was only to be used for sleeping.

The crazy thing is that it is okay for them to be on the floor...just not in a safe place like a pack and play. I totally get the "not wanting to confine an infant", but a newborn isn't going to be crawling anywhere! Just another example of CA licensing regs having absolutetely NO common sense!

You can use swings while the child is awake, but no bouncy seats or any other kind of seat that "confines" a child...ie; high chairs can only be used for eating, not for playing in.

Yes, the rules apply to your own as well. Some licensors will allow you to have it in the home just not in your licensed areas during daycare hours.

I think a lot of it is ridiculous...but we have no choice.

[MarinaVanessa]

I'm in CA and had this same issue. All personal bouncy seats, excersaucers, jumperoos etc must be kept in a non-daycare space (like the garage) and locked during daycare hours.

What I did for my own DS and for my DCKs that are newsborns when I couldn't physically be near them (serving snack, going to the bathroom etc.) was that I would put them in the pack'n'plays when they were asleep and put them in a swing when they were awake (per licensing recommendations).

Apparently you can have swings but can't have a sleeping baby in a swing and you can't have an awake baby in a pack'n'play so when I had to I would flip-flop them to and from when necessary. I bought some used portable swings and would place them near me when I was in the kitchen (but not in the kitchen itself, just within eyesight) or outside. For the outside I also used a large play-yard in the shade with a blanket on the floor and infant toys etc.

At other times I would lay a blanket on the floor between the couch (i have a sectional couch in the shape of a U) and would place small throw pillows around the perimiter of the blanket so that the other DCK's knew that this was a boundary. Then I'd place infant toys all around the blanket so that my non-mobile and mobile infants could play while we did activities in the same room etc.