Daycare and Religion

[Oneluckymom]

I have a friend who is an American muslim who I was talking to today. She wears western clothes and wears a scarf or a hat to cover her hair. She is interested in starting a small family daycare...maybe just a few kids to start.

She was concerned about not getting clients based on her appearance (the scarf) and parents may be deterred by her faith.

Do you think this is a valid concern?

[youretooloud]

Most of my kids are Muslim, Hindu, or Buddhist . I'm a Christian. But, I never, ever talk about religion when the kids are here. They tell me things about their religion, so I understand why the kids are late, or will be gone...I respect everything they say, and would go out of my way to accommodate them.

[Oneluckymom]

Most of my kids are Muslim, Hindu, or Buddhist . I'm a Christian. But, I never, ever talk about religion when the kids are here. They tell me things about their religion, so I understand why the kids are late, or will be gone...I respect everything they say, and would go out of my way to accommodate them.

I agree...she wouldn't be teaching religion. BUT what if you were a parent and went to see a daycare and the provider wore a scarf....would that cause you to think twice about enrolling with her?

[mamac]

IMO, there are people who are people who discriminate based on looks no matter what the reason is. It could be tattoos, piercings, nationality or whatever. Then there are the people who are more open minded that won't see those types of "problems" and will choose her based solely on what she has to offer their children. We all take that risk when we choose to open a business selling "ourselves" and we can never truly know why they didn't choose us over another provider.

I would tell her to go for it! happyface

[PolarCare]

It wouldn't deter me

If I were looking for daycare, I would be very clear with any provider that I interviewed with that I am looking for a NON faith based program. I don't care what someone's faith is, I don't want them teaching it to my child.

I would not be deterred by a person's appearance in accordance with their faith. I would be more concerned with what their contract looked like and how it jived with my needs.

[e.j.]

I think she has a valid concern but she shouldn't let it keep her from starting her child care business. There will be people who choose not to enroll their kids based on her religion. Wearing the scarf will make it easier for them to determine her religion and judge her by that. By the same token, there will also be people who choose to enroll their kids because of her religion and the way she dresses.

[missjenny]

I have a friend who is an American muslim who I was talking to today. She wears western clothes and wears a scarf or a hat to cover her hair. She is interested in starting a small family daycare...maybe just a few kids to start.

She was concerned about not getting clients based on her appearance (the scarf) and parents may be deterred by her faith.

Do you think this is a valid concern?

American Muslim here. The ones who wont want to work with her if she is wearing a scarf are not the ones she wants in care anyways.

I wear western clothes too (jeans and nice shirts) but i do were a light long jacket and scarf when I go out. Most often I deal with moms and kids so I don't worry about wearing the scarf and jacket unless dad also comes to interviews.

I feel that religion is best left at home and it is not my place to teach someone else child nor theirs to teach mine (if I had any) and I make that clear to parents. I also have a non discrimination policy in my PHB and if I find a parent is causing problem for me or another family due to race, religion, marital status, sexual orientation etc then it is grounds for immediate termination. I feel my environment should be safe and welcoming for all kids in my care and if I feel during an interview there will be some hostility from a family due to my religion then it is not a good fit to begin with.

[Blackcat31]

American Muslim here. The ones who wont want to work with her if she is wearing a scarf are not the ones she wants in care anyways.

I wear western clothes too (jeans and nice shirts) but i do were a light long jacket and scarf when I go out. Most often I deal with moms and kids so I don't worry about wearing the scarf and jacket unless dad also comes to interviews.

I feel that religion is best left at home and it is not my place to teach someone else child nor theirs to teach mine (if I had any) and I make that clear to parents. I also have a non discrimination policy in my PHB and if I find a parent is causing problem for me or another family due to race, religion, marital status, sexual orientation etc then it is grounds for immediate termination. I feel my environment should be safe and welcoming for all kids in my care and if I feel during an interview there will be some hostility from a family due to my religion then it is not a good fit to begin with.

[preschoolteacher]

I personally would have no concerns enrolling my kids in a daycare run by someone from another religion, as long as that person was credible and reliable.

[Oneluckymom]

Thank you for all of your comments and advice

[Laurel]

I have a friend who is an American muslim who I was talking to today. She wears western clothes and wears a scarf or a hat to cover her hair. She is interested in starting a small family daycare...maybe just a few kids to start.

She was concerned about not getting clients based on her appearance (the scarf) and parents may be deterred by her faith.

Do you think this is a valid concern?

It wouldn't bother me if I liked a provider but I wrestled with the same thing being an atheist myself. It is nothing you can see like the way I dress but I would never share it with a client unless asked outright. Even then I would say "I'm not religious" and leave it at that. I have always said that telling people 'might' be 'bad for business.' Not that I'm ashamed of it in any way but some people have weird misconceptions about it. One time someone said to me "Well do you salute the flag?" Huh? :: So yes, I do think it is a valid concern but I'd go for it anyway if I were her.

That said, I wouldn't send my child to a daycare that openly taught any religion or prayed with the children, etc. As long as she is running a secular program I wouldn't have a problem with it. I sent my son to a preschool that was run by a nun. I just checked to make sure it was a secular program and it was.

It is up to her whether to wear the scarf or not. Honestly, she may not get some people with it but may get more people of her own faith with it. So it can be a gamble. Scarf or not, it would not keep me from trying to open a child care if I were her. Of course, I am in a melting pot kind of area. She may not be. My own street is a melting pot of races and religions including Muslim. It wouldn't be a concern here. However, if she is in the Bible belt it might be a different situation.

She'll probably do just fine.

Laurel

[Starburst]

It wouldn't bother me, I would want my kids to be accepting of other cultures. I always loved learning about different cultures and religions. There was one lady who worked at my middle school who always wore a hijab, I ran in to her a few years later when I worked at Michaels, she was nice.

[luv2teach]

There are a few people at my center who are Muslim and cover their head. It has never seemed to be an issue with any parents having her with their kids. Some Christians do head covering as well.

[youretooloud]

I agree...she wouldn't be teaching religion. BUT what if you were a parent and went to see a daycare and the provider wore a scarf....would that cause you to think twice about enrolling with her?

I bet it depends on where she lives. Here, it wouldn't be strange, but, in say Mississippi, it probably would be. Around here, we are all "Ooh.. Lookee, diversity!"

[Cradle2crayons]

I bet it depends on where she lives. Here, it wouldn't be strange, but, in say Mississippi, it probably would be. Around here, we are all "Ooh.. Lookee, diversity!"

<<<<<<lives in Mississippi.

We have quite a bit of diversity here..... And quite a bit of reverse racism.

Its my experience most of the Muslim communities here, the ladies don't work. It's not unusual to see them in head coverings in almost every store.

Now in my small community, there aren't any Muslims. So it may be a little different to see one in this community.

I'm Christian, but a head covering at interview or a Muslim caregiver wouldn't bother me one bit. As long as they have passed a background check like I have, have CPR and first aid, great references and a similar schedule and their home daycare met the needs of my family, I wouldn't care if they had a snake wrapped around their neck at interview