Would You Ever Care For This Child

[MotherNature]

A while ago, I was contacted thru facebook off a breastfeeding group I'm in. This mom had caught on camera her sitter abusing her baby. I saw the video- pretty incriminating, but cps wouldn't act on it. She eventually went to the news and they did a story on it. The sitter still had ads on care.com and others & the police never brought charges forth b/c all you could see on the camera was her speaking very harshly to the baby, saying some mean stuff to him, telling him to shut up, etc... He was only 6 mos. old or so. Anyway, she came over for an interview & loved me and my set-up & philosophy. She stayed forever! Eventually had to shoo her out for dinner. She's a facebook friend, and I see her commenting about all the tiny things he does. Yes, every parent does this, but cmon.. During the interview she was talking about stuff like how intune he was with hhis body b/c he would gnaw his hands when hungry. Every baby does that! She had a very detailed schedule of how she does things with him. Anyway, I was going to sign them up, but she got laid off and is at home now, so the point is moot. Would you have cared for him if you took infants/ my main concern was that her only experience with a caregiver was an abusive one so I'd be under a very scrutinizing microscope & if I did something she didn't 100%back, she'd have it in for me. I'd also wonder if she'd sneak in a recorder...

[CedarCreek]

Not that I have anything to hide, but I would be paranoid that she was trying to "catch" me doing something all of the time.

Double paranoid seeing as how she views herself as your friend. Friends are always a gray area with childcare.

[Moppetland]

I wouldn't. Not that I would have anything to hide, it's just I wouldn't want to be secretly recorded. She'll be infringing on my client's privacy if she'd done that IMP. Sounds like to me she doesn't trust a caregiver yet. Maybe she should stay at home awhile until she feels comfortable in leaving her child with a caregiver she can trust.

[Familycare71]

Did she record the sitter in her home or the sitters home?? If I thought a parent was secretly recording me I'd be done... not for something to hide but the principal...
I would say if you can skip this one it would def be the easier route... If you do want to try I would have a very honest convo about my concerns and see how that goes

[Starburst]

This reminds me of the one about the provider who thought that her DCF was using a nanny cam or something because DCM would make odd remarks about things that she said NOT in front of the kids but to an assistant in private during daycare hours (and I think even some stuff after hours).

I am seriously considering putting in my contract something about nanny cams, like the others I have nothing to hide but I value my privacy (plus I am extreamly paranoid about being watched and judged). I already put that I may consider using one for my own records if I have a sub or assistant, and that I may or may not decide to have one on the premisis for secerity reasons. I would make sure every parent signs a waiver that they understand this and maybe later down the line I may give them a code or a sign-in account to be able to view it live online. But I would state that they are primarilyfor my records and I will not share them with DCF unless I think it is important they see it; such as a child being violent (if they accuse you of lying about their child's behavior) or saying a child admits going to lie to their parents and say something bad about me because they got in trouble. But now I am thinking about putting in my contract something like:

"Due to the privacy rights of every child and family enrolled at _____ Daycare, as well as the provider, her family, and her employees, unautherized cameras and voice recorders are strictly prohibited at the child care home. Being caught with any attemp of using unatherized recorders or attempts at 'bugging' my home may lead to immediate probation or possibly termination. Please respect the privacy of my clients, my employees, my family, and myself and we will respect yours."

[EntropyControlSpecialist]

Not that I have anything to hide, but I would be paranoid that she was trying to "catch" me doing something all of the time.

Double paranoid seeing as how she views herself as your friend. Friends are always a gray area with childcare.

Agreed.

There is absolutely no way I would take her on as a client. You couldn't pay me enough.

[MotherNature]

That's how I viewed it too, and no-she used her lapyop's camera to record after her son had bruises a few times tha were unexplained in her own home. Yeah, I would've mentioned that I understand how she was burned before, but due to other families' privacy, and my family members' privacy, I coukd not allow recording here. It never came up though, as she lost her job a couple days later, and is loving staying home with him.

[countrymom]

nope. If she went to the news the first time, imagine what she would do the second time.

[Sunnyyy1]

Nope, I wouldn't she seems like such a headache and a busy body. I wouldn't want to be bothered with all the extra stress and nonsense.

[Nebula]

Not with a 10 foot pole. Besides I only take 18 months to 4 years

[BABYLUVER21]

NO. NEVER take "friends" #1 and #2 I wouldn't want someone in care that has gone as far as she did for 'harsh words'. It's one thing to take your kid out, it's quite another to drag your family to the media. I think CPS call was warranted from what I can see was posted I don't think media attention was necessary. If she felt CPS wasn't doing enough, there are other steps I'd have taken first. Some people just want attention, and seems to me that this is that kind of mom and I would not want that kind of trouble.

I would DEFINITELY not allow another parent to record my child care. It's one thing for ME to buy cameras and install to protect myself and families (as I would be the ONLY one with access) but it's quite another for another family to take pics or video of myself and/or the OTHER kids in care without permission of each other family. I could see that going wrong in all kinds of ways. YES I'd put that clause (and have)Starburst has written in the contract!