Number of Hours Per Day Limitation For Baby

[Unregistered]

I've just enrolled my 3 month old baby in a California small home-owned day care. While giving the care giver my first month's payment, she informed me that her license only allowed her to watch a baby for 8 hours a day. Both my wife and I have to work all day long and this 8 hour constraint (as opposed to a 9 hours) is actually very inconvenient.

Is this is a common constraint? I was thinking of looking around for other day cares, but I was hoping someone could inform me whether this 8-hour constraint is likely not true. How could a license have a constraint that would invalidate a care-giver from providing a service many people would need?

[megoddess444]

The daycare provider is lying to you. I have an in home daycare in California and as far as i know this is not true. If it where, nobody would be able to watch your child. My advise would be to find a daycare provider that is not shady. If your adamant about staying with her ask her for proof on the hour stipulation.

[Unregistered]

Hour limitations

I've never heard of 8 hours to be a maximum, I have heard a lot about 9 to 9 1/2 hours even 10 hrs maximum, even though the daycare is open for 12 hrs. This is due to the fact that children need to spend time in their own home as well. Children need to have a balance. I suggest when looking out for a daycare, don't just focus on price, I mean price is a big factor, but you also want to look for a daycare that serves the childs needs as well as the parents. That is very important. You or your spouse don't want to break the speeding limit or worse, get into an accident, to meet the 8 hr limit. I suggest you look for another daycare. Good luck.

[tymaboy]

Contact your child care resource & referral they will be able to answer your questions & help you find a new provider if need be.

http://www.rrnetwork.org/

[Unregistered]

Thank you everyone for the responses. After reading them, I decided to talk with the care giver about it. She said that 9 hours wouldn't be a problem after all, but that on the contract that we signed, it would have to say eight for her license.

All in all, I like this person. Of course, this has given me even more angst about leaving my child in a day care, but hopefully everything will work out!

Thanks again.

[Unregistered]

Ya I've never heard of an 8 hour limit either. I'm open for 12 hours a day, however i don't care to keep your child for that full 12 hours, but there are some parents that need it. I think she lied to you and if she can lie bout that, what else could she lie bout? I myself, being a parent and a provider would look else where!

[Unregistered]

no such thing

I also have a small home day care in California. This kind of care is intended for care under 24 hours a day. I do not send in contracts to licensing. She is making up some odd rules.

[GretasLittleFriends]

It is possible that the caregiver is NOT making up the 8 hour rule. It could be that she has some sort of restriction to her licensing for some other reason. Not necessarily a reprimand, but maybe something like that. If it bothers you that much, there should be a grievance policy in place with the county licensor information, you could check with the county licensor about that specific provider's condition. I'm not sure how much is public information, but I'd think the licensor could provide some insight.