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I understand that a registered offender can not be within so many feet of a daycare, etc. But can you really make them move?
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All the offenses that occurred we have no idea if they were relatedComment
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Absolutely. It's the law here.Comment
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Most likely won't make a difference. He would be grandfathered in to the address before she was licensed.. Now the next offender can't move in next door. Licensing may have some requirements such as supervision of school agers coming and going, a privacy fence around your property, ect.. I wouldn't notify parents. I understand your gut instinct to tell them but you may lose business and there is nothing they can do except worry.Comment
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Here's my take, as the provider it is our responsibility to supervise children at all times and keep them safe. This means safe from everyone, regardless of whether or not they are registered as an offender. Knowing where a sex offender lives gives us a heads up, but there are many, many that we are unaware of, therefore we must take precautions to keep our kids safe, which we do on a daily basis. If you know that one lives close by then familiarize yourself with his face. Look him in the eye if you see him. Let him know that you know he is there and you are not afraid. Teach your kids about strangers. Do not leave the kids alone for a second outside.
As a parent, it is our responsibility to make sure our own kids are safe. This goes for dcp's as well. It is THEIR job to keep their kids safe., including checking SOR. They should be making themselves aware of sex offenders in their own neighborhood, around their children's schools and also the daycare where they send their children. Should they do this, they would see that one lives across the street and it would be up to them where they go from there.
If they are not actively making themselves aware then it isn't much of a concern. Bringing it to their attention makes it a concern, when in fact the truth is they are safer for the fact that YOU are aware. Also the fact that children will not be outside unsupervised and strangers are not let into your home keeps them safe.Comment
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As I mentioned there is an offender on our street. I do not let that stop me from taking walks with my own children past his house. I WANT my kids to know what he looks like. I WANT him to know that we know he lives there. I show my kids his picture on the computer.
My daughter one day, then about 6, asked me "is that the bad man?" I told her "yes it is, take a good look at him." I made sure he heard us.Comment
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I personally think there is a bigger risk by telling them. She has more chance of losing children by telling. People will get all riled up when nothing has happened or is likely to with great supervision. The parents won't know that she already knew. How would they? So I don't see why they would blame her. Plus, the people who live on either side of her could ALSO be sex offenders but not registered.
IF OP is better protected by being registered/licensed then I would get registered. I guess in that instance this guy could be required to move as he is so close to a daycare. I would check into it myself and see exactly how the law read. I wouldn't take just the one cop's word for it.
LaurelComment
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I have to double check, but last I knew in my state if a sex offender already existed in the neighborhood before the daycare was opened they are grandfathered in and can not be forced to move. An offender just moving into the neighborhood is another story, and they would be in violation for knowingly moving in near a daycare
It depends when this person moved in and when they were registered and when the daycare was opened. So getting licensed now, the offender already lived there before the licensed daycare was opened and likely won't be forced to move.
This is my take on my state's law, it may be different in other areasComment
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I think I would only be concerned if OP had school aged children that waited for the bus outside her house or walked to her house after school. Now THAT would concern me. But the same could be said about other predators in the neighborhood that you didn't know about. Still the SA situation would bother me.
LaurelComment
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This is exactly the point I was gonna make.. friend of mine years ago had 16 year old boyfriend, his parents threw a fit and to this day she has to register..Also, an 18 yr old who dates a 16 yr old COULD be found a sex offender.
The 16 yr old would also be considered a minor (not necessarily a child but still a minor).
On paper the 18 yr old would be registered as a sex offender that committed a crime against a minor child.
Sometimes unless we know the whole story, we should assume or judge.
What we can do is protect yourself and make sure you do what you need to do to supervise the children in your care.
If none of them are ever left unsupervised, you really have nothing to worry about.
The guy living down the block from you could be a sex offender that has done far worse and has yet to be caught.
One never knows
Chief cook, bottle washer & spider killer...Comment
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It's nothing to do with licensing laws, as far as I know. Just what I have been told at every neighborhood meeting about a sex offender moving into the neighborhood. And it's on the notification papers that they send to daycares about the lower level offenders.
Maybe it's a city or county law? I don't know. I only know what I have been told at the meetings.Comment
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I faced this issue a couple of years ago. I bought new construction (800 new houses, upper middle class neighborhood and the sex offender moved in RIGHT NEXT DOOR, maybe 20 feet away. It was not a 'Romeo & Juliet' situation as the victim was 8, and he was listed as a sexual predator in big red letters. I operated my daycare WITH a license WITH him living there for about 6 years. I told my licensor, nothing. Most of my original clients were my neighbors and then word of mouth. I ALWAYS told them, and surprisingly enough didn't knowingly lose any clients to it (probably deterred a few looking). He was married with kids.
He was super creepy. It was awkward because the whole neighborhood knew, and he wanted to fit in like any other family. A few of the neighbors came out and said "we know, and we don't want to socialize with you -- stay away". This made him super defensive and made everything worse. He started going to the bus stop to get his daughter and striking up inappropriate conversations with the neighbors to get a rise out them. Blowing kisses to parents of the other kids when they wouldn't look him in the eye. Tried to start fights, sit in his chair at the bottom of the driveway drunk, asking for fights (wanted it on his property so he wouldn't get in trouble). Police were called many times.
I called my local police dept. when it first realized he was here and I had a daycare... they said he was grandfathered in and didn't have to move. I called the State Police to ask about the rules for the bus stop. I told her I was a licensed day care, and he was free to walk by my house and greet elementary children off the bus, with all the creepy stuff he made me nervous. She said - Whoa, you're licensed?
Next day, a police officer came to my door and told me they were kicking him out of his house in 10 days. He had a bad record with the local police and was a known sociopath, and he offered me all the information to get a restraining order. I never lost any kids throughout this ordeal. It was so nutty. He even tried to get me to write a letter to the state telling them he was a good neighbor, when I refused he switched gears and told me he went through all the sex offender therapy classes and knows how the sex offenders get away with things... and lastly to "watch my daughter". He moved into a local motel, but could come visit any time he pleased. He soon after got divorced and sold the house. Now a cop moved in and they're a much nicer family.
Basically, I was up front and told them how I was going to protect their children and they all believed in my abilities to keep them safe. It is better to know he's there and what you can do to protect against them. It's nice to play in the yard again.
Still have nightmares...Comment
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