They Changed The Laws In Virginia

[Cozy_Kids_Childcare]

Well they passed that July 2016 unlicensed daycare providers can only have 4 unrelated children and your own children do not count towards the total. Right now it is 5 and your kids don't count. I'm not sure how having one less child is going to change anything. People are still going to break the rules and keep more than they should.

They are also July 2017 requiring fingerprint background checks on anyone keeping children in any form.

My question is how are they going to enforce these new regulations when
A) they can't enforce the current regulation of 5 kids unlicensed until something severe or deadly happens.
B) if they can't enforce or won't enforce the first change then how will they be able to enforce the second.

[Baby Beluga]

I am not sure. Perhaps they are changing the law to make it appear like they are trying to do something when in reality it wont really help?

Or maybe they feel that one less child will cut down on earnable income and phase some providers out?

[Sunchimes]

In Texas, there is no legally unlicensed exactly. We have a license number and pay a fee each year. Everyone has background checks. But there are no inspections, and we can only have 3 unrelated kids. If they are children, grandkids, nieces or nephews, or cousins, we can have 12. I wish we could have 4!

[Cozy_Kids_Childcare]

In Texas, there is no legally unlicensed exactly. We have a license number and pay a fee each year. Everyone has background checks. But there are no inspections, and we can only have 3 unrelated kids. If they are children, grandkids, nieces or nephews, or cousins, we can have 12. I wish we could have 4!

We have the option of being unlicensed, voluntarily regestered ( can only have 5 kids. Get background checked and pay a fee for a company to come inspect every two years), licensed where it is full on. There are many many many unlicensed providers here that watch multiple children over the limit. I've seen them on criagslist and these trash/treasure FB pages. We are not only limited in numbers but limited by a point system. No matter which way you go you can only have 16pts. A licensed provider can have 8,10,12 kids but can't go over 16pt without an additional provider. The crazy part is that if the provider has her own children under the age of 8 then they count in the points. Yet if an unlicensed provider can watch 5 kids and not have to count their own children.

[originalkat]

Kansas also does not have any legally unlicensed unless the kids are only from one family or related (I am pretty sure). I don't know how they would ever enforce legally unlicensed care????

[Cozy_Kids_Childcare]

Kansas also does not have any legally unlicensed unless the kids are only from one family or related (I am pretty sure). I don't know how they would ever enforce legally unlicensed care????

I agree. Although I watch only the minimum really less than the minimum who would really know if I watched 12 or even 20 kids. That is the scary part. Unless something drastic happens nobody knows. I'm scared of repercusions of not following the law, yet some people can careless.

[Heidi]

Here it's 3, and they can't really keep "illegals" from operating either. I just heard from a reliable source that even when they do catch people, it's no real deterrent.

One lady who lost her license now has 12 or more. They caught her, fined her, and two weeks later, they caught her again and fined her again. They KNOW she is still doing it, but unless they fine her daily, she makes enough from 12 kids that apparently, it's worth it.

A legislator here tried a few years ago to change it to the "one family" rule like some states do. Really? How would that help anything? It'd just be more illegals they can't keep track of, and every time someone throws a playdate, their neighbor would be calling them in for illegal care.

How about they hire one or two investigators full-time JUST to weed out illegals, and fine them EVERY SINGLE time? They'd pay for themselves in a couple weeks, and it might just work. Maybe...

[Cozy_Kids_Childcare]

Here it's 3, and they can't really keep "illegals" from operating either. I just heard from a reliable source that even when they do catch people, it's no real deterrent.

One lady who lost her license now has 12 or more. They caught her, fined her, and two weeks later, they caught her again and fined her again. They KNOW she is still doing it, but unless they fine her daily, she makes enough from 12 kids that apparently, it's worth it.

A legislator here tried a few years ago to change it to the "one family" rule like some states do. Really? How would that help anything? It'd just be more illegals they can't keep track of, and every time someone throws a playdate, their neighbor would be calling them in for illegal care.

How about they hire one or two investigators full-time JUST to weed out illegals, and fine them EVERY SINGLE time? They'd pay for themselves in a couple weeks, and it might just work. Maybe...

I did read somewhere recently that you can spend up to 3-years in jail for running an illegal daycare. No way in hell am I gonna chance that. I love my family more than any money I would make from breaking the law. I have a big phobia of police and judges and anything related to that system. I've wanted to be a paralegal all my life but I've been scared to death of jail since we had a field trip to the one in my city when I was in the 7th grade. So I've always played by the rules.
I doubt they really send anyone to jail but like you said if they had a department dedicated to it or made jail time a real thing it wouldn't happen so often.

[jokalima]

I just moved to VA from CT where I had a licensed DC. If I start as unlicensed here in VA, do I call anyways and let them know? I am just confused about the licensed and unlicensed thing here. How many kids can I watch? Any other requirements?

What is the going rate? I'm in Tappahannock, I think it's pretty slow for DC here but not sure, I've been here for only a week.

Thanks.

[jenboo]

We can't even watch one child without a license here.
I wish we had an option where your own kids don't count.

[LysesKids]

I just moved to VA from CT where I had a licensed DC. If I start as unlicensed here in VA, do I call anyways and let them know? I am just confused about the licensed and unlicensed thing here. How many kids can I watch? Any other requirements?

What is the going rate? I'm in Tappahannock, I think it's pretty slow for DC here but not sure, I've been here for only a week.

Thanks.

You probably won't get Wash DC traffic from where you are because you technically aren't in the Washington Metro area, but if you are lucky you can get commuters to Fredericksburg or Newport News (about an hour either way)... also check regulations if you live inside the City limits because many in VA (mainly NOVA) have regulations that are stricter than state, so even if you can do license exempt, dependent on where you live, they may ask additional things of you before you can start.

[daycare]

We can't even watch one child without a license here.
I wish we had an option where your own kids don't count.

kind of the same here. We can watch one families child without a license, otherwise a license is needed to care for more than one child not your own.

[LysesKids]

kind of the same here. We can watch one families child without a license, otherwise a license is needed to care for more than one child not your own.

I'm allowed 4 here in TN as a legally licensed exempt... because I work with infants/toddlers under 18 months only, even licensed I would still only be allowed 4.

[daycarediva]

NY here- any two without a license. No way to enforce it, although my area is trying.

6 under 5, with only 2 under 2, as a registered provider

[jenboo]

I'm allowed 4 here in TN as a legally licensed exempt... because I work with infants/toddlers under 18 months only, even licensed I would still only be allowed 4.

I can have 5 under two. If i was in the next city i could have 6.
My own count though so my son takes up one of those 5 spots.