Inspection Blues :(

[Provider_Manda]

I had a surprise inspection one day last week. And lets just say out of 4 1/2 years it has been the worst one yet!! In my county in Ohio, we are now licensed by the state and not just certified by county. So there is now like 6 people who do inspections, all of which tell you something different. To top it off she was accompanied by a State inspector. It was terrible. The woke up my babies from morning nap, wrote me up for things that has been ok every inspection for 4 1/2 years. And because I had some dirty dishes in the sink from breakfast, I got in trouble for that as well. She made me feel like I was an inch tall in my own home. Also wrote me up for missing paperwork that was right there in the folders!!

I'm trying to go through everything and get it all up to compliance, but I just needed to vent. I have never been made to feel like my home was filth (which its not) and because my son got a kitten, well of all times the kitty jumped on the table !! Ugh it was just all around a really bad day, and I'm still mad over it. But I did want to ask what does everyone use for the no smoking and no weapons sign? I have them, but got wrote up because they was in the daycare room and not in my front room. So I'm looking for something small, and maybe together instead of two separate.

[nanglgrl]

I don't have any advice but seriously a no weapons sign? That's ridiculous, I've always thought the no smoking sign was ridiculous but no weapons is worse!

[Provider_Manda]

She asked me what I would do if someone tried to come in smoking.. My reply was "um not let them in" we do not allow smoking here, during business or after! And what's a sign going to do!? Really don't think it would stop someone if they wanted to do something bad enough.

[Provider_Manda]

She asked me what I would do if someone tried to come in smoking.. My reply was "um not let them in" we do not allow smoking here, during business or after! And what's a sign going to do!? Really don't think it would stop someone if they wanted to do something bad enough.

[Second Home]

Maybe you could get a small frame and place it in the entrance with no smoking / no weapons signs in it . At least it will look nice . But yeah that is stupid to require you to post it.

[Unregistered]

Aww sorry you had a bad inspection.
I have the no smoking sign in two places. The first one is in the corner of my welcome entry sign on my gate into my yard which leads to my door. The other is bigger and on its own on the front window next to my door. I just googled online for no smoking signs and picked and printed in color the one that I liked. I just had my annual inspection and my worker gave me a sign, but she said I can still just use my sign if I wanted to.

[Blackcat31]

I had a surprise inspection one day last week. And lets just say out of 4 1/2 years it has been the worst one yet!! In my county in Ohio, we are now licensed by the state and not just certified by county. So there is now like 6 people who do inspections, all of which tell you something different. To top it off she was accompanied by a State inspector. It was terrible. The woke up my babies from morning nap, wrote me up for things that has been ok every inspection for 4 1/2 years. And because I had some dirty dishes in the sink from breakfast, I got in trouble for that as well. She made me feel like I was an inch tall in my own home. Also wrote me up for missing paperwork that was right there in the folders!!

I'm trying to go through everything and get it all up to compliance, but I just needed to vent. I have never been made to feel like my home was filth (which its not) and because my son got a kitten, well of all times the kitty jumped on the table !! Ugh it was just all around a really bad day, and I'm still mad over it. But I did want to ask what does everyone use for the no smoking and no weapons sign? I have them, but got wrote up because they was in the daycare room and not in my front room. So I'm looking for something small, and maybe together instead of two separate.

I'm sorry you had a bad experience.

It has happened to a few providers in my state too and one thing we all learned was to ALWAYS ask the inspector where exactly in the regulations does it say you CAN or CANNOT do "X".

If it isn't written in any of your regulations, they cannot cite you for something you weren't aware was a rule. kwim?

I would not accept a citation for something that is interpreted differently by different inspectors. The regulations each state has (and seems to add to by the day) IS our check list of do's and don'ts and like I said, there is NO WAY I'd accept a citation for something that is not in writing.

(The dirty dishes in the sink is one of the citations that came up....several providers fought their citations and ALL of them got them reversed because NO WHERE in the written regulations does it say you must do the dishes WHEN you have children present in care. It compromises the supervision you are providing the children so that one should be a given in my honest opinion)

[Leigh]

I'm sorry you had a bad experience.

It has happened to a few providers in my state too and one thing we all learned was to ALWAYS ask the inspector where exactly in the regulations does it say you CAN or CANNOT do "X".

If it isn't written in any of your regulations, they cannot cite you for something you weren't aware was a rule. kwim?

I would not accept a citation for something that is interpreted differently by different inspectors. The regulations each state has (and seems to add to by the day) IS our check list of do's and don'ts and like I said, there is NO WAY I'd accept a citation for something that is not in writing.

(The dirty dishes in the sink is one of the citations that came up....several providers fought their citations and ALL of them got them reversed because NO WHERE in the written regulations does it say you must do the dishes WHEN you have children present in care. It compromises the supervision you are providing the children so that one should be a given in my honest opinion)

I had a state inspection last year, and they tried to cite me for my deck spindles being too far apart. I happen to keep the new regs hanging on my fridge by my license. I looked it up and showed him the regs regarding the deck spindles that showed that mine were in compliance. ALWAYS ask to see the reg!

[littletots]

And I thought military license was strict. 😯

[SilverSabre25]

just when i'd started again considering being licensed someday.... (I'm in OH too)

[Unregistered]

I'm sorry you had a bad experience.

It has happened to a few providers in my state too and one thing we all learned was to ALWAYS ask the inspector where exactly in the regulations does it say you CAN or CANNOT do "X".

If it isn't written in any of your regulations, they cannot cite you for something you weren't aware was a rule. kwim?

I would not accept a citation for something that is interpreted differently by different inspectors. The regulations each state has (and seems to add to by the day) IS our check list of do's and don'ts and like I said, there is NO WAY I'd accept a citation for something that is not in writing.

(The dirty dishes in the sink is one of the citations that came up....several providers fought their citations and ALL of them got them reversed because NO WHERE in the written regulations does it say you must do the dishes WHEN you have children present in care. It compromises the supervision you are providing the children so that one should be a given in my honest opinion)

My inspector told me to ask what reg if another inspector questioned me on something.

[Josiegirl]

:hug::hug:
Don't let it get you down. Sometimes inspectors can be so persnickety. And if one is having a bad day to begin with, watch out.
A provider in our area was talked to about spider webs. If they come and look that closely at my place, I'm in trouble.

[SilverSabre25]

:hug::hug:
Don't let it get you down. Sometimes inspectors can be so persnickety. And if one is having a bad day to begin with, watch out.
A provider in our area was talked to about spider webs. If they come and look that closely at my place, I'm in trouble.

Dude when a spider makes a big web outside, we adopt it and name it and protect it. "Joe" was living in a beautiful orb web on our front porch until just a couple days ago. He's either dead or molting, I'm not sure which now. (I did some reading about orb weavers, ). Hopefully molting because I'm rather attached to Joe. And a few years ago we had Fred living on the side of the house for several weeks.

Spiders are beneficial. They're GOOD. the harmful ones can die (recluse, widow, etc), but harmless grass spiders and orb weavers and the like? Live away.

[spedmommy4]

She asked me what I would do if someone tried to come in smoking.. My reply was "um not let them in" we do not allow smoking here, during business or after! And what's a sign going to do!? Really don't think it would stop someone if they wanted to do something bad enough.

Who in the world thought up a no weapons sign regulation??? I laughed out loud when I read that. As if someone is going to read it and think, well I was going to take a weapon in there but now that I see the aren't allowed. . .

[Febby]

:hug::hug:
Don't let it get you down. Sometimes inspectors can be so persnickety. And if one is having a bad day to begin with, watch out.
A provider in our area was talked to about spider webs. If they come and look that closely at my place, I'm in trouble.

I've seen centers around here get in trouble for having crayon marks on the wall and for having puzzles with missing pieces. Of course, those are also usually the same centers that get in trouble for not having background checks on all their staff, being over ratio, etc...

For whatever reason, the state inspectors decided to check every single file at my center. Capacity is almost 300. There's about 40 staff members. SIX state inspectors showed up to do the inspection. Most of the inspection was them looking at files while sitting in the office occasionally watching the center's cameras.

Unless your state has a strict time limit on how soon dishes need to be done, I'd fight the dirty dishes. Supervision has to be a priority and it was still morning when they came. What was their reasoning for not counting your paperwork?

I've never heard of any state requiring a no weapons sign. That's an odd one. (No one tell KY; they have a thing for making us post stuff.) I have no idea what to use.