No Parents Allowed in Classroom

[Meeko]

I am in Utah. Regs state that a parent must have access to their child and to any area their child may be in during the day.

I give plenty of time at interview for parents to see my home and look around. Other than that, licensing takes care of inspections and parents can check licensing records.

I make sure that parents know they have access to THEIR child and THEIR child only.

If they insist on re-inspecting my home, they have a legal right to....however they have to wait until I can safely remove all other children from areas they want to see. They will NEVER be allowed to be around a child who is not their own.

I also feel that if a parent has that much distrust in my care and feels they have to re-inspect my home....then they need to take their child elsewhere. I expect a trusting relationship. If they have a concern, I expect an open, adult discussion. They can talk to me or to licensing.

For a parent to show up out of the blue and demand to inspect someone's home shows IMMENSE distrust of the provider and a parent should look for other care, such as a nanny.

[daycare]

this is exactly how I feel...

If you need to inspect my home, then perhaps you don't trust me and if you don't trust me we are not a good fit for each other.

[Crystal]

I understand other providers' feelings and stance regarding not wanting parents walking around their home, and the need for a trusting relationship.

That said, I have never considered parents to be mistrusting simply because they wish to see the space their child plays in on a daily basis. I look at it as the parent taking an interest in their child's life. My families always entered my home and came in to spend a few moments with their children and their provider in the environment in which their child plays, grows and develops. I think that being welcoming to them in such a way DID build trust, and I always had very close relationships with the children and families in my program. Of course, parents were never alone with the children, but they did spend time here daily, when time allowed, of course.

I also consider all of the cases of abuse at child care programs that parents hear about in the news......most of the parents who have had a child abused, or god forbid, die in the care of a child care provider trusted their provider as well, probably so much so that they didn't feel the need to "inspect" the environment. I wonder if some of those parents feel as though there may have been a different outcome had they regularly spent a few moments in those environments. I wonder if parents who have children in care feel as though it is pertinent that they do so, in an effort to prevent something awful happening. No matter how much one trusts a provider, you can never 100%, without a doubt, trust anyone, especially someone who is basically a stranger to you and your child. I know I didn't fully trust anyone with my children when they were young, hence my reason for becoming a provider in the first place.

[Rockgirl]

I understand other providers' feelings and stance regarding not wanting parents walking around their home, and the need for a trusting relationship.

That said, I have never considered parents to be mistrusting simply because they wish to see the space their child plays in on a daily basis. I look at it as the parent taking an interest in their child's life. My families always entered my home and came in to spend a few moments with their children and their provider in the environment in which their child plays, grows and develops. I think that being welcoming to them in such a way DID build trust, and I always had very close relationships with the children and families in my program. Of course, parents were never alone with the children, but they did spend time here daily, when time allowed, of course.

I also consider all of the cases of abuse at child care programs that parents hear about in the news......most of the parents who have had a child abused, or god forbid, die in the care of a child care provider trusted their provider as well, probably so much so that they didn't feel the need to "inspect" the environment. I wonder if some of those parents feel as though there may have been a different outcome had they regularly spent a few moments in those environments. I wonder if parents who have children in care feel as though it is pertinent that they do so, in an effort to prevent something awful happening. No matter how much one trusts a provider, you can never 100%, without a doubt, trust anyone, especially someone who is basically a stranger to you and your child. I know I didn't fully trust anyone with my children when they were young, hence my reason for becoming a provider in the first place.

Yep, my thoughts as well!

[Blackcat31]

I understand other providers' feelings and stance regarding not wanting parents walking around their home, and the need for a trusting relationship.

That said, I have never considered parents to be mistrusting simply because they wish to see the space their child plays in on a daily basis. I look at it as the parent taking an interest in their child's life. My families always entered my home and came in to spend a few moments with their children and their provider in the environment in which their child plays, grows and develops. I think that being welcoming to them in such a way DID build trust, and I always had very close relationships with the children and families in my program. Of course, parents were never alone with the children, but they did spend time here daily, when time allowed, of course.

I also consider all of the cases of abuse at child care programs that parents hear about in the news......most of the parents who have had a child abused, or god forbid, die in the care of a child care provider trusted their provider as well, probably so much so that they didn't feel the need to "inspect" the environment. I wonder if some of those parents feel as though there may have been a different outcome had they regularly spent a few moments in those environments. I wonder if parents who have children in care feel as though it is pertinent that they do so, in an effort to prevent something awful happening. No matter how much one trusts a provider, you can never 100%, without a doubt, trust anyone, especially someone who is basically a stranger to you and your child. I know I didn't fully trust anyone with my children when they were young, hence my reason for becoming a provider in the first place.

[daycare]

I understand other providers' feelings and stance regarding not wanting parents walking around their home, and the need for a trusting relationship.

That said, I have never considered parents to be mistrusting simply because they wish to see the space their child plays in on a daily basis. I look at it as the parent taking an interest in their child's life. My families always entered my home and came in to spend a few moments with their children and their provider in the environment in which their child plays, grows and develops. I think that being welcoming to them in such a way DID build trust, and I always had very close relationships with the children and families in my program. Of course, parents were never alone with the children, but they did spend time here daily, when time allowed, of course.

I also consider all of the cases of abuse at child care programs that parents hear about in the news......most of the parents who have had a child abused, or god forbid, die in the care of a child care provider trusted their provider as well, probably so much so that they didn't feel the need to "inspect" the environment. I wonder if some of those parents feel as though there may have been a different outcome had they regularly spent a few moments in those environments. I wonder if parents who have children in care feel as though it is pertinent that they do so, in an effort to prevent something awful happening. No matter how much one trusts a provider, you can never 100%, without a doubt, trust anyone, especially someone who is basically a stranger to you and your child. I know I didn't fully trust anyone with my children when they were young, hence my reason for becoming a provider in the first place.

I used to be exactly this way. I have nothing to hide and all of my parents used to be welcome in my daycare rooms at any time. HOWEVER in the last few years, I have seen a huge change in parenting which has resulted a huge change in how children behave today.

Today, I find that about 99.9 % of my kids can't follow the rules when their parent is here and 99.9% of the parents do nothing about it. So I have no desire to invite this in.

NOW if you can manage your child while you are here and follow the rules, then I would have no problem if you came in and finished coloring a picture with your child, but just know that you must be under staff supervision, as there are other children around.

sadly, this is not the case.

when I allowed parents to come in, they used it as a social time with other parents while their child ran like crazy destroying my house. The parents today don't mind their children like in years past.

So for me and most, it is only fair that everyone has the same rule of pick up and go.

Every question or concern a parent has about their child or my program isVERY important to me and I am sure that just about all of us can say the same. so I hope that at anytime they every needed something addressed they are comfortable enough to ask. If they are not comfortable with being able to ask, then they are not in the right program.

Yes, we need to address licensing rules and regs and follow them to the T, but we also must set up a successful program that doesn't allow for chaos and destruction to take place.

I really think this is why so many places are resorting to this type of no parent in the classroom, becuase sadly it's not the child, it's the parent not parenting the child. and as they say, it only takes one to ruin if for everybody else.

[Hunni Bee]

I just think it's neither necessary nor okay. I can understand someone's private home, but in a center classroom - what for? Unless people are lingering or excessively interacting with other people's children, it just seems cold.

For myself, I work at the center where my two-year-old daughter attends, so I have the luxury of peeking at her without entering her room at different times of the day. But I went to pick her up one day, and she was playing in the kitchen center. I watched her painstakingly separate all the silverware, dishes, food, etc and put them away in the correct baskets without a single prompt. I was impressed. I wouldn't have know she could do that if I wasn't allowed in her classroom.

[Meeko]

I used to be exactly this way. I have nothing to hide and all of my parents used to be welcome in my daycare rooms at any time. HOWEVER in the last few years, I have seen a huge change in parenting which has resulted a huge change in how children behave today.

Today, I find that about 99.9 % of my kids can't follow the rules when their parent is here and 99.9% of the parents do nothing about it. So I have no desire to invite this in.

NOW if you can manage your child while you are here and follow the rules, then I would have no problem if you came in and finished coloring a picture with your child, but just know that you must be under staff supervision, as there are other children around.

sadly, this is not the case.

when I allowed parents to come in, they used it as a social time with other parents while their child ran like crazy destroying my house. The parents today don't mind their children like in years past.

So for me and most, it is only fair that everyone has the same rule of pick up and go.

Every question or concern a parent has about their child or my program isVERY important to me and I am sure that just about all of us can say the same. so I hope that at anytime they every needed something addressed they are comfortable enough to ask. If they are not comfortable with being able to ask, then they are not in the right program.

Yes, we need to address licensing rules and regs and follow them to the T, but we also must set up a successful program that doesn't allow for chaos and destruction to take place.

I really think this is why so many places are resorting to this type of no parent in the classroom, becuase sadly it's not the child, it's the parent not parenting the child. and as they say, it only takes one to ruin if for everybody else.

I agree.

I used to have a "come on in and stay a while" attitude. That changed after I discovered one of our daycare dad's was a child molester. Even though he was never alone with the kids, it frightened me to death that he had been there many, many times feasting his sick eyes on my daycare kids. We have no idea who these parents really are.

I also think parenting has changed. I used to be confident that if a child decided to push boundaries, that the parent would step in straight away.

Doesn't happen now. Today's parents think it's perfectly OK for their kids to jump on somebody's couch, to interrupt an adult and to basically run riot.

So I make sure parents know......MY house. MY rules.

I meet all state regs and have had a perfect record for over 30 years. If that's not enough...and they don't trust me to keep a safe and clean home......then bye-bye!!

[Play Care]

I understand everyone has their comfort levels.

But at the end of the day if the state has a regulation saying parents can have access to their day care area/building/facility then it's kind of a non issue. Doesn't matter that you don't like it, you can't say no.

And that said, if I had a parent who insisted on being here, hanging out, etc I would probably term. Ends the problem without me getting a citation for not complying with regs.

[daycare]

I understand everyone has their comfort levels.

But at the end of the day if the state has a regulation saying parents can have access to their day care area/building/facility then it's kind of a non issue. Doesn't matter that you don't like it, you can't say no.

And that said, if I had a parent who insisted on being here, hanging out, etc I would probably term. Ends the problem without me getting a citation for not complying with regs.

Big difference in hanging out and wanting to inspect.

[Play Care]

Big difference in hanging out and wanting to inspect.

Not really. Make no mistake, a parent who is hanging out at a child care is in all likelihood inspecting the day care. Seeing how the provider interacts with the kids, seeing how the space works, checking out what activities are being offered, etc.

But legally you do not have the right to tell a parent the can't have access to view the day care space during day care hours.
It doesn't get much clearer than that.

You can try to talk out both sides of your tongue until the cows come home. It doesn't matter. If a parent asks to inspect a space during day care hours you can't say no.
That's not opinion, it's a fact.

[daycare]

I understand what you are saying and YES a parent has every right to come into the childcare and if they wanted to, I do have to allow them to, but I DO NOT have to allow them to hang out.

When a parent comes to possibly enroll, I will show them every area their child will be allowed to play in/sleep etc and they can take the time to inspect those areas at that time.

If a parent walked in and said do you mind if I check out or inspect the daycare after being enrolled for any length of time, of course we have to allow them and of course I would. BUT I would also ask is there something wrong? To me that just seems like they have a concern that needs to be addressed.

Daily I do have parents ask, do you mind if I go watch them play in the backyard through the window and of course I have no problem with that. AS LONG AS THEY ARE NOT CREATING ISSUES, like out of control child or the parent just wants to hang out and talk. Sorry I don't have time for that, I have kids to care for and you can call me later when I am free to talk. I do have every right to ask them to leave if they are creating issues, because when they create issues it jeopardizes my ability to care for all of the other children in care. which i believe that in our licensing regs it does state that at no time should another child's needs jeopardize the care of others. Our regs do state under section 102417 that children must be supervised at all times.

If I had to constantly allow for a parent to inspect my home, then I would not be able to abide by that reg.

Nanny de bye bye outside was even approved by my inspector, not giving the parent access to the home daily because of the fact that I was giving the parent prior knowledge that this was going to be taking place every day when they came to get their child. However, if the parent asked to come in I would have to allow them to. In this case if I had a child that needed bye bye outside but would not agree to it, then I would have to term.

[Play Care]

I understand what you are saying and YES a parent has every right to come into the childcare and if they wanted to, I do have to allow them to, but I DO NOT have to allow them to hang out.

When a parent comes to possibly enroll, I will show them every area their child will be allowed to play in/sleep etc and they can take the time to inspect those areas at that time.

If a parent walked in and said do you mind if I check out or inspect the daycare after being enrolled for any length of time, of course we have to allow them and of course I would. BUT I would also ask is there something wrong? To me that just seems like they have a concern that needs to be addressed.

Daily I do have parents ask, do you mind if I go watch them play in the backyard through the window and of course I have no problem with that. AS LONG AS THEY ARE NOT CREATING ISSUES, like out of control child or the parent just wants to hang out and talk. Sorry I don't have time for that, I have kids to care for and you can call me later when I am free to talk. I do have every right to ask them to leave if they are creating issues, because when they create issues it jeopardizes my ability to care for all of the other children in care. which i believe that in our licensing regs it does state that at no time should another child's needs jeopardize the care of others. Our regs do state under section 102417 that children must be supervised at all times.

If I had to constantly allow for a parent to inspect my home, then I would not be able to abide by that reg.

Nanny de bye bye outside was even approved by my inspector, not giving the parent access to the home daily because of the fact that I was giving the parent prior knowledge that this was going to be taking place every day when they came to get their child. However, if the parent asked to come in I would have to allow them to. In this case if I had a child that needed bye bye outside but would not agree to it, then I would have to term.

I never said you had to allow a parent to hang out. I said IF I had a parent who insisted on hanging out, I would term, because it would mean they didn't trust me. In response to your post I simply pointed out that "hanging" out is another way for parents to try to inspect the day care.

And I even said in my op that I would allow a parent to inspect the day care area if they asked because I have to, but it most likely would mean a term was coming.

I don't like it any better than anyone else. But if it's a reg then it's a reg.

[Crystal]

I understand what you are saying and YES a parent has every right to come into the childcare and if they wanted to, I do have to allow them to, but I DO NOT have to allow them to hang out.

When a parent comes to possibly enroll, I will show them every area their child will be allowed to play in/sleep etc and they can take the time to inspect those areas at that time.

If a parent walked in and said do you mind if I check out or inspect the daycare after being enrolled for any length of time, of course we have to allow them and of course I would. BUT I would also ask is there something wrong? To me that just seems like they have a concern that needs to be addressed.

Daily I do have parents ask, do you mind if I go watch them play in the backyard through the window and of course I have no problem with that. AS LONG AS THEY ARE NOT CREATING ISSUES, like out of control child or the parent just wants to hang out and talk. Sorry I don't have time for that, I have kids to care for and you can call me later when I am free to talk. I do have every right to ask them to leave if they are creating issues, because when they create issues it jeopardizes my ability to care for all of the other children in care. which i believe that in our licensing regs it does state that at no time should another child's needs jeopardize the care of others. Our regs do state under section 102417 that children must be supervised at all times.

If I had to constantly allow for a parent to inspect my home, then I would not be able to abide by that reg.

Nanny de bye bye outside was even approved by my inspector, not giving the parent access to the home daily because of the fact that I was giving the parent prior knowledge that this was going to be taking place every day when they came to get their child. However, if the parent asked to come in I would have to allow them to. In this case if I had a child that needed bye bye outside but would not agree to it, then I would have to term.

I don't think anyone is arguing the fact that you must supervise at all times or that you cannot allow for visiting parents to disrupt care or supervision. IMO, you are being rather defensive about the whole thing and are stating things that no one has disputed with you - no one is arguing with you about your preferences, the argument was/is only the fact that it is a regulation and it has to be allowed if a parent requests.

Now, in reality, I don't think a parent would ever ask to "inspect". Not as licensing would do anyway. A parent inspection would/should consist of basic observation of the child in the space they play/sleep/toilet, etc. I certainly wouldn't allow going through drawers, cupboards, closets, etc. as those areas are off limits to children. But, come in and observe and check out play/sleep/toileting spaces, no problem. Again, all within reason, for short periods of time.

[Snowmom]

https://www.revisor.mn.gov/rules/?id=9503

9503.0095 PARENT VISITATION.
Parents of enrolled children may visit the center any time during the hours of operation.

Blackcat: I know that you're aware that I'm in the same state too, so I was curious about this (although my business is in-home).
I looked up the statute and that's a pretty broad definition. Technically, "Parents of enrolled children may visit the center any time during the hours of operation" can mean stepping foot into the front door. Not necessarily walking through the front door, down the hallway and into a classroom.
There is no elaboration on to what "visit" means or defines.
Have you personally discussed this statute with licensing?
They are notorious for gray areas, so I'm curious as to how open to interpretation it is.