DCF with Bed Bugs... AGAIN

[Provider_Manda]

Dcm lives in an apartment, the apartment had it treated with heat. I told her to treat her car, but I'm assuming she probably done nothing other than letting them do the heat. She tried to bring her back today. I told her no, not till it was treated again. I would not be so lucky to have someone pay for my home to be treated.

[Thriftylady]

Dcm lives in an apartment, the apartment had it treated with heat. I told her to treat her car, but I'm assuming she probably done nothing other than letting them do the heat. She tried to bring her back today. I told her no, not till it was treated again. I would not be so lucky to have someone pay for my home to be treated.

She may not want to ask them to treat again. I know someone who got evicted from their apartment a year or so ago due to having bed bugs. The apartment complex charged them for the fee for the treatment, and they couldn't pay it so got evicted. I am not sure how I feel about that, because in an apartment, it would be hard to say which unit they started in.

[EntropyControlSpecialist]

There are ways to get rid of bed bugs... the fact the parent hasn't taken even the least easiest route, makes a provider say termination.

Parent could have covered everything including mattress & boxspring in bed bug wrap... parent could have bagged clothing, stuffed animals & such then bought some new until 12 months down the line, parent could spend bukue $$ to heat treat - the fact is the daycare providers have to do the same things...

if a parent won't help get rid of the problem then we have no choice but to say buh buy. Why should the provider have to keep dealing with an issue that costs $$$$ if a parent won't? The fact the parent isn't helping or refuses to follow policies means termination to me

It's not that I don't understand. I certainly do. I'm just not sure how a termination would be worded so it doesn't seem rude, if that makes sense...

Perhaps if you exclude the child long enough, or inform her that you will be having to exclude the child for a lengthy amount of time and it might be in her best interest financially to withdraw...

[LysesKids]

Dcm lives in an apartment, the apartment had it treated with heat. I told her to treat her car, but I'm assuming she probably done nothing other than letting them do the heat. She tried to bring her back today. I told her no, not till it was treated again. I would not be so lucky to have someone pay for my home to be treated.

If she's in an APT and the complex supposedly treated, they should have treated the whole building; bed bugs travel, hide in walls etc. I doubt that happened because one she would have been displaced for a day along with everyone else if heat was used, plus many complexes charge the tenant for the treatment.

[Provider_Manda]

If she's in an APT and the complex supposedly treated, they should have treated the whole building; bed bugs travel, hide in walls etc. I doubt that happened because one she would have been displaced for a day along with everyone else if heat was used, plus many complexes charge the tenant for the treatment.

Yes the complex treated them all, cause they found a nest on the side of her bed I'm just wondering if she has someone body that has brought them back in. She's only 19, and has people there all the time.

[LysesKids]

Yes the complex treated them all, cause they found a nest on the side of her bed I'm just wondering if she has someone body that has brought them back in. She's only 19, and has people there all the time.

Then she should have gotten rid of the bed & gotten a new one... mattresses need to be steam heated to kill the darn things & if they found a nest then it would have been wiser to seal in plastic & remove it. The problem is probably still there

[childcaremom]

Yes the complex treated them all, cause they found a nest on the side of her bed I'm just wondering if she has someone body that has brought them back in. She's only 19, and has people there all the time.

That emoji does not do justice to the heeby jeebys I am feeling right now.

[Thriftylady]

It's not that I don't understand. I certainly do. I'm just not sure how a termination would be worded so it doesn't seem rude, if that makes sense...

Perhaps if you exclude the child long enough, or inform her that you will be having to exclude the child for a lengthy amount of time and it might be in her best interest financially to withdraw...

My contract states I can term at will. However I would probably not mind telling the parent that the risk of bed bugs to my home was my reason. I just can't afford that problem. And that is one of the top five things on my list I worry about doing daycare.

[childcaremom]

My contract states I can term at will. However I would probably not mind telling the parent that the risk of bed bugs to my home was my reason. I just can't afford that problem. And that is one of the top five things on my list I worry about doing daycare.

This exactly. I don't want the cost (or chemicals!) of extermination. Not to mention everything that I would have to replace.

I do not want to lose other dcfs that may end up with an infestation from here or worry about getting one if I have them.

It does not make business sense to me to keep a family with an infestation. Especially a repeated one.

[CityGarden]

My contract states I can term at will. However I would probably not mind telling the parent that the risk of bed bugs to my home was my reason. I just can't afford that problem. And that is one of the top five things on my list I worry about doing daycare.

This exactly. I don't want the cost (or chemicals!) of extermination. Not to mention everything that I would have to replace.

I do not want to lose other dcfs that may end up with an infestation from here or worry about getting one if I have them.

It does not make business sense to me to keep a family with an infestation. Especially a repeated one.

I agree with both of these statments. Bedbugs is not something I ever want to deal with and I certainly could not take it a second time from a family.

[daycarediva]

What would I do?

Personally, I would terminate care.

I just could not deal with that and I would not be willing to risk it for my own personal reasons and on behalf of the other families.

Its a loss of income for sure (to terminate) but I bet it's a savings in the long run as you won't have to continually clean and sanitize over and over.

TERM. NOW. I had a dcb bring in an actual live bedbug on his bag months ago. I have had to pay quite a bit of money to have my home inspected. We covered every mattress, pillow and box spring with special protectors. It has cost me FAR more than keeping that child ever would have.

The inspector said it could take up to a YEAR to rule out bedbugs being in my home.

WEEKLY I am STILL checking every inch of the covered mattresses in my home.

NO WAY.

It costs $$$ to treat a house properly... unlike lice bedbugs can hibernate for many months even in enclosed plastic bags. One way to kill them is extreme high heat up to 12 hrs & you definantly can't be in the home or you will become a roast literally - it's called professional help. There are other ways too, but once they get in a mattress or couch you can consider just junking them & getting new... it's one reason I never buy used stuff. I had them once when I was first on my own ( roommate brought them in); I walked away from everything & started over

BTW, I would term because they aren't handling the situation...

[EntropyControlSpecialist]

I would terminate then from all of the horror stories that are being posted. Holy moly.

For future reference, would y'all terminate a family only if they try and return with bedbugs a second time? Or, are some of you saying you would terminate from the very first time?

[Blackcat31]

For future reference, would y'all terminate a family only if they try and return with bedbugs a second time? Or, are some of you saying you would terminate from the very first time?

For me it depends HIGHLY on each individual family.

Some I 100% trust and some I don't know....

I'd have to handle it case by case.

[EntropyControlSpecialist]

For me it depends HIGHLY on each individual family.

Some I 100% trust and some I don't know....

I'd have to handle it case by case.

Good point. Very good point.

[Thriftylady]

For me it depends HIGHLY on each individual family.

Some I 100% trust and some I don't know....

I'd have to handle it case by case.

This. I think it really just depends. Some people I think would treat and would notify me at first sight. Others I think would try to hide it. If I found out a family was trying to hide it, I would term right then.