I Admire.......

[SandeeAR]

those of you that are willing to be licensed!

I keep reading all these things you HAVE to do and things you CAN'T do. Like paper towels, inspectors coming in, not using a sprinkler during summer.

If I had to be licensed to keep the kids I have, I wouldn't be doing it. I run a safe home, probably more baby proofed than some of thier own homes :: I sanitize, serve good balanced meals, etc. But if I had to jump thru all the hoops you guys do, I would be finding another job!

Again I admire you for being willing to do it!

[MsMe]

We had a lot of trouble in the beggining. We are a 'c' and for some reason it was VERY hard for the state and esp the food prgram to whrap their head around our set up. I will admit things liek teh paper towles drove me nuts at first (seems like such a waste) but with 14 of us it really does keep up healthy. we have been randomly inspected twice in our 7 years (my state is require to inspect 20% of homes a year) so twice is right on sched. and once we got a few little things straightend out everything has been smooth sailing. There are a lot of rules but none are too outragous. I have a friend who is not reg and from what I hear the tax laws have changes and she is losing a lot of her deductions bc she is not reg.

[nannyde]

Iowa isn't bad at all. Their regs are very reasonble. Pretty much in the middle of the road... not too strict... not too lienient.

The Center regs are pretty tough. I honestly can't see how they even make money.

[cheerfuldom]

I don't think my state is that bad, in fact, they could probably crack down a bit more on a couple of daycares that I am thinking of right now....I have no desire to have a dozen kids here anyway so I am happy to remain unlicensed and take only the number I have to in order to make ends meet.

[SilverSabre25]

those of you that are willing to be licensed!

I keep reading all these things you HAVE to do and things you CAN'T do. Like paper towels, inspectors coming in, not using a sprinkler during summer.

If I had to be licensed to keep the kids I have, I wouldn't be doing it. I run a safe home, probably more baby proofed than some of thier own homes :: I sanitize, serve good balanced meals, etc. But if I had to jump thru all the hoops you guys do, I would be finding another job!

Again I admire you for being willing to do it!

I know, I'm right there with you! I'm very relieved that my state doesn't require me to be licensed (and my county won't even license home daycares at all) and yet I can have up to 6 kids--it's just enough that with my own kids I still make a decent living.

[snbauser]

Here it isn't a matter of being willing. If you want to care for more than 2 children full time, it is a requirement. Honestly, I would say family child care regs aren't too bad. Center rules are a pain (that's what I have to follow now). As with all rules some make sense and some are obviously created by someone who has not experience in a classroom.

[Unregistered]

Iowa isn't bad at all. Their regs are very reasonble. Pretty much in the middle of the road... not too strict... not too lienient.

The Center regs are pretty tough. I honestly can't see how they even make money.

What are the rules on pack and plays for sleeping?

[MyAngels]

For me, the benefits of being licensed far outweigh the negatives. I don't think my state's rules are overly strict. I've never compared them to other states, though.

[Lucy]

My licensor told me that my state is one of the most lenient ones. I just assumed they were all pretty much the same, till I started reading posts here. I mentioned it to her and she said "oh yeah, lots of states are really strict - we're one of the most lenient". So I have no problems with it at all.

Also, it is required by law here to be registered, so I have no choice. I think you can watch 2 kids and be unregistered, but that's it. Parents know this when they call, so they always ask if I'm registered. I happily tell them I am, and when they come for the interview I provide them with my reg. number so they can verify that I've never had a complaint in 17 years. So it works to my benefit!!

[nannyde]

What are the rules on pack and plays for sleeping?

We can have them in home daycare but the centers can't. It's not feasable for them to have them anyway. The staff would have them torn to bits in no time. They need industrial strength equipment for their staff.

There was some talk about birth to twelve months having to be in one of the new cribs but no word yet on that.

[Stacy214]

Here in NC the regs are a bit ridiculous, but it's all I know so I'm used to them....

[boysx5]

In Maryland you have to be license to watch any kids other than family or less than 20 hours a month.

[snbauser]

Here in NC the regs are a bit ridiculous, but it's all I know so I'm used to them....

Where in NC are you located? I didn't realize there was anyone else here from NC. I am near the Charlotte area.

[AnythingsPossible]

I find it crazy how much the rules have changed over the years. It seems every year or so rules get more stringent because some provider does something stupid/negligent, so then everyone has to have a rule because of it. Frankly if things continue the way they have been, I will quite daycare due to the rules that need to be followed. Frankly, no amount of rules do any good if there isn't supervision. If you aren't going to take care of children the way you should, rules aren't going to change that.
If they ever require us to have individual cribs for infants, I would have to eliminate infant care from my program. I just don't have room for cribs, especially since we can't have them sleep in a separate area, I'm sure my husband and children would love to have cribs in the living room!

[morgan24]

I'm only licensed because the state makes me. If I was doing daycare without a license I would still follow the rules. What I'm tired of is everytime I renew my license there is a new rule that cost me more money. We renew every 3 years a couple of years ago they added that we have to have CPR every year. I'm not oppose to taking it every 3 years, because nothing really changes. I'm opposed to having to pay for it every year. Last time a radon test. The test was free at the health dept. the place you got the results from was $29.99. It seems to be a bunch of little things that they add that cost money. My next renewal is in Oct. 2012. I'm thinking of not renew at all. The last 3 years it has gotten harder and harder to get kids. My area is high in unemployment, and my location is 4 miles from town. The unlicensed providers closer to town are getting all the kids. Sorry for the little rant, being licensed irritates me lately.