Licensed/Registered?

[Unregistered]

Have any of you ever heard of a state not allowing a home provider to be licensed?

I currently am set up through the state to provide daycare for families on welfare or low income. The state pays me to provide care for children. Upon enrollment I was given a certificate and told to create a hanbook and contract. All adults in my home must be fingerprinted and background checked etc. I am required to have a program to follow on a daily basis including curriculum and such just as the centers do. I have to take 4, 2 hour classes each year in order to have the state clients. I am inspected yearly by the state for paperwork on every child on care, supplies, as well as my home, hot water tank, the works. When I created the handbook I started out with I was a licensed provider... in the book I have other areas that mention my licensing regulations (Forms and such I was told I am required to have on file). The county monitor reads my handbook every year and always checks it off saying it's perfect. He has even made copies and sent them to other providers as a guide for creating their own.

Here is where it gets confusing. A client asked me why I claim to be licensed when I am not. I showed her the certificate and she said all that means is I am registered. I called my Resource center and they said the same. I felt like a fool!! I asked how I go about getting a full licence instead fo just being registered. She said it's impossible that the state does not allow ANY home provider to be licensed that the best we can ever get is registered. I explained I had advertised I was certified. She said I can't even say that. She said the best I can advertise is that I am state registered and only in my state. I explained how the county monitor checks off everything that says I am licensed and she said it must be an oversight on his part because he is use to dealing with the centers as well and they ARE licensed but a home can NEVER be licensed.

Now I just feel like I'm a babysitter with nothing special to offer.

Have any of you ever heard of this?

[Cat Herder]

It is the same here. Don't freak out, it is just semantics.

You are a "Registered Home Daycare" like many of us here. That IS our "license".

In many places it goes a step further in types like "Group Home" or "Family Home" depending on the number of kids you are allowed to keep.

Only large centers, with many employees, are "licensed". That is why it is a red flag for parents looking for childcare when a home daycare claims to be "Licensed". The websites teach them that is a false claim and they should question it. YKWIM?

Advertise as "Registered" and you will see a turn around in how phone interviews go. I promise.

[snbauser]

It just depends on your state and how they oversee childcare facilities. Here you are licensed as either family child care, center in a residence, or a center. There is no registered. But I know I am close to the SC border and they have registered for family child care and licensed for centers.

[cheerfuldom]

It doesn't really sound like a problem to me. If no other home daycare is allowed to use the title "licensed" than it is not like you are being penalized or anything. Your services, experience, etc. are still the same. It is just a matter of the wording with the state, not a reflection on the quality of your daycare. In my state, we have more of a variety of titles but even still, many parents don't care about that. They are looking for something specific (either a certain rate, location, ratio, etc) and the vast majority of my interviewees do not even ask what my status with the state is.

[melskids]

its the same here.

home daycares are registered

group daycare, (larger but still in-home), is licensed

on my advertisements i say "NY state registered in-home Childcare"

most clients dont know the difference anyway.....

[PitterPatter]

So what happens if you stop accepting state paid clients, do you lose your "registration" and just become a babysitter? Is is legal to babysit (ugh I hate that word so I am gonna say provide ok) Anyway to provide care to private paying clients do you need some kind of certificate? How many can a person have if they have no registration or license?

[Cat Herder]

So what happens if you stop accepting state paid clients, do you lose your "registration" and just become a babysitter?

I do not accept State paid clients and nothing changes at all with licensing.

You must be registered if you keep more than 2 kids for pay, regardless of relationship, here.

[nannyde]

Now I just feel like I'm a babysitter with nothing special to offer.

Have any of you ever heard of this?

Iowa does the same thing. We don't have licensed homes.

It's OKAY to be a babysitter.

[ninosqueridos]

In NJ, being registered IS our license. The State only grants licenses to centers of 6+ children, and those of use who care for a maximum of 5 in our home are called "registered."

I love it when parents ask me whether I'm licensed and I explain to them the correct terminology. Then they go on, "oh, but so-and-so claimed to be licensed with the state on craiglist" and I reply, "well so-and-so cannot be licensed in NJ - ask her if she is registered." Anyone who has actually BEEN through the process would know the difference.

[Meeko]

Amazing how states differ!

Here in Utah we have BOTH types of "licensing"

I am fully licensed.

If I wanted to (and only had 8 dck's), I could hold a residential certificate. Still inspected by the state etc, but not as often...less training required etc.

Some rc holders here claim to be licensed and it bugs me no end. Their inspection is set up 6 weeks in advance. The checklist is shorter and they don't get drop any un-announced visits. Their training requirements are less too.

I am licensed for 16 kids,,,(so I MUST be fully licensed) but you can have up to 8 kids whether you are rc or licensed. I personally don't see why they bother with rc..........but I was told they would prefer providers meet at least a minimum of state standards.

What bugs me is that an 18 year old straight out of high school can get a rc to do day care in her mom's basement. She has to go to a five training class and she's good to go. Just 5 hours ongoing training is required per year. I have been doing day care for 25 years and am the mother of 4......yet I have to have 20 hours of training per year and several inspections! Makes no sense to me really. I would have thought the kid would need more training than a veteran......

[PitterPatter]

Well I guess if we are gonna get technical I am merely a state registered home childcare provider for 6 children. We have to follow the same guidelines and have most of the same certifications as centers. We have to take the classes in different core competencies as well as renew our CPR and 1st aid certificates yearly. We have the home inspections and monitoring also.

I personally don't care for the term babysitter because it makes me think of a teenager sitting on her rear watching TV, chatting on the phone while the children run wild.

[SunflowerMama]

In Texas in home childcares can be either...registered or licensed.

Licensed homes can watch more children, have more education/experience requirements for the owner/director, more frequent inspections and more required training hours per year.

It just depends on your state.

[morgan24]

In MI it's the law that you have to be licensed. There are two types of licenses a family license is for 6 kids and you don't need a helper. A group license is for 12 kids and you have to have a helper any time your over 6.

[PitterPatter]

Amazing how states differ!

Here in Utah we have BOTH types of "licensing"

I am fully licensed.

If I wanted to (and only had 8 dck's), I could hold a residential certificate. Still inspected by the state etc, but not as often...less training required etc.

Some rc holders here claim to be licensed and it bugs me no end. Their inspection is set up 6 weeks in advance. The checklist is shorter and they don't get drop any un-announced visits. Their training requirements are less too.

I am licensed for 16 kids,,,(so I MUST be fully licensed) but you can have up to 8 kids whether you are rc or licensed. I personally don't see why they bother with rc..........but I was told they would prefer providers meet at least a minimum of state standards.

What bugs me is that an 18 year old straight out of high school can get a rc to do day care in her mom's basement. She has to go to a five training class and she's good to go. Just 5 hours ongoing training is required per year. I have been doing day care for 25 years and am the mother of 4......yet I have to have 20 hours of training per year and several inspections! Makes no sense to me really. I would have thought the kid would need more training than a veteran......

Wow what about CPR/1st aid and the dif core compt. classes? I guess I fall in the middle there somewhere. I have to do more trainings each year. I am only permitted 6 kids and I have a good sized home with a big yard. When getting set up don't they take the size of the home/rooms/yard into account to determin the amount of children best suited for the home?

[Meeko]

Wow what about CPR/1st aid and the dif core compt. classes? I guess I fall in the middle there somewhere. I have to do more trainings each year. I am only permitted 6 kids and I have a good sized home with a big yard. When getting set up don't they take the size of the home/rooms/yard into account to determin the amount of children best suited for the home?

We do have to have 1st Aid and CPR. And yes they do measure the home to see how many you can tend. That's the same with both rc and licensed.