Registered? State Requirements?

[wdmmom]

I know each state requirement varies to become registered, however a post earlier this week pursued me to ask this:

If you are unregistered, why?

I am unregistered and I was looking to be registered, however, I've been deterred because of what it is going to cost me just to install an egress window. I know I could make the money back and even be able to pick up a couple extra kids but anxiety has gotten the best of me.

Is anyone else just freaked out by allowing people you don't know into your house to say "Yes, you can be registered and do daycare" or "No, you can't"?

How many of you provide daycare in a basement?

What are your state's guidelines? Does anything to you not make sense or is there anything that you refuse to do?

[Michael]

I know we've had some lengthy conversations about this. I could find one from earlier. https://www.daycare.com/forum/showthread.php?t=29250

[Unregistered]

I feel the same way as you. That is why I have not pursued it. There is so much that I am afraid I would have to do before they even license me.

I wish we could watch more than one family unlicensed in this state. I am in MN. We can watch family or family when unlicensed. I wonder if I could do family and one nonfamily member and be legal.

[jen2651]

The initial financial investment does seem to add up at the beginning, but there are grants available for start up financing. I too had to replace a window and I received a $500 grant for that. It didn't cover all my cost (I had to pay $75 out of pocket) plus of course my other needs (additional CO detectors, paperwork, background check etc) BUT, I think in the long run it should pay off. Also, it stinks if you actually don't have the money to spend, but if you can find some way to swing it, it certainly won't hurt you at tax time!

[AfterSchoolMom]

I'd need to install a fence, which is too expensive and which my HOA will not allow. Catch 22. I'm also not a fan at all of the state coming into my home and telling me what I can and can not do/have, even for my own children. It's a financial and a personal choice for me.

[youretooloud]

Here, we have Regulated, or Licensed. It's actually better to be regulated because the rules aren't so strict. To be licensed, you have to jump through so many hoops that it's almost impossible.

One thing I thought was odd, was to be regulated, you MUST keep liquid benadryl in the house at all times in case of a reaction. But, if you are licensed, you can't have liquid benadryl. The fire extinguisher requirements are different.

I don't think anybody here has basements, so I have no idea what requirements for that would be. But, an emergency exit does seem like a good idea. I think I'd want that if I had a basement anyway.

[nannyde]

WDM Mom

I forgot to tell you this morning when we talked that you should also consider that in two years (June 2013) it will be required to be licensed. The law passed three years ago.

When you decide what areas you are going to use consider that you may have a registration/license pre inspection if you apply after that date.

[momma2girls]

WDM Mom

I forgot to tell you this morning when we talked that you should also consider that in two years (June 2013) it will be required to be licensed. The law passed three years ago.

When you decide what areas you are going to use consider that you may have a registration/license pre inspection if you apply after that date.

Can I ask you Nanny de where this info is at? I would love to find it and show all my daycare group this info.

[wdmmom]

Regulation vary from state to state but the link for Iowa's Guidelines is

http://www.dhs.state.ia.us/policyanalysis/PolicyManualPages/Manual_Documents/Master/comm143.pdf

[Unregistered]

This is MsMe for some reason or other i can not log in today.

I am in Iowa and am registered. I was curious about all providers needing to be reg by 2013 as I know a few non-reg providers in the area and wanted to let them know. I googled 'all iowa daycares registered by 2013' and the very first result was this thread!!! haha!


I am a very big supporter of reg with the sate. I am not a hugh fan of ALL of their policies and on a few of them wondered if the people writing them had even spend 3 minutes with a real child But I do agree with 90% of the regulations and LOVE the training requirements. knowledge is an amazing tool when working with children. Nearly ALL the trainings I have been required to attend have helped me to improve my childcare skills.

[rjskids]

I am in Iowa and working on getting registered. By looking at the handbook I'm not seeing any requirements that seem unreasonable? Are there more that are not all listed in there that I don't know about? We are trying to get the house together and following all the "rules" but my DH is afraid we will get hit by another list of things that need to get done. How do I know?

[MsMe]

Our trouble was going from an "A" and "B provider to a "C" and we were also given a book calling "Caring for our Children" it has a rule ofr EVERYTHING were you can put this or that...how and when a baby can sleep...and so one. some of them are a little silly...

We got everythign straightened out a few yearsa ago and have been inspected twice and all is well now. I like being registered as I mentioned before mostly because of the trainings.

[Meyou]

I can have up to 6 children under 12 without a liscense in my province and so far I've been able to support myself without increasing those numbers. I even did it as a single mom for 2 years. To be liscensed I'd need to install a taller fence (my current one is 8" too short) and make a couple of other changes within my home mostly to do with infant care. Since I rent and these costs are out of pocket I've decided not to become liscensed up until now.

I'm going to make the changes within the next year so I have the option to expand my business if I chose. I've had an increasing demand in my area for my type of care and it seems silly to not consider taking advantage of that fact. I just had a mom who wanted care in Jan but said she would extent her mat leave until Sept, 2012 if they could sign a contract with me to start in Sept 2012 which are my first openings. Wow!

[momma2girls]

I am in Iowa and working on getting registered. By looking at the handbook I'm not seeing any requirements that seem unreasonable? Are there more that are not all listed in there that I don't know about? We are trying to get the house together and following all the "rules" but my DH is afraid we will get hit by another list of things that need to get done. How do I know?

WOW!! There are alot of us from Iowa on here!!!!

[sharlan]

When I first quit my job and went into daycare, my kids' provider told me that getting licensed was too much of a hassle with too much interference, so I didn't. I didn't get licensed for 10 years.

I always had that knock on the door over my head. Once I got caught, it wasn't that much of a hassle to get my license. Plus, I started claiming everything on my taxes and was way ahead at the end of the year.

Our inspections are unannounced, but they always seem to call a week or two in advance to see if I am still in business.