State Licenser Visit from Heck!!!

[Stacy214]

Bless your heart! I'm so sorry this happened... I'm waiting on mine to show up anyday now and of course like a previous poster said I'm crabby and nervous on how my kiddos will act, ugh. My husband says (cause he's not here ) that "you can't help how they will act" however, it just looks really bad when they do and reflects on us as providers. Hope you have a good weekend!

[Crystal]

I can totally understand the licensor having an issue with the OP's 12 year old having those responsibilities......she should not be disciplingin the children, she should not be walking them to/from school alone, she should not be changing diapers. The other stuff with the 12 year old seems out of line, but the ones I listed would be HUGE no-no's here.

I also think, regardless of where in the house the children sit, that 5 and 8 is way too old for a sippy cup...ridiculous to be written up for it, but I understand the licensor being irritated by it.

The other stuff is petty, but I totally understand being written up for the 12 year old having such high levels of responsibility with other people's children.

[Cat Herder]

I agree Crystal in that those responsibilities are not what I would want for my daughter, but it is fully legal and ordinary in many places. This is straight from the resource center.

Babysitter Safety - What Parents and Sitters Need to Know

How do I go about choosing a babysitter?

Get a trusted friend or family member if possible.
Get recommendations from friends.
Trade childcare with friends who have kids.
Do not hire a sitter under age 12.
Watch your child’s reaction when you tell them a sitter they know is coming, and listen to what your child says about the sitter afterward.
Meet the sitter in advance, and check references.
Make sure he or she knows CPR and first aid.
Ask whether young sitters have taken the American Red Cross babysitter class. If not, encourage them to take it. If you have a sitter aged 12 to 15 that you like, offer to pay for them to take the class. (the OP's daughter had this)
Have them spend time with you and your kids, and see how they interact with the kids. A good strategy is to hire them first as a “mother’s or father’s helper,” and have them watch the kids while you are home getting something done.

[Crystal]

I agree Crystal in that those responsibilities are not what I would want for my daughter, but it is fully legal and ordinary in many places. This is straight from the resource center.

Babysitter Safety - What Parents and Sitters Need to Know

How do I go about choosing a babysitter?

Get a trusted friend or family member if possible.
Get recommendations from friends.
Trade childcare with friends who have kids.
Do not hire a sitter under age 12.
Watch your child’s reaction when you tell them a sitter they know is coming, and listen to what your child says about the sitter afterward.
Meet the sitter in advance, and check references.
Make sure he or she knows CPR and first aid.
Ask whether young sitters have taken the American Red Cross babysitter class. If not, encourage them to take it. If you have a sitter aged 12 to 15 that you like, offer to pay for them to take the class. (the OP's daughter had this)
Have them spend time with you and your kids, and see how they interact with the kids. A good strategy is to hire them first as a “mother’s or father’s helper,” and have them watch the kids while you are home getting something done.

Oh, I realize it is okay to babysit at 12, but I have never heard of any licensing agency allowing them to participate in Daycare care of children. That's why I can understand the licensor writing that up.

[Cat Herder]

Oh, I realize it is okay to babysit at 12, but I have never heard of any licensing agency allowing them to participate in Daycare care of children. That's why I can understand the licensor writing that up.

Gotcha....

I googled it before I responded this morning.... I thought the same thing you did. I wanted to make sure you knew it, too.

Here they have to be 18 and fingerprinted to help me with actual hands on care.

[Meeko]

Gotcha....

I googled it before I responded this morning.... I thought the same thing you did. I wanted to make sure you knew it, too.

Here they have to be 18 and fingerprinted to help me with actual hands on care.

Different in every state of course! Here helpers must be above 16 and have direct supervision. My 16 year old helps us out on Fridays when school is out and when my numbers are lower, so my son or I can have a three day weekend. But she can never be left alone (other than bathroom breaks).

[Crystal]

Different in every state of course! Here helpers must be above 16 and have direct supervision. My 16 year old helps us out on Fridays when school is out and when my numbers are lower, so my son or I can have a three day weekend. But she can never be left alone (other than bathroom breaks).

It definitley is different in every state. Here, your assistant can be as young as 14, but not left alone with the children. But, just because they can, doesn't mean they should, if you KWIM.

My own children have always helped in the daycare, as they choose, but have never been allowed, even at 18, to discipline them, change their diapers, etc. I feel the parents pay me to do those things. My children are just additional playmates and an extra pair of eyes.

[Karen's Castle]

Sad!

I run a FAMILY DAYCARE, every member in my household has interactions with my DCkids. They are taking everything that makes my daycare mine and turning it into a house with center rules. My 12 year old daughter is a big part of their lives, she is of course not allowed to take over care, she was just trying to save trouble. As far as her changing diapers, she had just passed her Babysitting course and was excited to hold the baby and yes occasionally change diapers with me standing right beside her.
The Licensor said that by allowing SA children to use sippy lids on tupperware cups was causing them to have a developmental issues, these kids most of the time don't use them, they all know how to drink from cups! I just had to temporarily move the kids table into carpeted area. Between it being the third day w/6wk old and first day 2 yr old with body cast w/ arm cast. I just wanted to save just a little mess/stress for myself.
I DID ask her to show me where in the rules it states especially about my daughter and she just showed me the definition of PROVIDER and said that it was just so... obvious that it doesn't need to be in the policy book.
I'm not looking for sympathy, I just needed to vent and just say how SAD, that my family daycare is just falling apart just because of how one person interpretated the rules! SAD!! btw I am going to slowly let families go as they turn SA and in 2 years I will be so.. happy not to be put in these situations again. I am allowed to care for 3 children without being regulated.

[Abigail]

Sorry to hear about your inspection! It makes me nervous for when I get licensed. I want to have 7 kids because less than that it gets boring and the day gets long. I need to keep busy. Vent all you need to because it helps us providers realize all the little bumps in the road to watch out for. Remember tomorrow is a NEW day. I would argue about the sippy cups because you probably had newer carpeting and it was probably only for a week. The kids were old enough to answer if the sippy's were just for the week or not because that wouldn't cause them issues. I personally would have just had my shampoo machine for the carpet ready to go or told parents they would be using sippy cups for the week unless it was water. I see it both ways for the 12 year old daughter helping and i'm sure it broke her heart. You could always check into your rules and just let them know you saw it from her babysitter's certificate point of view and was your helper, yet still apologize if the rules are clear that she wasn't suppose to help at all. It looks better if you show them you want to better your daycare and will take pointers, but I wouldn't let everything slide.

[Unregistered]

Our observer was just here this week (for us to move up in our states quality rating system), and at a very bad time of day. She came during nap time and one 3 y old was awake (fighting nap like crazy because someone new was there and she wanted to see her.

We knew if we let her up to play, she would fight nap every day and expect to be able to get up from that day on. Plus she does not know the meaning of quiet. If she gets tired of us telling her to be quiet, she'll throw a loud screaming fit. But normally she goes to sleep with no problem, and she's one who really NEEDS a nap), so we didn't dare let her up. There was also a 4 yr old awake, but it was his first day back after the summer off and was too excited to sleep, plus he'd come in late after sleeping in late, and we knew if we let him do anything, the 3 yr old would have to get up also, and he would expect it every day also, although he's always been a good napper as well. Then after the children woke up and we went about our routine of putting cots away, putting shoes on, potty breaks, wash hands for snack, etc, it was awful. Mainly because of 3 yr old and 4 yr old who didn't take a nap (wouldn't you know it? I knew they needed that nap).

At one point I'm kneelng down, eye level, telling them to use their walking feet, and they just completely ignored me running around the building, laughing and giggling, spitting on each other, and then running circles around and around me while I told them to use walking feet. Ahhh! I know it looked like we had no control over the children (but normally they don't act like that). During snack they didn't want to eat what we served, and wanted to get up and play (our rule is that we don't get up til everyone's finished and we dismiss everyone at once. I think it's just good manners), but they really frown on that. UGH. Then 3 yr old would NOT put her shoes on so we could go outside. I'd get ready to help her (although normally we make them put their own shoes on if they know how, but this time she wouldn't do it herself) and she'd run away from me, laughing.

Owner had to go get the school agers off the bus, so she brought 4 of the children who were already ready to go outside with her, while I got the rest of them ready to go to go outside to play. We walked out the door in time for a 4 yr old to see the other half of the group walking down the drive with the owner to get the schoolagers, and she started to run away to go with them. I called her back and tried to comfort her, saying that tomorrow would be her turn, but she was sobbing that she couldn't go with them today. The whole time this lady just stands there with no emotion on her face and I can only imagine what she was thinking of us by this point. She followed us to the playground to look at it, then left to go back inside and finish her paperwork without saying a word to me. But before she left she told the owner we had passed with flying colors! I just knew she would have a list of things we did wrong and hwy we couldn't move up to the next level, but apparently not?

Our licensor had just been here the day before, but it went fine since all the children were asleep for nap But I hate having ANYone from state there, because if they're awake, the children just do NOT act like themselves and always "forget" the rules. And it just makes me nervous having someone watching me like that.

Sorry it got so long. Just wanted to say I don't like inspections either, no matter how well I know the regulations. Sorry your's went like that. Especially for your daughter who wants to help out.

[Karen's Castle]

Sad!

please delete

[mom2many]

I am not running a preschool, I am the owner of a state licensed and county certified Family Childcare. And I have NEVER in all the years of owning my daycare, been written up for 1 thing not related to paperwork, much less 9 items in one visit!! My daycare is semi-structured, but in my world, why can't we just let our kids be kids and use their imaginations without somebody guiding every detail? I'm talking about infants on up. I understand that some providers want their own type of daycare, but mine is mine and my dc parents and I are all neighbors, know each others families and are terribly dissapointed in someone telling me that my 12 yr old can't continue to be an active roll in their children's life! My feelings on running a family daycare is not that I could EVER take the place of the children's parent's, it's my place to make sure the dc children are SAFE and HAPPY and they are a big part of our families life. That happens when you care for children 12 hours a day! Just like in every family, older siblings "help" not do the caring of the children, I care for all the children in this household and yes I am the provider, my daughter is just an added bonus of love and tenderness to these children. I am very lucky to have the most wonderful dc families! I am truly blessed and will continue to protect, love and keep safe these beautiful children. It just made me SAD! And I am very thankful to all who allowed me to vent! Thanks!!!

I opened my home childcare business when my oldest was just 6 weeks old. My children grew up with dcks in our home. I never allowed them to discipline anyone, but they were always hands on with helping out...not in the diapering area ever!...But would hold a bottle or comfort an infant. They were all fingerprinted with criminal background checks once they turned 18 and have since moved out of my home. I never looked at them as someone to assist, but I would have been offended if licensing said they could not contribute in a positive way. I think the state loses site of some positive attributes and unfortunately it's like anything else...control and rules sometimes over ride common sense.