Preparing for My Orientation and Inspection!!... Help Michigan

[momofsix]

I was told at orientation we were not licensed until our paperwork came back from the state, which would take a few weeks, BUT she also said (with instructions not to quote her) that it is legal in MI to watch kids for up to four weeks without a licence! So she basically was telling us that if we were ok to fill in our paper saying that we were in compliance with all the regulations, then we were ok to start taking in kids. I had kids here for my inspection, and my worker didn't think anything of it--she was just amazed that I had so many enrolled already--(I had been doing daycare for years before finding out I had to be licensed in MI--the prevailing thought among people I know was you could watch up to 6 w/out a license, and I found out by checking the website I was wrong--oops!)
Another big one I remembered was to make sure you have nothing within 4 feet of your furnace/hot water heater. Even though the rules say nothing combustable, I've been told by others they have gotten written up for anything at all w/in the 4 feet area.
Also make sure you have your smoke alarms, carbon dioxide alarms and fire extinguishers, and emergence plans and escape routes posted. If you have been watching kids before inspection make sure you've recorded your fire and tornado drills too.
Another thing is at my orientation I was told they would only inspect the daycare part of my house, but my inspector went through the whole house (quite embarrassed when she went into my teenagers' rooms!)
If I think of anything else, I'll let you know. From what I hear, so much depends on your inspector and they can all be so different.
Good luck!

[emosks]

I was told at orientation we were not licensed until our paperwork came back from the state, which would take a few weeks, BUT she also said (with instructions not to quote her) that it is legal in MI to watch kids for up to four weeks without a licence! So she basically was telling us that if we were ok to fill in our paper saying that we were in compliance with all the regulations, then we were ok to start taking in kids. I had kids here for my inspection, and my worker didn't think anything of it--she was just amazed that I had so many enrolled already--(I had been doing daycare for years before finding out I had to be licensed in MI--the prevailing thought among people I know was you could watch up to 6 w/out a license, and I found out by checking the website I was wrong--oops!)
Another big one I remembered was to make sure you have nothing within 4 feet of your furnace/hot water heater. Even though the rules say nothing combustable, I've been told by others they have gotten written up for anything at all w/in the 4 feet area.
Also make sure you have your smoke alarms, carbon dioxide alarms and fire extinguishers, and emergence plans and escape routes posted. If you have been watching kids before inspection make sure you've recorded your fire and tornado drills too.
Another thing is at my orientation I was told they would only inspect the daycare part of my house, but my inspector went through the whole house (quite embarrassed when she went into my teenagers' rooms!)
If I think of anything else, I'll let you know. From what I hear, so much depends on your inspector and they can all be so different.
Good luck!

Right...you can watch unrelated children for up to 4 weeks a calender year but you can not make more than $600 in that 4 weeks either. We make at minimum $600 a WEEK for 1 full time and 4 part time kids so we would have been in violation the first week after sending in our registration if we were a family home. And yes, my consultant went through every single room of my house and I didn't want the upstairs to be approved since that is only our bedrooms/bathrooms up there. She did say that she didn't like us having stuff near our furnace that wasn't combustible but couldn't do anything about it.

Remember, each and every consultant that will be doing the inspections across the state are different in how they interpret the rules. I had one consultant do my orientation tell me one thing and my actual consultant who does my inspections reads the rule completely different. Luckily it was something I could fix when she was here doing our inspection so we could get our license right away still.

Smoke alarms in each room that is approved for daycare as well as napping rooms. Carbon monoxide detectors on each level approved for use. Fire extinguishers on each level approved for use. Exit doors clearly marked. No smoking sign and Emergency Plan clearly posted. Also a list of recalled childrens items is required too.

[actaktmdt]

And yes, my consultant went through every single room of my house and I didn't want the upstairs to be approved since that is only our bedrooms/bathrooms up there. She did say that she didn't like us having stuff near our furnace that wasn't combustible but couldn't do anything about it.

I read somthing about how they have to go through the whole house so I did know that. That reminds me to work on my storage room.

What is this about having items near the furance and water heater? Are we talking storage items, or walls? Directly behind each we have a load bearing wall for the basement. Not much I can do about that. I do have filing cabnet I guess I can move thats directly accross from the water heater. Its empty and we just never got rid of it, as the previous owners of our home left it and I use it to pile folded laundry on when i take things out of the dryer as I sort it.

[mac60]

OMGosh ladies, I truly feel for you. I don't think I could do this job and be blessed with the government agencies. These are our homes, and we are entitled to our own personal space.....as in bathroom and bedrooms, dckids don't belong in there and neither do licensing. That is so rediculous. Good luck.

[emosks]

I read somthing about how they have to go through the whole house so I did know that. That reminds me to work on my storage room.

What is this about having items near the furance and water heater? Are we talking storage items, or walls? Directly behind each we have a load bearing wall for the basement. Not much I can do about that. I do have filing cabnet I guess I can move thats directly accross from the water heater. Its empty and we just never got rid of it, as the previous owners of our home left it and I use it to pile folded laundry on when i take things out of the dryer as I sort it.

Somewhere in the rules it talks about not having anything combustible within 4 ft. of the furnace. My consultant however said it would be "wise of me" to move anything (storage boxes, dresser, gun safe, etc) that is within 4 ft. of furnace and water heater. We were remodeling our downstairs bathroom at the time which is why there was so much stuff in the storage room moved around so she didn't say anything else about it.

They also look through all of your drawers/cabinets that are waist down.

[actaktmdt]

that makes sense, as far as the drawers and cabnets, it will be intersting to see what they say about ours, pm me your inspectiors name as Im curious if thats who I will have....did they look inside your oven?

[emosks]

R 400.1941 Heat-producing equipment.
Rule 41. (1) All flame-producing and heat-producing equipment, including, but not limited to the following shall be maintained in a safe condition and shielded to protect against burns:
(a) A furnace.
(b) A water heater.
(c) A fireplace.
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(d) A radiator and pipes.
(e) Wood burning equipment.
(2) Combustible materials and equipment shall not be stored within 4 feet of furnaces, other flame or heat-producing equipment, or fuel-fired water heaters.
(3) Portable heating devices shall not be used when children are in care.
(4) Furnaces, other flame or heat-producing equipment used to heat the home when children are in care, and fuel-fired water heaters shall be inspected by any of the following entities:
(a) A licensed heating contractor for a fuel-fired furnace.
(b) A licensed heating contractor or licensed plumbing contractor for a fuel-fired water heater.
(c) A mechanical inspector for the local jurisdiction or licensed mechanical inspector for a wood stove or other solid fuel appliance.
(5) For group child care homes, the inspection specified in subrule (4) of this rule shall be conducted before the initial license issuance and every 2 years thereafter at the time of license renewal.
(6) For family child care homes, the inspection specified in subrule (4) of this rule shall be conducted before the issuance of the certificate of registration and every 3 years thereafter at the time of renewal.

[emosks]

that makes sense, as far as the drawers and cabnets, it will be intersting to see what they say about ours, pm me your inspectiors name as Im curious if thats who I will have....did they look inside your oven?

Her name is Renee. Very nice lady and extremely helpful. No, no looking in my oven!

[momofsix]

I had Renee too--very nice and helpful. she did not look in my drawers/cupboards that had child locks on them though and also did ask to see where I had my sharp knives stored. Another thing she checked that I hadn't thought of is handwashing soap needs to be ok for kids--lots of soap says "not to be used unsupervised by children" and I never know that. Duh me--mine was ok, but I looked the next time at the store and she was right!

[Unregistered]

Waiting

I mailed in my Application on 5 days ago. Can anyone tell me how long it takes for the State to respond. I am just curious to see how long it will be before I can get into oreintation. When did you advertise your daycare opening?

[Francine]

I don't know if it varies by area or not, I live in the "tip of the mit" I think it took a few weeks after I turned in my stuff, I then got a letter in the mail saying that my orientation was the following week. In my area they only do the orientations the first Thursday of every month. I should be getting my license next week, I can then start advertising in my local paper, you can't place an ad without a license number. I plan to open June 1st.

Hope this helps.

[momofsix]

I think I got my response within a month. My orientation was scheduled out a while though--but that was for other reasons. Good Luck!

[emosks]

I mailed my packet in on January 15th and the following week had a letter from the state stating they received it. I was in orientation in February (first Thursday) and had my inspection done the 19th. Then had my license issued on the 22nd. We officially opened up on March 1st.

I'm a group home though...I know the process is different than family. I had my inspection pushed back a week though for scheduling purposes of my own though.