Should I or Shouldn't I?

[Starburst]

I honestly and truly believe that family child care will be NOTHING like we currently know it to be within the next decade.

It won't be as easy for someone who wishes to stay home and raise their own child and make a little income as a child care provider...it won't be one of those jobs that requires only a high school diploma and a couple hours of training.

Call me crazy (I probably am... JK... maybe) but honestly I think that's a good thing (in a way). I think it makes this field look more professional. I think it helps with increasing the quality of care and insuring that less people who are only doing this because they think its "easy money" and taking jobs away from people who are serious about this job and possibly also decreasing the amount of unlicensed and unregulated home daycare by lowering the amount of kids that unlicensed providers can take (in my state you can only care for the children of 1 family not related to you without a license). One of my ECE teachers said that possibly (in California) within the next 40-50 years all ECE professionals (including FCCPs) may need to have a BA or some type of B-16 (birth to 4 year college) teaching credential.

Because of this economy many people are doing home daycare to just get by on their bills and charging less than more qualified providers causing them to go out of business. My former boss used to go to food program/child care workshops and there used to hardly be anyone there but when the economy started dipping those classes were FULL! But what happens when the people who aren't serious about it go out of business either because of burn out or because they find another job? Lots of families would scrambling to find child care and may not have many options so have to go to a program that they are not 100% comfortable or that their child hates with because they don't have time or many options but the serious providers had to go out of business to find a more stable careers, so then the families suffer as well as the providers who had to stop doing what they love to find a more stable career. Its a vicious cycle! (Okay, maybe I need a nap).

But the good thing about a down economy (as my history teacher pointed out) is that everyone decides to go back to school to get a degree to help them find a job when the economy is better, so there is still a need for child care.

[Blackcat31]

Call me crazy (I probably am... JK... maybe) but honestly I think that's a good thing (in a way). I think it makes this field look more professional. I think it helps with increasing the quality of care and insuring that less people who are only doing this because they think its "easy money" and taking jobs away from people who are serious about this job and possibly also decreasing the amount of unlicensed and unregulated home daycare by lowering the amount of kids that unlicensed providers can take (in my state you can only care for the children of 1 family not related to you without a license). One of my ECE teachers said that possibly (in California) within the next 40-50 years all ECE professionals (including FCCPs) may need to have a BA or some type of B-16 (birth to 4 year college) teaching credential.

Because of this economy many people are doing home daycare to just get by on their bills and charging less than more qualified providers causing them to go out of business. My former boss used to go to food program/child care workshops and there used to hardly be anyone there but when the economy started dipping those classes were FULL! But what happens when the people who aren't serious about it go out of business either because of burn out or because they find another job? Lots of families would scrambling to find child care and may not have many options so have to go to a program that they are not 100% comfortable or that their child hates with because they don't have time or many options but the serious providers had to go out of business to find a more stable careers, so then the families suffer as well as the providers who had to stop doing what they love to find a more stable career. Its a vicious cycle! (Okay, maybe I need a nap).

But the good thing about a down economy (as my history teacher pointed out) is that everyone decides to go back to school to get a degree to help them find a job when the economy is better, so there is still a need for child care.

Your argument is a valid one for those families seeking early childhood education but there are still families who simply want good quality CARE without the education part and a provider or caregiver does NOT have to have a degree or a diploma to provider quality care.

All family child care providers also do not want or need professionalism. We have several financially successful providers on the board who run their child cares as FAMILY based and don't bother or care so much about the professional or business end of this field.

There are two very distinct types of child care and forcing ONE side to do something isn't fair or right. I think there should be a way for ALL providers to operate in any manner they choose (family based, play based, educational based, academics etc).

I also think that just because they charge less than other providers who have a degree doesn't make them bad or someone that should be "run" out of business... Many GOOD, QUALITY providers don't do this for the money...they do it because they either want to, love to or simply because it works for them at the time.....doesn't make them a bad or less than quality provider.

A down economy may mean more people working, but it doesn't always mean more kids needing to be in licensed child cares, it means more families needing their own relatives and friends to step in and care for their kids.

[Starburst]

I am not saying that they are bad providers because they don't have a degree or certificate but personally to me I think the more time you put into something the more initiative it shows and that it makes you look more serious about your business/career, which to me looks more professional. Honestly, I think if you own a business you should always try to make yourself come off as professional- especially to your clients.

[Lyss]

The SAHM's and childcare ads in our area have doubled since I began. I feel like lately its been harder to fill spots (in the last year anyway here) because there are some people offering really cheap care (I don't understand how they can even cover food costs :confused

I have great families overall and I plan to continue but like BC said there are many changes coming.

My licensor literally says "FCC as we know it won't exist in a few years" and expects 1/2 of her caseload to no longer meet requirements. Not because they didn't take the required trainings or are terrible providers but because they just cant turn their homes or programs into "mini centers"

I am not saying that they are bad providers because they don't have a degree or certificate but personally to me I think the more time you put into something the more initiative it shows and that it makes you look more serious about your business/career, which to me looks more professional. Honestly, I think if you own a business you should always try to make yourself come off as professional- especially to your clients.

I think my definition of "professional" is what's throwing me off in all these recent threads its mentioned on. I'm thinking appearance of home, quality of toys, dress, handling sticky situations diplomatically, interactions with parents, meeting state regulations, activities provided... not solely a formal education.

I do a play based/Reggio inspired program but according to my licenser that is not a "curriculum" and won't be acceptable in "family child care" down the line. They want us to be mini head start programs and currently that is NOT what my families are looking for. I personally hate that we are pushing formal education on toddlers and pre-k kids. Can they just be kids for a bit? (ETA... Just clarifying I'm talking about the gov't not any specific users or posts on this or any other thread!)

[Heidi]

The SAHM's and childcare ads in our area have doubled since I began. I feel like lately its been harder to fill spots (in the last year anyway here) because there are some people offering really cheap care (I don't understand how they can even cover food costs :confused

I have great families overall and I plan to continue but like BC said there are many changes coming.

My licensor literally says "FCC as we know it won't exist in a few years" and expects 1/2 of her caseload to no longer meet requirements. Not because they didn't take the required trainings or are terrible providers but because they just cant turn their homes or programs into "mini centers"



I think my definition of "professional" is what's throwing me off in all these recent threads its mentioned on. I'm thinking appearance of home, quality of toys, dress, handling sticky situations diplomatically, interactions with parents, meeting state regulations, activities provided... not solely a formal education.

I do a play based/Reggio inspired program but according to my licenser that is not a "curriculum" and won't be acceptable in "family child care" down the line. They want us to be mini head start programs and currently that is NOT what my families are looking for. I personally hate that we are pushing formal education on toddlers and pre-k kids. Can they just be kids for a bit? (ETA... Just clarifying I'm talking about the gov't not any specific users or posts on this or any other thread!)

That's exactly what I've been ranting about every other day..


One benefit of living in a rural area (besides the natural beauty around me) is that everything takes 10 years to catch up, if not longer. By the time all this is mandatory and the parent community actually starts expecting it, I'll be retired. I hope...

[itlw8]

I love my job and make a good living BUT if it was not for dh working and covering our health ins I might think differently.. In fact if he retires when he wants to I may have to seriously rethink my career.

It depends ho how much you make I guess. sit down and figure it all out. you need to allow for all your costs and include selfemployment taxes, health ins and retirement. Since so much of your income is written off for taxes that means not much gets paid into SS . That means you need to put even more into your retirement plan. Remember there is no employer match on 401 K nor will you have an employer paying 1/2 your SS taxes.

have you thought about going back to school for a teaching degree. There seems to be a growing need for early childhood special ed. You get to work with kids and get benefits

[misslori50]

Totally agree about the debate part

I disagree about the "non relative" care though. I don't necessarily count them in OUR numbers... If they are unlicensed in my state, they can only watch one family's kids (NO limit on the # of kids, just families) and since they are unlicensed or just SAHM's making a few dollars but not really running an all out child care business, I don't see that as countable as "one of us".....kwim? (FWIW...I am NOT talking about LEGALLY unlicensed)

I also absolutely agree that there is always going to be a need for child care but I think the way in which mother's find/use care will be different.

In my area, we just got an increased number of spaces for our Invest Early programs (Like Head Start) and dozens of families are leaving family child care to attend these early learning facilities. Plus the new regulations and QRIS standards are "forcing" many current and long term providers out of business (there are always tons of posts about this on several forums) and with the shift in parenting now days, it seems providers have to be HIGHLY skilled in many areas in order to even manage this job.

The burn out rate has increased tenfold since I first opened and everyday there are stories that shed a bad or negative light on family child care.

I belong to a forum of mothers and the things most of them say about family child care is astounding.... more and more parents want video monitoring, the right to breastfeed with daily visits to the care facility, parents want special meals, no naps, extended hours, holiday care and the right to be the one in charge.....ALL things that create provider burnout and high stress levels.

The right to run our businesses as we chose to run them will no longer be an option in a few years. My state is currently undergoing "unionization" and that's a whole 'nother ballgame of stupidity but no one seems to care or even listen to the actual person doing this job....only the dollars and cents it could bring into our government/politicians.

It stopped being about the kids a long time ago. WE (as providers) may still put them first, but sadly we are the only ones keeping them at the top of the priority list.

*Ask me any of this on another day, and I "might" feel differently but I just recently attended a meeting about child care and the future of our children and did not leave a happy camper.
I am ashamed of every one of our state's legislators

I would never have imagined how hard it has been to get parents to come to my childcare. I have had two home child cares in the past. It has been almost 10 years since we have done childcare and I can not believe how hard it has been to just get anyone to commit.

[Familycare71]

The SAHM's and childcare ads in our area have doubled since I began. I feel like lately its been harder to fill spots (in the last year anyway here) because there are some people offering really cheap care (I don't understand how they can even cover food costs :confused

I have great families overall and I plan to continue but like BC said there are many changes coming.

My licensor literally says "FCC as we know it won't exist in a few years" and expects 1/2 of her caseload to no longer meet requirements. Not because they didn't take the required trainings or are terrible providers but because they just cant turn their homes or programs into "mini centers"



I think my definition of "professional" is what's throwing me off in all these recent threads its mentioned on. I'm thinking appearance of home, quality of toys, dress, handling sticky situations diplomatically, interactions with parents, meeting state regulations, activities provided... not solely a formal education.

I do a play based/Reggio inspired program but according to my licenser that is not a "curriculum" and won't be acceptable in "family child care" down the line. They want us to be mini head start programs and currently that is NOT what my families are looking for. I personally hate that we are pushing formal education on toddlers and pre-k kids. Can they just be kids for a bit? (ETA... Just clarifying I'm talking about the gov't not any specific users or posts on this or any other thread!)

I agree! Yes I want my kids to learn and grow but NO I don't think they need a classroom setting! I want them to have fun, laugh, explore...
I am so scared of what is coming to fdc! I would be legally unlicensed if it were an option-
My state has just become unionized and is just starting to introduce the star program- I have many years left until I retire and I hope I can continue doing what I love until then!