My son is suppose to the daycare/afterschool on Monday. Unfortunately the school bus took him to his old daycare. No one called me, when my husband went to the new daycare he was surprised that our son is not there. The new daycare didn't bother to call us and saying that usually when it's the kids first day in the daycare parents usually keep them home so they assume that our son is with us. When I gave them the application form I specifically told them that he is going to be there on Sept17 and I even called on Sept 14 to confirm the time of the drop off as well as the location. When my husband was in the new daycare trying to figure out where our son would be he raised his voice to the staff ( which I believe is normal for any parent who has a missing child). The next day the staff told him that they are not going to accept our child to their daycare be ause he was yelling at him and the staff. My question is can I file a complain to the state because they did not contact me when my son didn't arrive at the daycare? Is this considered neglect????
Is This Grounds To File A Complain
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I think that you as a parent should have followed up to make sure he arrived especially being that it was his first day.
Why didn't you? Be very careful when throwing neglect accusations around. The State just may question YOU as to why you didn't follow up.
It is not uncommon for parents to register a child and they don't show up for one reason or another. It would have been nice if the New Center followed up and called you but ultimately the placement of your child is your responsibility.- Flag
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I think that you as a parent should have followed up to make sure he arrived especially being that it was his first day.
Why didn't you? Be very careful when throwing neglect accusations around. The State just may question YOU as to why you didn't follow up.
It is not uncommon for parents to register a child and they don't show up for one reason or another. It would have been nice if the New Center followed up and called you but ultimately the placement of your child is your responsibility.
Because he did not change the transportation, he was in the same school bus and same route. The transportation department made a confirmation and they always bring him to his previous daycare. If they will be late or my son didn't arrive on time the previous daycare will contact me. I have never experience this in the past because all of my sons daycare always keep in touch with me everytime he is not in the center on time. I am asking, that doesn't mean I will file a complain. I am careful this is why I joined this forum because I know that there are people who can help me.- Flag
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Because he did not change the transportation, he was in the same school bus and same route. The transportation department made a confirmation and they always bring him to his previous daycare. If they will be late or my son didn't arrive on time the previous daycare will contact me. I have never experience this in the past because all of my sons daycare always keep in touch with me everytime he is not in the center on time. I am asking, that doesn't mean I will file a complain. I am careful this is why I joined this forum because I know that there are people who can help me.
I understand your frustration but the new daycare also didn't really know you well enough yet to know if no showing was your style or not yet...kwim? And I am betting that after school is a super busy time for them and your DS not showing up simply got lost in the shuffle.
Honestly, if I were you, the complaint should be file with the transportation department of your son's school. THEY had directions on where to drop your son off at and THEY are the ones who messed up.
I would, however request that where ever your son does go after school that they call if he doesn't show up. If you don't ask them to do that, then you kind of can't blame them.
I'd complain to the bus department though!- Flag
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I certainly don't think that is worthy of a complaint. You guys are supposed to make arrangements to make sure he got dropped off at the correct daycare. OR the school bus dropped him off at the wrong place. That is not the new daycare's fault.
The old daycare should have called you to say "Um.. we have your son...who is no longer enrolled here". Didn't the old daycare know your son was not enrolled in the daycare anymore? Why would they accept him?- Flag
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I don't think that this situation warrants a complaint with licensing but if it's the new daycare's policy (check the contract and policies they gave you) to call in situations like this then I would file a complaint with the BBB (better business bureau) or go on google places, google business, yahoo local etc. and you can leave an HONEST review about them and what happened in your situation. Nothing really happens to them but someone else trying to find childcare might see this and at least be warned, the new daycare might also now rethink their policies and enforce the protocol if they didn't do so in your case. If they don't have a policy about this situation and you didn't discuss what to do with them in case he didn't show up then you can't really blame them ... sorry.
Before you file a complaint however ask yourself, would you have filed a complaint on them if they wouldn't have kicked your child out? If you would have stayed after they not calling you and you would have not made a complaint then don't I see a good reason why you would make a complain now other than because you felt slighted that they terminated care (and they did do with a valid reason). But if you would have pulled your son out because of this anyway then yes by all means give a review and make a compliant to the BBB. Whatever the case is I understand that your husband was reasonably upset however if he became angry and yelled then the daycare has every right to refuse service. There are two seperate issues here #1 being that your son was dropped off at the wrong place and #2 your husband yelled at the daycare. It's a daycare responsibility to provide a safe environment so if an adult becomes hostile especially in front of the other children in care it's their duty to keep the other kids safe KWIM? I understand that he was upset, I understand that he has every reason to be ... so you must think about how there are other kids in care that could have witnessed or heard your husband yelling and that is not okay. It's a really tough spot to be in for sure.
Also I would check with the transportation company that dropped your child off. Did you change your child's location with the school? Did they relay the information to the driver? Did you tell your son that he was going to a different daycare? If you notified the change to the school and the school didn't relay the info to the transportation company then it seems like the issue then is with the school and you can file a complaint with the school district. If they did relay the info and the transportation company didn't tell the driver or the driver forgot then your issue is with the transportation company. I would talk to the school and investigate to see who here dropped the ball. Also your son's age matters. If he is in kinder and maybe even to 2nd grade then he would be too young to speak up about where he was being dropped off (assuming you told him he'd be dropped off at the new daycare) if he was older then he should have spoken up also.
I also don't understand why the old daycare didn't call you to say "Um .... your kid is here. I thought he wasn't coming anymore". I mean I would have. But it's not their fault either. Someone dropped the ball somewhere along the way and you should ask around to see where that happened.
Keep us posted- Flag
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My son is suppose to the daycare/afterschool on Monday. Unfortunately the school bus took him to his old daycare. No one called me, when my husband went to the new daycare he was surprised that our son is not there. The new daycare didn't bother to call us and saying that usually when it's the kids first day in the daycare parents usually keep them home so they assume that our son is with us. When I gave them the application form I specifically told them that he is going to be there on Sept17 and I even called on Sept 14 to confirm the time of the drop off as well as the location. When my husband was in the new daycare trying to figure out where our son would be he raised his voice to the staff ( which I believe is normal for any parent who has a missing child). The next day the staff told him that they are not going to accept our child to their daycare be ause he was yelling at him and the staff. My question is can I file a complain to the state because they did not contact me when my son didn't arrive at the daycare? Is this considered neglect????
That said, I had a situation where I stopped daycare altogether. The parent went to a new provider. The parent ALSO signed their kid up for an after school event. The parent FORGOT they did that. The father went to new provider's house to pick up child and child was not there (she was at her after school event). The parent called ME asking why *I* didn't update the daycare provider as to their child's after school activity. Um, NOT my job. Once I closed, and their child was under someone else's care, it was their responsibility to make sure both the new provider AND the school knew the schedule, activities, etc.
Regardless of whether or not you updated correctly, the NEW provider could not predict that something like this would happen and they do not have any responsibility to "check up" on a parent, let alone a brand new client that APPEARED not to have shown up.- Flag
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I have had parents not show up at the specified time on their first day and I have always called. If I had a child not show up on a bus which has happened before I called the parents immediately. I had the same thing with a child diagnosed with aspergers who was supposed to arrive in a cab and called the parents immediately too.
If I know a child is supposed to be transported to my facility by someone other than the parent, and they don't show up, the child could have been abducted and I would be the only person with any knowledge that anything is wrong.
I do view this as very unprofessional and I would not take my child back to the provider. I would be irate.- Flag
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I dont know about a complaint, but they should have called you. I get that some parents dont send the kids on the first scheduled day, but it takes a second to call and confirm. If the parents were dropping off, I probably wouldnt call, but in this situation, I would have.- Flag
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If it were me, I would have a talk with the superviser of the center and the bus company. As far as filing a complaint, it sounds like, at this point, you may be mostly angry at the combination of not being informed and denial of your sons acceptance.
I had the experience of getting a call from a school that my daughter was missing and asked if she was with me---20 minutes after the fact! I was livid, but glad they had called me. It's very scary. I get it. I did talk with the principle AND the superviser of the program. I wasn't the most popular after that, but oh well. If I were you, I would complain to the bus company. You have to work with them yet and the center is already a no go anyway. kwim?
As a provder, if I had a new client who never had been here previously, I would have counted it as a no-show. Because it's an after school deal and busing is involved, I would have called you just to be safe. I don't think filing a complaint with the center will get you very far, but you have every right to do so if you want to.- Flag
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I think you are blaming the wrong people for what happened. It is not the new daycare's fault that the bus did not drop your son off at the correct place. Depending on the circumstances, that is the transportation company's fault (if you informed them correctly about the date for the new daycare). Quite honestly, I also think the OLD daycare should have called you and asked you why he was dropped at their place after his contracted end date. It really sounds like there was a lack of communication here. If the old center knew that his last day had already passed, they really should have called you asking why he was dropped off there.
As for the new center, I think it is very common for a child to be a no show without prior communication about it. There are so many OTHER reasons he could have been a NO show; like having a doctor's appt, leaving school sick, or someone else picking him up from school. There are so many parents who don't notify daycares about those things (unfortunately); so I can see why they didn't call you to ask why he didn't come. It's probably a very common occurance.- Flag
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I actually think you do have a legitimate beef. One, with the transportation dept. They need to make sure the drivers know where the kids are going, period. No excuse. But I DO think the new dc should have called. In some states it's a regulation that the day care call the parent after a 1/2 hour of their scheduled arrival time to check and see if the child is coming or not. This came after parents forgot to drop off babies at day care and went to work with baby sleeping in the carNo, it's not the providers fault it happened, but a phone call may have prevented the unthinkable.
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I would have a complaint for a few people, but not the new center.
1. Transportation company
2. New daycare
While I do understand that your husband was upset, I can understand why they don't want him back. I would likely do the same thing as the new center in terminating the contract. I would not tolerate raised voices at my daycare at all. Especially since it was not their fault. The fault lies with who had him in care (transportation company) and who took him into care without your authorization (old daycare).- Flag
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oh my goodness...of course your husband was upset! His kid is "missing"! I, as a parent, would have called the police if my child was "missing".
As a day care teacher, I certainly would have understood a parent's anguish at that point.
But, now finding out that he is safe and sound...at his old daycare????...sheesh, I would find out 2 things:
1. Why didn't the old day care call you or someone else immediately that a child without paperwork was there and
2. What was up with the bus driver/company. What were their orders regarding your son?
And while this may not work for you...and if it were me; I would pull my child out of any day care.
I know I'm in the minority here, but I'm trying to see it from a parent's point of view and a day care provider's point.- Flag
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OK so reading the post again, I'm unclear if there was a contract.
#1. I saw that you handed in an application for enrollment. But you didn't say you had made a payment and signed the handbook/contract.
IF you DID NOT secure your spot with payment and necessary signed contract, then I stand by the NEW daycare not being obligated to do anything for you or your child.
If you DID, then the new daycare IS responsible, as she was paid. UNLESS, she clearly told you that because most parents p/u their kids after the first day of school and she didn't want you to bring the child....which I assume is what you meant because who keeps their child home on the first day of daycare?
#2. Did you tell the SCHOOL and transportation department of the new daycare change? If so, then the SCHOOL is also responsible. If not, then you are responsible for what happened. Bus drivers aren't mind readers. (Not saying that was the case here).
#3 Did the OLD daycare have a clear date as to when you were leaving via written notice? Or did you just tell her you were leaving at some point, leaving room for interpretation when the child arrived at her facility, that you weren't leaving just yet?
#4 What made you leave the old daycare? You mentioned that the old one and new one were on same route. What happened to make you want to switch if they are so close together?
#5 What did your husband exactly SAY to them? Depending on what he said, how he acted could be why they decided not to enroll you guys. First of all, if I had said "I don't have your child" sitting there arguing with me isn't going to resolve anything. Once the provider said "Your child was not dropped off here, and usually on the 1st day of school, parents keep the child home afterward, so we assumed he was with you" My next step would have been to call the bus service and find out where the child was dropped off. This would have saved everyone a big fat mess and you would have known where your child was sooner without anyone having to yell and get crazy. (Which is what I actually believe happened. I'm sure if he had just been panicky and raised his voice only, they would have understood, so there is definitely more to this than maybe even you know)
IDK if you actually filed your complaint. If you did all the things that I mentioned in my questions, then definitely filing the complaint is the way to go, especially to the bus company since they should have paid attention to the change. BUT if you didn't do everything that I mentioned, filing a complaint could actually bite you in the butt.
I have to say that's EXACTLY how it worked in my above story:
The new provider then contacted me and let me know that the mother had advised her that she'd called the police on both of us. We were never visited by the police. She got another phone call, and I got a similarly stated text from the mother, that it was OUR fault that SHE (mom) was getting an investigation placed on her and the husband and placed under suspicion for neglect. Oops. I merely told her I hadn't been her provider when the actions took place and that she needed not to contact me again. I'm not sure what the new provider said to her.
After this incident, the school placed in their contracts very specific information about parental responsibility and child care, after school activities, and field trips.- Flag
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