Operating an Unlicensed Daycare

[Ms.Sue]

licensed?

my question is the same as one of the other posts ---how do you know 100% that this person is UN-licensed???????????????????

Ms.Sue

[Unregistered]

unlienced

you could always go over there and talk to her, maybe just ask her how she runs it, ask her if you can look around because you might want to put a friends kid in there. Most providers if they are running it correctly have no fears and have a open door policy! Be interested in the profession and be a good neighbour!

[Unregistered]

I also run an unlicensed child care. I only keep 3 children at a time (I could keep up to 5), I claim every bit of my earnings and pay taxes on them, and I also operate by word of mouth parents. I have never had a parent who has not introduced me to another parent who needs childcare and I have had to turn down many families. I think it all boils down to children's safety. Obviously the parents who put their children in unlicensed child care know the risks. Hopefully these parents would do their own inspecting before they would leave their children with someone they didn't know. I do agree that if there is any suspicion that the children are being mistreated authorities should be called, but it sounds like you are a bitter neighbor who's conflict is neighbor issues, not issues of the wellbeing of the children. Contact the neighbor and then authorities if they block your driveway, contact them if your car is hit, contact them if there is any other neighboring problems. Don't assume that things aren't legit if you have no proof. There are many people who would rather someone they know watch their children in a home environment than put them in a licensed daycare that have 8-12 children per adult.

[Unregistered]

my question is the same as one of the other posts ---how do you know 100% that this person is UN-licensed???????????????????

Ms.Sue

The only things that should matter are:

Do you see unattended kids, do you see them playing outside (are they happy, are they running into the street, etc...), does she leave them with teens, etc... If you see or hear something that doesn't sound right, then you should call licensing and let them know, they can check it out (don't call unless you feel you have reason to), the most important thing is the kids safety and well being.
If you see more than the allowed # of kids (for being licensed or unlicensed in your state).
If you are unsure, you can ask her (tell her you want to find out about her daycare, how she runs it, her policies, etc...).
You just might see she has a great daycare and learn something about being self employed and running a daycare. You could find out she is licensed or unlicensed and she follows the law or you could find out she is breaking the law. You could end up really liking the way she runs her daycare and be word of mouth advertising and referring her business to parents.

[Unregistered]

Wow!

I was just looking up the laws concerning watching two children in my unlicensed home and trying to make sure I was educating myself on our tax laws as well when I ran across this. I would just like to say I am quiting my part time job due to my child not getting proper care from a licensed provider and was approached immediately about watching a friends children who also had this same experience. The only person upset with me doing this is the LICENSED provider who thinks I am taking business. There are plenty of shady things going on in her house, and even after being reported no one seems to care. She steals more money from the state than she pays in taxes!

[Unregistered]

Unlicensed daycare....

I know a person who does unlicensed daycare in her home under a "fake" business name. The "business" name is not registered in the state or any other database as a business therefore there is no EID or tax ID number. I personally know she is unlicensed because she told me so. I also know she has had 6-8 kids at one time, including her two children. She requires mounds of paperwork with poorly written "legal-ese" in it. She stated that she claims the daycare income on her taxes, but when asked for her SSN or tax ID for me to claim the daycare expenses on my taxes, she refused. Sounds shady to me. She also claims to "own" 5 businesses...they're no more than websites that she apparently scams money from people through., but that's beside the point here.

This, in my opinion, is someone who should be reported.

[Unregistered]

Unlicensed in IL

What are the consequences from operating an UNLICENSED daycare in IL? Is there a fine to pay? I am unlicensed and have run a home daycare for 3 1/2 years now. ALL the parents that I babysit for KNOW that I am unlicensed, it isn't something that I hide. And I claim ALL OF MY INCOME! I give them my SSN at the end of the year with a total of daycare paid. Everything is completely safe but I'm just not licensed. The process is going to require me to take time off AND find a daycare to put my own children in. I'm worried about being turned in for NOT being licensed.

I hate to put the parents out when they DON'T CARE if I'm licensed or not. They are going to have to make other arrangements while I take these classes.

[Unregistered]

You don't have to take any classes to be licensed in Illinois, except first aid/CPR, and those classes are usually on the weekend. Other than getting a TB test, physical, and home visit there aren't too many other requirements (other than safety standards in the home) There is annual training hours you have to take, but those can be easily accumulated through food programs and maybe a couple weekend workshops or meetings with a home childcare provider association. Where I could see you getting hit is the home visits from DCFS if you have a bunch of children present. I'm not sure what would happen there. It might be worth your time just to find some information out from you local Childcare Resource and Referral agency.

[tymaboy]

Not all states require that you be licensed. I do no think that in IL it is required.

[Unregistered]

Follow the law

If you want to run a business, follow the laws of your state!!

[Unregistered]

honest and loving daycare

Interesting all of this speculation. I am an RN part time weekends, and have been providing in home child care for 17 years. No accidents ever. I have certainly had poor parents enter my home and after asking them to leave they always then threaten DHS or CPS. Never prior to angering them. I am choosy about who I allow in my home and run a very structured fun and safe daycare. I sometimes over the years have even bigger groups than I should due to growing families that have been with me already for years past. Its hard to let them go. They become like family. I pay taxes always. I spend a great deal of the 110.00 I make (per child) on my daycare whether it be cleaning supplies, food , toys or other activities. I pay a helper for when we go on outings 7.25 per hour and I love the kids I watch. They are my family. I refuse to treat them as if they are part of a business. I have all of the training one could need. CPR infant CPR. I AM NOT Licensed!! It requires only half of the training I have and is somewhat costly. I have great credentials and have no room at this time for more children. Why would anyone call and ask for an investigation of my home other than vengeance? Read the paper and see what the states are given that almighty piece of paper to. Please use CPS for a better purpose than just stirring up trouble for an unknown person. Make better use of their time.

[Smiles]

I felt I should add to this topic after reading the posts. I am currently an unlicensed home care provider. I owned a large center for 10 years that was licensed. Hard as I tried, my staff didn't always follow the rules when they thought no one was looking. Having a license DOES NOT mean that the rules are being followed. In fact, I think that unlicensed providers work harder to follow the rules because they have more to lose if they dont. If a licensed provider doesn't was his or her hands after a diaper change? They get written up, but they don't lose their business. If an unlicensed provider doesn't wash? It becomes a federal case and she is closed down.

I am unlicensed because I do not believe having a license makes you a good caregiver and I do not believe in the system. I have seen the people who work for the state first hand and I have seen the inconsistancy and lack of knowledge these people posess. I believe child care is between the parent and the provider. End of story. If a parent is happy, they will stay where they are. If they are unhappy, they will leave. Child abuse and neglect is a sad fact of life. But it will happen, license or not. Parents should take responsiblilty to ensure their children are safe. By putting their faith in a system that is outdated, underfunded and often run by people with no background in early childhood education parents have a false sense of trust. Parents visit the daycare everyday. How often does the state visit the center?

Just my 2 cents

[Unregistered]

As a parent I had better luck and better care at an unlicensed daycare. MY child was abused at the licensed daycare. The turnover rate was so high that I never really got to know anyone. At least with the unlicensed I dealt with one person the whole time. With the unlicensed I got to interview the actual person that would be caring for my child. At the unlicensed childcare my daughter always hugged the lady and and said I love you and at the licensed she would cry before we would go. So, those of you badmouthing unlicensed you should think about the fact that it is expensive to get licensed.

[Unregistered]

law

The laws are different in every state. They are easy to find through the internet. I do believe that there are good and bad licensed and unlicensed care. If you have more children than your state allows you should be licensed. It's the law, no matter what your reasons are, if you break the law and get caught you pay the price. It then doesn't matter if you were a great childcare provider or not, you pay the price.

[Unregistered]

Minding or not minding your business?

My son was in a licensed daycare owned by a district attorney!!! but managed by a college aged male. I wish someone had NOT minded their business when it came to my child. As a result, my son was bit on the shoulder so hard that you could see the meat and bone! My son was 8 and the other child was 9!! Not ONE SINGLE adult was in the room when it occurred. This other boy had hit my son before and harrassed other kids at the daycare. A parent saw the incidents with the hitting and such and never reported it. Some people near the daycare knew about the kids being forced to run 2 miles in 102 degree weather and other horrific things! NOT ONE PERSON CALLED THE STATE ON THIS!!!!! If they had, my son would not have been bitten so badly or hit since this boy began coming to the daycare after the running of the two miles. It was my child's OWN parent that had to save my son and I was the one who had to get the daycare shut down. The problem with the world today is that "no one wants to get involved" In other cultures, the whole community helps raise the children and it used to be like that in America. Helping children is not be nosey or being out of line. Telling someone how to raise or discipline their own child is wrong but best believe itf I see you abusing your own child or someone else's I'm your worst nightmare. I don't think you should assume or make up stuff but if you see something that just doesn't seem right, call it in. People will call in abuse to an animal before abuse to a child! How does that make sense? Do you know what the people said when they saw the children running in the heat (with no water bottles EITHER)? They told me "Well, it wasn't MY child so I didn't think it was important." That is the most appalling thing I have EVER heard. Needless to say, my son has never gone to another daycare since and my newborn won't either. Sometimes you are the only voice that child has.....use it for them! I worked 8 years with abused children and adults, an elementary teacher, and now a stay at home mom with an unlicensed daycare. I do not plan to get licensed either but it doesn't make me any less of a childcare provider. With my passion for children and wanting to advocate for children, you WANT your child in a daycare like mine. I have an open door policy with 8 cameras in my home for parents to watch their child during the day on the computer if they choose. Do a background check and get neighbor references on any home daycare...call the police and ask if they have or had any calls from that home during or after hours...spend the day with the provider...do whatever you need to for your peace of mind. I would pull a child if you have ANY red flags in your head about something they do that you don't like.