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Hello, I have been a lurker here for a few months and did sign up, but for the life of me cannot figure out whatever I set up as my log in. I'll have to work on that. Anyhow, I have a 15 month old son, Charlie, who has been going to the same in home provider for the past 6 months. Prior to that, I was a SAHM. She is within walking distance from my house, and was likable and easy to communicate with, and charlie loved going each day and getting to play with his friends. However, the past couple months more 'little things' are cropping up.
Child Protective Services was called on her by a neighbor that had witnessed a preschool boy crawling around on a (non-operating) riding lawnmower alone in the backyard. Provider was up front and explained everything to me the day it happened, and the boy IS a handful, so that alone did not cause me to lose much sleep.
Another day Charlies grandma showed up mid-afternoon to pick him up for me, and provider was in the back yard gardening, and Charlie was in a chair in the front yard, with an empty sippy cup, soaked in water....which I am assuming was IN the cup at some point. He was being 'watched' by providers 13 year old daughter.
I drop him off around 10 am, and each morning one or two young school agers are in the driveway or street, alone. Provider is on the chair in the living room, where she can see out the window...usually with a Boy a few months younger than Charlie on her lap or napping.
My husband usually picks our guy up around 4, and has pulled up to see him in a BUMBO of all things....he is a fully mobile kid....while the provider is mowing the lawn.
Now for the past couple weeks, Charlie gets very anxious and clingy when we get out of the car. He never used to. He would get EXCITED! Not now. He cries, tearful, chin-quivering cries. She puts him on the couch, where I am assuming he spends most of his day...when my husband picks him up, he is either on the couch or in an excersaucer. He hasn't been in an excersaucer in forever at home...
Last Friday my hubby went to get Charlie early, around 2:30, to come spent my lunch break together. Provider is gone, kids are gone house is open and nobody home. He went to the park between her house and ours, nobody. We both tried calling and testing her for a solid hour, no answer. Asmi was having to return to work, having to idea where by baby was, I get a phone call saying they hadmbeen at Home Depot and she didn't hear he phone. She was getting garden supplies. With my kid in the car. Without my permission.
Today, provider asks my husband at pickup 'do you even have health insurance?'.....um, yeah, we do..... Then she follows that with 'well, he has a cough.'. Ok, so does every other kid in your house. He also has chronic ear infections, regular blistering diaper rash, and seizures, lady! I think a cough is sorta the least of my concerns.
The daily reports have stopped, the newsletters have stopped, but we sure get notices about her upcoming days off. Which I always pay for without complaint. We pay full time rates for 4 days of care that are a max of 6 hours a day, have never been late and we supply everything but her food program meals.
There is a major, major daycare shortage in our area (I live in Fargo, ND....on the MN border) and there is absolutely NOTHING for openings in this area. I am at a loss. I have considered just going back to staying home, but we are closing on a new house in a few weeks and wanted to try for #2 while I have my employers AWESOME health plan before I went back to being a SAHM. (my husband is a small biz owner and it's tough to insure ourselves...our cruddy insurance with my pregnancy still left us paying $12k out of pocket)
Anyway....thoughts? Advice? Offers to move here and take care of Charlie?
-Deanne
Child Protective Services was called on her by a neighbor that had witnessed a preschool boy crawling around on a (non-operating) riding lawnmower alone in the backyard. Provider was up front and explained everything to me the day it happened, and the boy IS a handful, so that alone did not cause me to lose much sleep.
Another day Charlies grandma showed up mid-afternoon to pick him up for me, and provider was in the back yard gardening, and Charlie was in a chair in the front yard, with an empty sippy cup, soaked in water....which I am assuming was IN the cup at some point. He was being 'watched' by providers 13 year old daughter.
I drop him off around 10 am, and each morning one or two young school agers are in the driveway or street, alone. Provider is on the chair in the living room, where she can see out the window...usually with a Boy a few months younger than Charlie on her lap or napping.
My husband usually picks our guy up around 4, and has pulled up to see him in a BUMBO of all things....he is a fully mobile kid....while the provider is mowing the lawn.
Now for the past couple weeks, Charlie gets very anxious and clingy when we get out of the car. He never used to. He would get EXCITED! Not now. He cries, tearful, chin-quivering cries. She puts him on the couch, where I am assuming he spends most of his day...when my husband picks him up, he is either on the couch or in an excersaucer. He hasn't been in an excersaucer in forever at home...
Last Friday my hubby went to get Charlie early, around 2:30, to come spent my lunch break together. Provider is gone, kids are gone house is open and nobody home. He went to the park between her house and ours, nobody. We both tried calling and testing her for a solid hour, no answer. Asmi was having to return to work, having to idea where by baby was, I get a phone call saying they hadmbeen at Home Depot and she didn't hear he phone. She was getting garden supplies. With my kid in the car. Without my permission.
Today, provider asks my husband at pickup 'do you even have health insurance?'.....um, yeah, we do..... Then she follows that with 'well, he has a cough.'. Ok, so does every other kid in your house. He also has chronic ear infections, regular blistering diaper rash, and seizures, lady! I think a cough is sorta the least of my concerns.
The daily reports have stopped, the newsletters have stopped, but we sure get notices about her upcoming days off. Which I always pay for without complaint. We pay full time rates for 4 days of care that are a max of 6 hours a day, have never been late and we supply everything but her food program meals.
There is a major, major daycare shortage in our area (I live in Fargo, ND....on the MN border) and there is absolutely NOTHING for openings in this area. I am at a loss. I have considered just going back to staying home, but we are closing on a new house in a few weeks and wanted to try for #2 while I have my employers AWESOME health plan before I went back to being a SAHM. (my husband is a small biz owner and it's tough to insure ourselves...our cruddy insurance with my pregnancy still left us paying $12k out of pocket)
Anyway....thoughts? Advice? Offers to move here and take care of Charlie?
-Deanne
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