My 2.5 year old son goes to an in home licensed daycare in Derry. My daycare has a policy that children who are not enrollees at the school are not to enter the building at pick/dropoff time. Their rationale is that the extra children affect their ratios, and the non enrolled child will make them go over their numbers. If we must come during pick/up drop off with our other children they want us to call and they will walk out the child to the car.
The logic of this escapes me. To me it seems that the non-attending child is in the care of the picking up parent, and further that once I am there for p/u, my enrolled child is essentially off the docket, as the handoff is implied. I mean, I'm
there. And then, doesn't that mean that while the teacher is outside the building, they are no longer monitoring the other children, so they have one less teacher inside, thus affecting their numbers? It works both ways, does it not?
If anyone has any insight on the true nature of teacher/child ratios at licensed daycare facilities in the state that would be helpful. I am not convinced that they are actually being deceptive, but perhaps maybe they don't get it, or they got some bad info from someone from the state.
This is not the only issue I have with this place, their menu is truly deplorable- poptarts and sugar cereal for breakfast, "fruit punch" even for the younger toddlers, munchkins, cookies, potato chips for snack. I give my son breakfast at home so avoid that some of his exposure to that but he does have lunch and snack there. They say they are working on switching to the federal food program- a win-win for them as they actually give you money for meals and snacks but they have fairly strict guidelines about the kinds of things you can offer and muchkins are definitely NOT on the approved list. My son has been there since September and there has been no movement on this. Another parent in my building used to use them and she said she was told the same thing, and that was a year ago. My job is temporary; my work is generally seasonal roughly mid October to mid May) so I am not convinced it is worth changing right now. I know he
won't be going back there next fall. It is run by a mom of one of my older son's kindergarten classmates (as first graders they have different teachers this year). And she gave me a great deal. My discomfort with this place grows daily. So in addition to the above insight on the ratio rules and how they are affected by your non attending children being with you at pick up and drop off. Some recommendations for childcare in Derry would also be appreciated!
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