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We don't expect perfect parents either...but we do indeed expect respect.
Moderator cut: off-topic
Foreverking, you make Excellent points. In fact, I will go further to suggest that parents should have an acute awareness of Home daycare workers. In many cases, I strongly recommend that you run a police report to check out criminal elements. Don't leave your children with these strangers. If you must, I recommend at least 5 references.
How many times have I read about abusive home daycare workers.
Day Care Worker Accused Of Child Abuse - Orlando News Story - WESH Orlando (http://www.wesh.com/news/17515670/detail.html?subid=10100244 - broken link)
Last edited by jeannie216; 09-23-2008 at 07:23 PM..
Foreverking, you make Excellent points. In fact, I will go further to suggest that parents should have an acute awareness of Home daycare workers. In many cases, I strongly recommend that you run a police report to check out criminal elements. Don't leave your children with these strangers. If you must, I recommend at least 5 references.
How many times have I read about abusive home daycare workers.
Day Care Worker Accused Of Child Abuse - Orlando News Story - WESH Orlando (http://www.wesh.com/news/17515670/detail.html?subid=10100244 - broken link)
First of all, the second link you posted says a daycare "center" NOT an in home daycare. The first link won't open for whatever reason. So just going by your second link, you can see that the same thing can happen in a center. Most, not all, times that I read something about a child getting injured, etc in a home child care, that child care is operating illegally. Parents need to know the laws in their areas before placing their children. I can tell you in my area that there are easily 50-60 ads on Craigslist every day for people looking to care for children. Of those 50-60 ads, maybe 3 are legally operating. Unfortunately, too many parents are looking for the cheapest care they can get and these illegal child cares are able to undercut the legal ones because they don't have the expenses those of us that do it legally do.
Second of all, in MOST states to be a home child care provider legally the provider and anyone else who lives in the house over a certain age (some states it's 18, here it is 16) MUST have a background check completed prior to becoming licensed and then again every certain number of years - here it is every 3 years.
So, although I agree with the fact that parents should have an acute awareness of their home child care providers, I will go one step further and say they should have an acute awareness of ANY ONE who cares for their child - not just home providers.
First of all, the second link you posted says a daycare "center" NOT an in home daycare. The first link won't open for whatever reason. So just going by your second link, you can see that the same thing can happen in a center. Most, not all, times that I read something about a child getting injured, etc in a home child care, that child care is operating illegally. Parents need to know the laws in their areas before placing their children. I can tell you in my area that there are easily 50-60 ads on Craigslist every day for people looking to care for children. Of those 50-60 ads, maybe 3 are legally operating. Unfortunately, too many parents are looking for the cheapest care they can get and these illegal child cares are able to undercut the legal ones because they don't have the expenses those of us that do it legally do.
Second of all, in MOST states to be a home child care provider legally the provider and anyone else who lives in the house over a certain age (some states it's 18, here it is 16) MUST have a background check completed prior to becoming licensed and then again every certain number of years - here it is every 3 years.
So, although I agree with the fact that parents should have an acute awareness of their home child care providers, I will go one step further and say they should have an acute awareness of ANY ONE who cares for their child - not just home providers.
I checked out google, and for ever 1 artical on daycare center abuse, I found an average of 5 abusive home based daycare centers. I totally agree with you sberdrow. And yes I have noticed that hypocore is a troll who just likes to stir up threads.
Not to get too off topic here but I must speak up. I don't see how you can call hypocore's comments as trolling in this thread. As a daycare provider she is providing the opposing viewpoint as they see it. Many providers are good and they have to deal with the parents as customers, some of them are good and some of them take advantage of the providers. I always tried to be friendly with my providers and often heard them complain of parents who tried to get around the rules or took advantage of them trying to be accomodating. I've had some quite good in-home providers that didn't charge if a kid was sick or didn't show and had parents who would abuse that. So please be aware that there is always two sides to an issue and it is good to hear both. Not defending bad providers here, just good ones who have to deal with irresponsible parents.
So I think, after reading the posts that of the two choices, home daycare vs. daycare center, daycare center wins.
1) Same hours and days available (actually more because the center wouldn't shut down because there are more women there to cover should one of them have a personal event they want to do).
2) More oversight. Someone mentioned using a webcam. Opinions on this? If you're at work, how would you have time to sit and monitor a web feed? Much less poor over it later in the evening.
3) Some of the centers are actually teaching the children in a preschool situation. The home daycares are, frankly, too busy to try and teach to all the varying age groups all by themselves. I guese this point if valid if you want your child to learn something while you're gone, or just babysat.
I will allow that in my experience, if you're going to go with a home daycare, husband/wife teams usually are the better way to go versus a single woman trying to juggle everything. I've seen the husband be there for his wife so she can take breaks, clean house, make lunch, etc.
So I think, after reading the posts that of the two choices, home daycare vs. daycare center, daycare center wins.
1) Same hours and days available (actually more because the center wouldn't shut down because there are more women there to cover should one of them have a personal event they want to do).
2) More oversight. Someone mentioned using a webcam. Opinions on this? If you're at work, how would you have time to sit and monitor a web feed? Much less poor over it later in the evening.
3) Some of the centers are actually teaching the children in a preschool situation. The home daycares are, frankly, too busy to try and teach to all the varying age groups all by themselves. I guese this point if valid if you want your child to learn something while you're gone, or just babysat.
I will allow that in my experience, if you're going to go with a home daycare, husband/wife teams usually are the better way to go versus a single woman trying to juggle everything. I've seen the husband be there for his wife so she can take breaks, clean house, make lunch, etc.
It sounds like you found the option that is best for you. You have some valid reasons and I'm glad that it works for you. For some people, in-home daycares can also be a valid choice. Here are some of the reasons you may choose a good in-home care provider.
For infants and very young children, having someone that only cares for a few children in their home can be more loving and nurturing. If you are lucky enough to find such a person.
If you work an off-shift, you may have no other choice as it's very rare to find a center that is open off hours.
Cost. Some people who don't qualify for state help still cannot afford a licensed center and yet cannot afford to stay home either.
I agree with the team comment. The best in-home daycare I've seen was run by a two-mother team so there was always someone there, no matter what. I've also seen providers who have their mother or someone else as back-up and let you know when that person will be expected to step-in.
So I think, after reading the posts that of the two choices, home daycare vs. daycare center, daycare center wins.
1) Same hours and days available (actually more because the center wouldn't shut down because there are more women there to cover should one of them have a personal event they want to do).
2) More oversight. Someone mentioned using a webcam. Opinions on this? If you're at work, how would you have time to sit and monitor a web feed? Much less poor over it later in the evening.
3) Some of the centers are actually teaching the children in a preschool situation. The home daycares are, frankly, too busy to try and teach to all the varying age groups all by themselves. I guese this point if valid if you want your child to learn something while you're gone, or just babysat.
I will allow that in my experience, if you're going to go with a home daycare, husband/wife teams usually are the better way to go versus a single woman trying to juggle everything. I've seen the husband be there for his wife so she can take breaks, clean house, make lunch, etc.
I think that anyone looking at child care should look at both centers and homes. Not every home environment is the same just as not all centers are the same and you reasons above are generalizations.
1 - a lot of reputable home environments have back up care available either through networking with other providers or such as in my case, an assistant. I have an assistant who is with me for part of the day, every day and is also my back up. In the last year I have had to close one day other than holidays. In that particular case, we had a very nasty stomach bug go through and my assistant got it on a day when I was in a mandatory licensing class. Other than that, she even kept my home open during my vacation this past summer
2- oversight - Yes, most days we are alone with the kids BUT we are subject to unannounced visits by many different agencies AND are required to have an open door policy where parents of enrolled children can come by at any time unannounced. And if you think having a webcam or having more than one teacher in a room is enough to stop those that take advantage of their positions, then you are truely mistaken. Ratio's are large enough (1 adult for every 6 kids or more depending on the age) that there is no way that each teacher knows what another teacher is doing at any given time.
3 - teaching - some of the home environments teach as well. I am a qualified lead teacher and teach a structured curriculum every day and have for many years. I serve ages 0-5 and manage to still teach. My parents are amazed what their children come home knowing and I have had many Kindergarten teachers ask their parents what center their child went to because they are amazed at how much they know and how prepared they are when they enter Kindergarten. So, again a generalization that home care's aren't teaching children.
Like I have said previously, there are good home environments and bad home environments, just like there are good centers and bad centers. My best advice to parents is to do your research. Know the laws. Visit each place several times. Talk to the providers, talk to other parents. And most importantly, trust your gut. As a parent our instincts are usually amazingly accurate.
3) Some of the centers are actually teaching the children in a preschool situation. The home daycares are, frankly, too busy to try and teach to all the varying age groups all by themselves. I guese this point if valid if you want your child to learn something while you're gone, or just babysat.
My daughter is in a home daycare and learns a ton of stuff, so that's quite a generalization. She is two and knows all her colors, including ones like black, white, grey, silver, and gold. She can recognize all her numbers and both upper and lower-case letters. She knows all her shapes including trapezoid, parallelogram, octagon, and pentagon. Etc, etc. She learns a ton of stuff at daycare. Her teacher follows a curriculum with weekly themes and everything just like in a center. Plus she has the personal attention that comes from being in a smaller group, and more time for outside play than she ever got in the center. I'm not saying that all home providers are like this, but you shouldn't say that none are either.
My daughter is in a home daycare and learns a ton of stuff, so that's quite a generalization. She is two and knows all her colors, including ones like black, white, grey, silver, and gold. She can recognize all her numbers and both upper and lower-case letters. She knows all her shapes including trapezoid, parallelogram, octagon, and pentagon. Etc, etc. She learns a ton of stuff at daycare. Her teacher follows a curriculum with weekly themes and everything just like in a center. Plus she has the personal attention that comes from being in a smaller group, and more time for outside play than she ever got in the center. I'm not saying that all home providers are like this, but you shouldn't say that none are either.
With all due respect, your daycare sounds like an exception. There are exceptions to every rule. I've paid extra money to 2 home daycares that promise when I hire them to provide a preschool setting with learning. But I was continually disappointed when my son would tell me about his day: playtime, dress up, etc. In general what I would find from a babysitter or other daycare that didn't offer learning like these did. But I was stuck paying more money. And as you said, your girl is in a "smaller group" that evidently your daycare woman can afford to do. Most that I've seen have at least 6 at a time of all age ranges. I understand that they are too busy to teach different things to different ages. Thats one of the reasons why I say a daycare center would offer more advantages (share the load).
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