I was going to do the second installment of "Walk a Mile in Their Shoes" tonight, but I am moved to go a different direction.
I had a goal to do informative and educational pieces with this blog, but this time I'm going to write from my heart.
Rules are NOT made to be broken. Rules are in place to protect us. Protect us from ourselves, from each other and from the worst of us. When people decide that the rules don't apply to them, innocent people get hurt. Am I being too vague? Let me be more specific...to hell with hurt feelings!
Childcare licensing rules exist for reasons. Just because we may not agree with them or may not always be able to see the importance of the rules, there are rules, there are laws, and they need to be obeyed and adhered to. When one person takes it upon themselves to live outside these rules, there are victims. Even when abuse and neglect aren't present.
Tonight I had to tell a mother that her daycare provider isn't licensed. The turmoil that this mother is going through was completely preventable! She now is struggling with the doubt that comes from trusting this person that has been lying to her for months. "What else has she been dishonest about?" In addition, she's now wondering about the quality of care her child has been receiving all this time. And last, but not least, she's got to figure out, quickly, where to place her daughter so she can continue to work and not lose her job. Because it is just a matter of time before this provider is shut down by the state -it is illegal to operate a daycare without a license in this state. And this is just one of the families in this providers care. All of those people's lives in turmoil and chaos because one person thought the rules didn't apply to them.
Maybe the provider thought she was doing them a favor. Maybe she thought she was such a great caregiver that she didn't need to be licensed. Who knows? Maybe it truly never occured to her that she should be following the laws of the state she lives in. I highly doubt this to be true since she thought ahead enough to tell families she was in the process of getting her license "renewed" , when asked whether or not she was licensed.
To say that I am angry about this is an understatement. There are so many wonderful, amazing, caring, and hard working child care providers that bust their butts and follow the rules EVERY DAY! Then someone comes along and taints the whole profession by their careless, reckless and selfish behavior.
The licensing process, while not easy, is not impossible. There are many sources of support and help for people interested in becoming licensed inlcuding area 4 C's Councils and the licensing consultants themselves. The bottom line, imho, is if you are passionate about caring for children, and you are good at what you do, you will be happy to get licensed to provide care.
I can't think of a single excuse for not being licensed if you are going to run a daycare. I believe in this so very much that I sponsor local providers to get the training they need to keep their licenses current.
We all have a role to play in solving this childcare crisis in our country. Good childcare providers are trying to make a living by providing quality care and hard working mothers and fathers are doing the best they can to pay a fair wage to those providers and still support their families. Something has got to give. I'm putting my money where my big mouth is....are you?
Monday, June 22, 2009
Monday, June 8, 2009
Walk a mile in their shoes...Seeing things through your providers’ eyes. Part 1
Childcare providers are professionals, not babysitters. As professionals, there are certain items that childcare providers want their customers to be aware of. I have put together a list of a few things we all need to know about the unbelievably challenging and incredibly rewarding childcare profession.
This is a business.
Childcare is a business and providers are professionals; please do not refer to them as babysitters. It is demeaning and even insulting. It is expected that professional care providers would have specific hours, rates, systems, and rules to help them maintain the levels of care and service that set them apart from babysitters. As parents, we should appreciate the time and effort that goes into creating handbooks, contracts and curriculum that further promote this professionalism and help set a higher standard for the quality of care.
Professional providers have the right to be paid for not only the care they provide, but their time, too.
Reasonable late fees are to be expected and should be enforced when and if parents abuse the drop off and/or pick up policies of their provider. It is also reasonable for providers to charge if a child does not attend on a day they were scheduled to attend. If the provider is holding a spot for your child, they have a right to be paid whether you choose to use the care or not. If they were not holding the spot for your child, another child would be there in their place and would be paying for that spot. Providers should also bill in advance and make no exceptions because some families tend to take advantage of childcare providers and, because of the very nurturing and caring nature of childcare providers, they tend to fall prey to sob stories. Strict adherence to these policies ensures your provider will be able to afford to continue to provide high quality care to your child. I want to urge parents to remember when you find yourself upset about the fees and costs associated with childcare that you would not work for free, would you?
You Really Do Get What You Pay For.
I often wonder why parents will spend more time and money checking out a used car they are considering buying than they do when choosing a childcare provider. Those same parents are often the same ones that complain about the cost of childcare, only to spend good dollar after bad on other, dare I say, less important items like housing, travel and luxuries like gym fees and beauty treatments. I know there are parents out there that truly can barely afford quality childcare on their salaries and wages. Those families have far more difficult decisions to make than whether or not to pass on the gym membership. I don’t pretend to have a solution for this national conundrum, but I do know that no parent should EVER choose a childcare provider based on price alone! I cannot stress this enough. There are too many unqualified people masquerading as professional providers that are only caring for children because they don’t want to flip burgers. There are many community and government programs available to help bridge the gap between struggling families ability to pay and quality providers’ compensation for quality of care given.
Good Fences Make Good Neighbors: Boundaries are good.
Professional care providers should give families a handbook that outlines the rules and guidelines for their business. Parents have the responsibility to be very clear about what is expected of them and what the provider will and will not be doing with your child. Discipline, transportation, food, and hygiene are all issues that parents should make sure they are in agreement with the providers’ philosophies. If not, you should find another care provider immediately.
Just remember that professional care providers take their jobs very seriously and we all benefit when our children receive high quality care. Part 2 coming soon...
This is a business.
Childcare is a business and providers are professionals; please do not refer to them as babysitters. It is demeaning and even insulting. It is expected that professional care providers would have specific hours, rates, systems, and rules to help them maintain the levels of care and service that set them apart from babysitters. As parents, we should appreciate the time and effort that goes into creating handbooks, contracts and curriculum that further promote this professionalism and help set a higher standard for the quality of care.
Professional providers have the right to be paid for not only the care they provide, but their time, too.
Reasonable late fees are to be expected and should be enforced when and if parents abuse the drop off and/or pick up policies of their provider. It is also reasonable for providers to charge if a child does not attend on a day they were scheduled to attend. If the provider is holding a spot for your child, they have a right to be paid whether you choose to use the care or not. If they were not holding the spot for your child, another child would be there in their place and would be paying for that spot. Providers should also bill in advance and make no exceptions because some families tend to take advantage of childcare providers and, because of the very nurturing and caring nature of childcare providers, they tend to fall prey to sob stories. Strict adherence to these policies ensures your provider will be able to afford to continue to provide high quality care to your child. I want to urge parents to remember when you find yourself upset about the fees and costs associated with childcare that you would not work for free, would you?
You Really Do Get What You Pay For.
I often wonder why parents will spend more time and money checking out a used car they are considering buying than they do when choosing a childcare provider. Those same parents are often the same ones that complain about the cost of childcare, only to spend good dollar after bad on other, dare I say, less important items like housing, travel and luxuries like gym fees and beauty treatments. I know there are parents out there that truly can barely afford quality childcare on their salaries and wages. Those families have far more difficult decisions to make than whether or not to pass on the gym membership. I don’t pretend to have a solution for this national conundrum, but I do know that no parent should EVER choose a childcare provider based on price alone! I cannot stress this enough. There are too many unqualified people masquerading as professional providers that are only caring for children because they don’t want to flip burgers. There are many community and government programs available to help bridge the gap between struggling families ability to pay and quality providers’ compensation for quality of care given.
Good Fences Make Good Neighbors: Boundaries are good.
Professional care providers should give families a handbook that outlines the rules and guidelines for their business. Parents have the responsibility to be very clear about what is expected of them and what the provider will and will not be doing with your child. Discipline, transportation, food, and hygiene are all issues that parents should make sure they are in agreement with the providers’ philosophies. If not, you should find another care provider immediately.
Just remember that professional care providers take their jobs very seriously and we all benefit when our children receive high quality care. Part 2 coming soon...
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