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...