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**** Daycare: Do's, Don't's, Questions, Policies and How to know if you're Daycare Provider material. My sister and I are both in-home daycare providers, and as such we feel obligated to share with you some tips about finding the right daycare for you and your child. I've had parents let their children decide if I was the 'one' for them. Example: the baby or child was comfortable with me, so they felt good about leaving their little one in my care. Good grief people! Children are not dogs, they don't instinctively dislike 'bad' people! If that were the case, child predators wouldn't stand a chance. Word of mouth is the best way to find a sitter, talk to your insurance agent, a responsible daycare provider will pay for an insurance 'rider' to cover the daycare children in their home. Another person who may be able to steer you in the right direction is your accountant. Although some childcare providers do it 'under the table' (for cash), my sister and I both claim our income, and therefore use an accountant at tax time. Talk to your friends and neighbors...where do they take their children? Interrogate them as you would any reference (see list of questions to ask references). Below is a guideline of what to look for in an in-home daycare. Not all great daycare providers will adhere to what we set forth as guidelines, and at the same time there may be a 'bad' daycare who follows all of our guidelines. As with anything there may be exceptions, by asking these questions you and your daycare provider will both be more comfortable with your decisions. **** DO:
We've covered some of the things that you should DO, now let's go over some of the things that you should NOT do when looking for a daycare. |
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**** Daycare DON'Ts:
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**** Questions to ask the references: This is a general list of questions to ask references when searching for a daycare provider. Wherever you see "sitter" it refers to the Daycare Provider in question.
**** In-home Family Childcare Policies. Again some providers will adhere to a more relaxed contract and some will be more strict. This is just a guideline of the policies that have worked for me and the parents of my daycare children. A. Enrollment and withdrawal 1. All forms must be completely filled out and returned before childcare begins. 2. Parent/guardian agrees to submit on or before the first day of care a copy of each child’s current insurance or medical card. 3. Parent/guardian understands that medicine will not be administered to your child unless the medicine is accompanied by a written request to do so. In the case of prescription medication, it is to be in the original pharmacy container, clearly marked with the child’s name and dosage. 4. Parent/ guardians are responsible for providing a two-week notice if they decide to withdraw their child from my care. Failure to provide such notice will result in being charged a Full Rate for two weeks, even though your child is no longer in my care. Failure to pay the tuition or fees will result in the account being sent to small claims court. B. Payment and Fees 1. Post-dated checks will not be accepted. Checks must have current days date on them. 2. Returned checks will be assessed fees, payable in cash or money order. There is a $30.00 service fee for each returned check (this is what my bank charges me, when your check does not clear.) Any additional fees incurred by me as a result of your check not clearing will also be added to the original check amount. ‘Bad Checks’ that are not repaid to your childcare provider within 10 days of notice will be turned over to the St. Charles County Prosecuting Attorneys office. 3. Parents/ guardians are to pay the full tuition amount plus any added fees on the Friday prior to service. This enables me to shop for any supplies that your child may need in the coming week. C. Payment and Fees 4. There is no extra charge for meals or snacks served in my home. I will provide children in my care with balanced breakfast, lunch and between meal snacks as I see fit. The evening meal is the responsibility of the Parent/guardian. **Infant formula and food are the responsibility of the parent/guardian and will not be provided by this daycare provider. 5. I expect to be paid even when you may have to bring your child late or pick them up early. I also expect to be paid when your child is not in attendance due to illness, doctor’s visits etc. 6. Scheduled overtime must be ‘put in for’ at least two weeks in advance, this allows me to incorporate personal appoints (doc, dentist etc.) into my work schedule. I reserve the right to decline overtime requests. The scheduled overtime fee is $5.oo per half hour, this charge is in addition to your regular tuition and is to be paid the Friday before service. Please request scheduled overtime in writing. 7. Unscheduled overtime is anytime over the contracted time. The unscheduled overtime fee is $10.oo per half hour and is due the Friday immediately following, the day that the fee was incurred. 8. Year-end summary of payments and fee will be provided by January 15th, if requested. D. Vacation Time 1. Each family who has a child in my care will be given 5 (five) days of vacation time per calender year. The parent/guardian will not pay for these 5 days of vacation time, provided they are requested at least two weeks in advance. Please request vacation time in writing, signed and dated. 2. Failure to give advance notice of vacation plans: the full tuition amount will be due on the day specified in your contract. If unscheduled vacation time is taken and not paid for, the time slot for your child may no longer be available upon your return. 3. I take the following days off with pay: New Year’s Eve, New Year’s Day, Memorial Day, July 4th, Labor Day, Thanksgiving & and the Friday after, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Occasionally I am available on these days and I will make my availability and fees known in advance. 4. I reserve the right to take a one week vacation per calender year. Parents/guardians are not responsible for tuition payment during this week. At least a two week written notice will be given. It is the responsibility of the Parent/guardians to find alternate childcare during this time. 5. I am not closed on school holidays such as spring break, parent teach conferences, or Christmas vacation. Your regular tuition fees are due whether your child attends during such times or not. E. Hours and Days 1. The price for Full-time tuition includes 10 hours per day, five days per week. Anything over 10 hours per day will be charged my base rate of pay plus overtime fees for each additional half-hour. 2. Parent/guardians who contract for full time will be charged the full rate whether their child attends one day or all five days. Holidays that fall during the work week will be paid for even though I am unavailable for care. (See Vacation #3) F. Hours and Days 3. The price for part time includes 6 hours per day, 5 days per week. Anything over 6 hours will be charged my base rate of pay plus an overtime fee for each additional half hour. 4. By popular demand I have developed ‘Childcare by the Day’: The price for a "Day" includes10 hours per day, or 6 p.m. whichever comes first. Anything over 10 hours per day or past 6 p.m. will be charged my base "day rate" plus an overtime fee for every additional half hour. 5. Evening and weekend childcare is no longer available. G. Illnesses 1. Parent/guardians should notify me if there has been an illness in the family over the weekend, and your child MUST be symptom and fever free for a minimum of 24 hours before bringing them to me for childcare. 2. To protect the health of all of the children in my care, children with the following symptoms will not be allowed to stay in my home: Fever, diarrhea, vomiting or other health concerns such as a bad cough, open sores, rash or poor hygiene. 3. Both Prescription and non-prescription medications will be administered only if they are in the original containers and accompanied by written authorization signed by a parent/ guardian. Containers should be clearly marked with child’s name and dosage. 4. Parent/guardians will be informed of any mishaps/accidents that happen throughout our day. In the event of serious illness or accident, your daycare provider will follow instructions as written on the medical authorization form. H. Discipline 1. In case of disciplinary measures; I use redirection first: simply re-directing the child’s attention or activity to a more appropriate area. This works well with most small children. 2. However, if redirection is not successful I will use ‘time-out’. This is the method most often used with the two and three year olds. 3. Tantrums usually begin around the age of 18 months, and I find that a very calm but firm stand is necessary. I very calmly address the child ‘in tantrum’ by name and ask that they stop the behavior. If they do not they are placed in their bed until the tantrum is over. Once the child is calm he/ she is gotten out of bed and praised for their calm behavior. If the ‘fit’ resumes then this routine is repeated until the tantrum is over. 4. The parent/guardian will be consulted if these methods of discipline do not work so that we can agree on a new course of action. If a disciplinary problem cannot be rectified, the child will not be allowed to remain in my care. 5. Types of behavior that are not tolerated: swearing/cursing, hitting, biting, kicking, intentionally destroying toys and books. 6. If I suspect that there is any kind of child abuse or neglect committed on any child in my care, I will immediately contact the Police Department and Children’s protective Services. I. Clothing, Supplies and Activities 1. Parent/guardians are responsible for supplying diapers, wipes, diaper cremes, special need foods and medications. Please write your child’s name on their clothing and supplies. 2. There will be a charge for supply purchases such as diapers, wipes and special need foods such as formula or cereal. The cost will be a $20.00 gas charge, and an additional 15% above the amount of the receipt. 3. Please send your child appropriate clothing for the weather. Also send an extra change of clothing for your child as accidents such as juice spills cannot be foreseen. 4. Children of all ages will be allowed to play outside on days that the weather permits, so be prepared for dirt and grass stains. You are not sending your child to a fashion show!! 5. Wading pools, sprinklers, sandboxes, tricycles, swings and slides are some of the outdoor activities that your child may participate in. Your childcare provider will NOT be providing helmets, kneepads or elbow pads for the children. If you feel that they are necessary please provide them and be sure that they are labeled with your child’s name. 6. Occasionally I like to take the children to the park and/or out to eat for lunch. There will be no extra charge for these field trips and advance notice will be given for these outings. J. Arrival and Pickup 1. Parent/guardian will call at least ½ hour before their scheduled time of arrival if they are going to be late or are not coming. Full tuition will be charged. 2. Parent/ guardian will call if they are going to be late in picking up their child. Unscheduled overtime fees apply. 3. Parent/ guardian will come to the front door when picking up their child. No child will be released to a honking horn. 4. Only authorized persons will be allowed to pick-up children. If they are not on the child pick up form the parent or guardian must personally give prior written permission to your daycare provider of the change.
***Are you ready to be a daycare provider? Do you believe that parenting is the most difficult job in the world--wrong. Daycare providers are the hardest working employees on the planet, even over-worked and underpaid parents fail to realize the work involved in being a daycare provider. That’s the first truth of being in this profession, and there are many more things to consider before you decide to stay home and provide childcare. 1. Can you tune out loud repetitive noises?It’s a noisy job with lots of screaming [for fun], crying and shouting [for fun], banging on toys, and lucky us they now make toys that make noise at the push of a button, and a constant barrage of questions and comments on absolutely every detail of the day. Then we have to deal with the fact that children are really little humans so they have bad days too. And those are even noisier than the good days and you’re not allowed a nervous breakdown or even a break for that matter. 2. You must be a real homebody. Are you someone who is more comfortable at home then anywhere else? You’ll be home at least 12 hours a day, five days a week, or longer depending on your hours of operation, and there won’t be any adults to chat with, it’s all jabber. 3. Be willing to work for less then minimum wage. While it certainly is an honor to be trusted with these young treasures it’s by no means enough to pay my bills. I charge $25.00 per ten hour day that’s a whole two dollars and fifty cents per hour, before my expenses which come to about ten dollars a day, so I clear about a $1.50 per hour per child! So I watch the maximum of six children, bringing my income somewhere in the neighborhood of $9.00 per hour. The payoff for me is that I get to be available at all times for my little girl, and in addition to that, I don’t have to pay for gas or drive in bad weather, and supper can be on the table when my family gets home [or shortly thereafter]. 4. Is your home big enough? Children take up space that’s all there is to it and you need the space for them to run and play, sleep and eat. Toys, clothing, food etc. will all take up space in your cabinets, drawers and closets. If you don’t have the area to set up ‘pack-n-plays’ permanently then you face setting up and tearing down everyday! Whew! Just the thought of that exhausts me. You’ll also need an extra room to quarantine sick children until there parents can get there to pick them up. 5. Can you work within a budget? Daycare requires you to use electric, heat [AC], and other utilities when you normally wouldn’t so those costs will increase. I feed my kids breakfast, snack, lunch and another snack or two so our grocery bill is always at least $150 per week. This is why I charge overtime after 6 p.m. because it also includes supper. I have to budget my groceries [use coupons] and find ways to cut down on utilities in order ‘cut costs’. Summertime helps when we can go outside to play and shut off the TV and lights. I also hang out some of my laundry to cut back on the cost of running the dryer. 6. Do you derive joy from organization and cleanliness? An organized home soothes me. I’m no neat freak but my home is always tidy and everything has it’s place. From the first day my babies are old enough to toddle I encourage them to help with cleaning up. I require that all the toys be straightened up prior to going out to play or sitting down to eat lunch, I’m fortunate that I’ve had all my children since they were tiny and they don’t know any other way of living. When lunch time arrives I tell them ‘clean up, clean up’ and they know the routine...they clean up and I set the table, when they’re done cleaning then they come to the table to eat. ‘New’ children catch on fast, peer pressure is a wonderful thing, and babies just think it’s a big kid game that they’re getting to play too. 7. Can you childproof your home?You’ll need the full range of childcare devices, cabinet locks, outlet plugs, door knob covers, and deadbolts on the exterior doors [kids love to open doors and can reach a regular knob to unlock it]. Can you gate off your stairways and the basement? How about a lock on the pantry and craft closets? 8. Are your pets child friendly and are their shots up to date? If your pets don’t do well with children make sure you have a place to secure them [the pets] during your hours of operation. 9. How will you divide your time between your child and your daycare children? Unfortunately my daughter can’t always come first, dirty diapers and hungry babies take priority. It’s easier now that she’s older [10] but when she was younger it was hard to explain that these other little people needed my love and attention too. I had to cope with jealousy and tantrums just as a parent of multiple children would. It’s a hard thing to see your baby crying at your knee while you feed another baby a bottle. Are you capable of leaving your baby crying while you see to the needs of another baby? 10. Flexible personality required. The ability to change your course of action on a whim is a must, because it won’t be your whim that changes the course of things it’ll be the kids. I find that if I act goofy when they’re upset then they stop to see what’s gotten into me. I mean, if you’re ticked off at someone and they start to do the Funky Chicken, how’re you going to keep a straight face, right? Same thing goes for me. If I’m having a bad day [no really, it happens] and feel the need to yell at a child, I ROAR instead, a really nice loud roar; like a lioness guarding her cubs, I give it everything I’ve got. The kids roar back and before I know it we’ve been playing jungle lions and my mood has changed. 11. Do you have good hygiene? Daycare equals germs, and germs equal illness. Runny noses and dirty diapers are just a few of the hazards that we face on a daily basis so good hygiene is a must to keep from getting or spreading: hepatitis, MRSA, yeast infections, colds or flu just to name a few. 12. Do you have good hygiene, part 2. Take a bath, brush your teeth and hair, wear clothes that are freshly laundered. Just because we stay home and the kids really don’t care what we look [or smell] like doesn’t mean we can ignore ourselves. If you don’t take care of yourself how do you expect a parent to believe that you’re going to take care of their children? 13. How’re your energy levels? Children don’t enjoy sitting in front of the TV all day long, they need exercise to be healthy and this means YOU! In order to be a responsible daycare provider you need to play with them, you have to clean up after them, prepare meals, do crafts and projects, read stories and keep them from climbing the bookshelves in the meantime. Rarely do we get to sit and watch them. 14. Are you squeamish? Nobody likes to clean up puke and diarrhea but it happens more often then I like to think about. Runny noses are common and I even had one little darling who liked to play in her poopy diaper when she woke from a nap. Talk about a mess. 15. How will you ‘drum up business’? My sister has wonderful luck advertising in her local paper, I tried placing an ad in my local paper and people called wanting to barter for childcare, and to negotiate drop-off and pick-up locations-not to mention the people who wanted me to work for near nothing. I find my best parents have come from word of mouth, that is to say personal referrals, but that’s extremely hard to get when you’re just starting out so I created small ad sheets on my computer and gave them to my insurance agent, tax agent, and banker, I even hung one up in my church. Unfortunately, this is a trial and error process, so try everything, at first, later use only what brings you in the quality of parents that you prefer. 16. Are you certified in CPR and first aid? Bumps and bruises, scratches and scrapes are a routine part of our day. God forbid anything more serious were to occur but just in case it does you need to be prepared to administer the proper lifesaving or first aid techniques. 17. The good news. You don’t have to be beautiful to do this job, it doesn’t even help. Ask any child if their parents are beautiful and they’ll say yes, even if their parents are butt ugly. Beauty is measured in what a care giver provides for the child, to be beautiful to a child all you have to do is provide them with safety, security and love, nothing matters to them but the love and care they receive.
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