FAQ

JUST WHAT IS FAMILY/CHILD DAY CARE?

It is home-style care for your child, but in my home. "OK, I get it! You're a babysitter!" Well... not quite. The British term "child-minder" is really a much more accurate description of what I do: I keep very busy taking care of everyone's daily needs which includes LOTS of loving & nurturing and chasing little ones around (who has time to "sit"?!). We laugh & play together indoors and out. .. So you see, Family Day Care really IS home-style care, just the way you would give it.

HOW DOES DAY CARE WORK?

ARE YOU MY EMPLOYEE OR AN INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR?
I am definitely independent!! In general, Daycare has a 'co-op'-like principle in that I am not exclusive or on personal stand-by to any one parent. I have a base salary of $X per week and I depend on it just like you do your weekly paycheck. The difference is this amount is not paid by one source (like your employer) -- rather it is split up between all the parents who share my services. By sharing services and splitting the cost, everyone benefits!

WHY SHOULD I CHOOSE DAY CARE OVER A LARGE CENTER?
One of the major benefits family day care offers that center-based care simply cannot is that mom/family setting. A home atmosphere fosters an overall feeling of satisfaction, contentment & security. Homes are comfy and cozy, never cafeteria-style or institutional-feeling. At home, children get nurtured the way they should be, and deserve.
Small groups are less stressful to children. In them, children can foster closer social bonds and get closer attention to even their smallest details.
And Home Based Daycare is just as safe, if not more safe than a Center. Licensed providers must adhere to County, State and sometimes Federal, guidelines. Personally, I am visited by Child Care Licensing and the Food Program coordinators.

Health is another reason to choose HBDC. Parents know that the fewer people their child is exposed to--the less likely they are to become ill. ESPECIALLY DURING FLU SEASON!! Center-based care may offer separate rooms for different age groups, but the fact remains that large numbers of people (children, parents, employees & visitors) walk through a center's doors--often over 100 people each day.
Finally, in centers children are passed hand-to-hand during the day. They don't allow their staff to work overtime, so generally three (3!) part time shifts are used on a normal business day. In contrast, your provider runs her business from her home, so generally you can rest assured your child can go from infancy to kindergarten and beyond with the same caregiver.

WHY DO I HAVE TO SIGN A CONTRACT?
ALL money exchanges and transfers of important/valuable goods require a clear understanding of the transaction taking place. Think about it--Just getting your car tires rotated requires a service agreement!! So why not Child Care--aren't children valuable goods? And we both have certain responsibilities & obligations to them. So it is simply good business sense and responsible parenting to spell out the costs, limits, terms & conditions of their Care (i.e. your and my responsibilities, State & local laws, etc.)

DO YOU TAKE WALK-INS? (OR: DROP-INS?)

For safety/security reasons, and to protect our routine, all Care is by appointment or pre-schedule ONLY as time/space permit.

WHY DO YOU WANT A SCHEDULE OR APPOINTMENT?
To give as best & personal a service as possible while maintaining good time & money management, not to mention sanity! With so many kids to keep track of, I MUST know in advance who will or won't be here on which days and at what time --otherwise there is no way I can adequately plan & prepare for the day OR properly meet your child's needs. (That's why Licensing has such strict capacity regulations!)
Finally, giving advance knowledge is a simple courtesy with a great return -- it enables me to keep YOUR costs down thru minimized food waste & unnecessary supply purchases.

CAN I POP-IN WHEN I NEED TO (OR: AT DIFFERENT TIMES?)
To visit your child while he's in my Care, SURE! But to drop him off any ol' time? NO -- again, to protect our routine & other reasons, all Care is by appointment or pre-schedule only.

I DON'T NEED REGULAR CARE, MY KIDS ARE ON A TRACKING (OR CUSTODY/VISITATION) SCHEDULE. HOW DOES THAT WORK?
I have no problem with occasional or temporary Care -- single days, weeks or months are fine with me. In most instances, a simple phone call a few days or a week ahead to ask if I have openings on XYZ days is all it takes!! Be assured I WILL accomodate you, if I can.

DO YOU ACCEPT SPECIAL-NEEDS KIDS?

As much as I am able to. My experience has been with asthmatics, some speech-and developmental-delays, special diets, Cystic Fibrosis, Hydrocephalus and ADHD. I am happy to work with physical conditions, but I will not accept willful behavior & attitude problems.

DO YOU ACCEPT SICK CHILDREN?
No, I am not allowed to -- Family Child Care licenses are issued only for non-medical, well-child care. Licensing is very clear on the fact that this is a family day care home and not a clinic-- in fact during their inspections, they actually check the health of all children present in addition to the safety of my facility!

WILL YOU CHARGE FOR MY CHILD'S ABSENCES?
Yes, because I fulfilled my commitment to you: I will have specifically set aside the designated time & reserved a roster position just for you, to the point of turning others away. Also, I will have shopped and otherwise prepared behind the scenes to receive your child --that's space, time & preparation which cannot be returned, re-sold, or filled by the next person in line.
Charging a flat fee regardless of attendance is what gives me my budget, from which bills are paid and I make a modest living.

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU ARE SICK OR OTHERWISE CAN'T WORK?
I usually plan my personal time for a Friday and/or Monday (only twice have I taken a full week) and I always post my intentions well in advance in our monthly calendar newsletter. In the event I should become too sick to work or need emergency time off, I will notify you ASAP, so you can put your back-up plan in motion.

Note: All of my parents are required to have a back-up plan at all times, ie: another provider, a family member or you may choose to stay home too. Be assured your fee will be adjusted for my sick/ personal days (but recognized Holidays or parent/child sick or personal days are not included in this exception).

WHAT ABOUT YOUR BACK-UP? WHY DOESN'T SHE STEP UP WHEN YOU'RE OFF?
I don't keep an outside back-up person on retainer because it's simply not cost effective. Also, Licensing considers the choice of caregiver to be a PARENT CHOICE & RESPONSIBILITY issue. What I can do is refer you to different people for you to interview in advance but ultimately, all arrangements are your responsibility.

BUT THERE IS GOOD NEWS! Over the last couple of years , I've caught cooties bad enough to have to stay in bed only twice that I can count. And every time I called & let everyone know ASAP and they all were able to put their back-up plans in motion without a hitch, and I adjusted their fee the following week.

WHY DOES DAY CARE COST SO MUCH? WHAT EXPENSES COULD YOU REALLY POSSIBLY HAVE?
Nothin' about kids is cheap, is it?! (~grin~) Please rest assured I am setting the best price possible.
Here's a partial peek at what affects your cost...
** I actually work 11 hours a day with your child and does not include, cleanup, paperwork & maintenance.
** I give quality Care, not quantity--I don't pack my house full or go over my limit. I plan specifically according to the number of children enrolled & their contracted hours. I'm here, I'm ready, & I'm waiting.
** With a few exceptions, my personal life is juggled around the day care schedule, not vice versa.
** There are SO many categories of expenses to keeping a safe, clean, compliant home, serving a well balanced menu, keeping children busy & meeting their needs. ... general utilities, food, toys, books & games, craft supplies, office supplies, advertising, license compliance & training, car gas & maintenance, cleaning supplies & paper goods, general property safety maintenance and repair or improvements *

DO YOU GIVE SIBLING DISCOUNTS?

Licensing make any capacity allowance for siblings however I do give a $10 per week discount on siblings.

WHAT IS YOUR POLICY ON MEALS?
Everything is served on a set timetable, serving and cut-off times are listed in your Parent-Provider agreement -- children due to arrive after a scheduled meal OR who choose not to eat, must eat before they arrive or wait until our next scheduled serving. Be aware that meals/snacks served in this facility, whether prepared from scratch or pre-packaged, may contain traces of eggs, soy, nuts, and/or milk
I require everyone to sit together family style-- no roaming around or exclusion.
Finally, I really prefer that NO perishable outside food be brought in UNLESS your child is on a special diet OR in the case of donuts, you bring enough for everyone (dry & canned goods are not considered perishable-- but pizza, homemade soup, and fast food are).

THOSE RULES ARE KIND OF RIDICULOUS AREN'T THEY?
It's true, someone really asked me this question!

1) I am a member of the Federal CACFP (Child And Adult Care Food Program) and I am just doing my job by following their schedules & policies. Also, I am required to have training in safe food handling & preparation practices--by keeping all perishable food under my control, their temperature, freshness & quality are assured
2) I am a Caregiver, not short-order cook. I realize food is a big part of child care but the operative word is "part"-- there is SO much more to caring for kids than just feeding them! I cannot offer a fully rounded program, AND meet daily school, nap and other schedules if I am always preparing something to eat or cleaning up after a meal! Besides, it's just not healthy nor does it teach self-control if kids nosh or munch at will all day long. And frankly, it's just too expensive!
... a) CACFP guidelines say at least 3 hours must pass between breakfast & lunch, or 4 hours if snack is served. It is YOUR choice & responsibility to make sure your child is here at the correct time if you want me to feed him/her.
3) And there's nothing wrong with rules-- they keep us out of trouble and make everything run smoooooth. I am working in your child's best interests by feeding him well and setting a good example.

I'VE NEVER HEARD OF THAT PROGRAM--TELL ME MORE...
The CACFP is a Federal Child Nutrition program that is regulated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) under the National School Lunch Act, and is administered thru several State sources. Their goal is to educate & encourage healthy eating habits and ensure all kids in school or day care eat regularly and healthfully. I follow the CACFP for 2 reasons...
** Licensing considers irregular or inconsistent meals to be a Negligence issue -- by offering and following the CACFP, I am fully compliant in that area. In fact my meals always meet or exceed minimum Federal standards!!!
... a) By law, children are NOT required to eat everything on their plates, the food is simply made available for them and they are encouraged to at least taste everything. ~ but what your child ultimately eats or doesn't eat is up to him or her. Your help in this area is appreciated because sadly, a lot of it gets thrown away... You can learn more at: http://www.nal.usda.gov/childcare/ .

WHEN SHOULD I START POTTY TRAINING?

Potty training should be done once your child is off the bottle, wakes up dry from naps, can pull his own pants up & down, has reasonable pee & poo holding control, AND can express his need to go before it’s too late—This generally happens at about 30 months of age.

WHAT IS YOUR POLICY ON POTTY-TRAINING?

Honestly in all my years as a mom and Caregiver, I have found PT'ing to be most successful if done at home--simply because many children cannot focus on toilet training in a group environment and/or become frustrated & even experience anxiety. However you do choose to PT, I will back you up BUT ya gotta work on it consistently at home or I will not work with him here.

A note from personal experience--If done at the right time, you can knock it out over a long holiday weekend (www.3daypottytraining.com ) My parents LOVE this program!!