Lack of Available Childcare
I just had my unannounced inspection yesterday . I have a new licensor ( first time meeting her) and we were talking after everything was done . I asked about MD excells ( stars program) . I asked her if she heard anything about it becoming mandatory , she said "no" . Then she did mention that lots of MD providers are closing due to all the required/ new training and upcoming new regulations and that there are not many new providers coming in. They are starting to see a lack of available childcare. There are complaints coming in from parents who can't find care and don't believe it when providers are telling them that they don't have openings.
|
It was the same here. ;) I am the only LEGAL home provider left in my town. :ouch: We have plenty of ILLEGAL home providers, now, since the state funding was cut for enforcing laws. Instead of going after them, they micro-manage us with regulation to keep their federal funding. I am sure the benefits to kids are enormous. :rolleyes: "We're the government, we are here to help." :lol::lol::lol:
On paper it looks like quality has improved. And it has for the minority of legal providers left who are included in the numbers. |
Yep, Yep and Yep. Pretty much sums it up with child care across the U.S. :confused::rolleyes::eek::mad:
|
Originally Posted by Second Home: I do take a lot of heat these days for not being able to create slots from thin air. The kids age out just as fast as they can. I am not cherry-picking or playing favorites. By cutting our ratio (slots) in half, from 12 kids to 6 kids, they created the first big drop in available slots and doubled tuition overnight. Childcare did not get more expensive, our earnings potential was cut in half. We had to do a market correction or go out of business. They love to blame childcare providers for the cost, though. |
I heard the same at a provider conference over summer. How we need to improve quality, and recruit more childcare providers.
Of course in the very next segment, they had a state representative talking about the high cost of childcare on working families and how we should also keep rates lower or REDUCE RATES. 1. HIGHER QUALITY=thousands of dollars in mandatory equipment, additional staff, additional paperwork/outside of child care hours, of course. Additional expensive training. 2. Lower costs for parents. When I brought up that points 1 & 2 together are not feasible during Q&A I was given a 'we hope to offer more subsidy...' what? How is that helping parents who don't qualify? or providers to become in compliance with additional regulations to achieve a BS 'higher star' rating? Then I mentioned that the vast majority of ECE staff live below the poverty level and qualify for government programs themselves, and compared centers to Walmart with impossible customer service expectations and EVERYONE CLAPPED. I just tried to open a center in our small village, we have a HUGE provider shortage. I am full with a waiting list and get multiple calls DAILY, I have a waiting list until summer of 2021, strictly because I won't enroll that far out. I am at the high end for our area, too and I refuse to accept subsidy because they never pay out. The state came in and said my toilet stalls were 2" too short width wise. It was a historic building, so there was no wiggle room on remodeling. So yep, the state denied my license for 2", even though I could accommodate a handicap accessible bathroom in the office, it was the staff restroom, so that wasn't allowable. :rolleyes: 3 months of work, would have had 6 full classrooms the month I opened with children CURRENTLY and STILL in illegal, out of ratio for licensed in some instances, potentially dangerous, child care situations. |
Originally Posted by daycarediva: My daycare is full and parents get really angry when I tell them I won't have openings until May. I'm sorry that they are in a tough spot, but don't call me today and expect childcare tomorrow..... |
Originally Posted by daycarediva: I've "bit" so many times with certain entities that I feel "embarrassed" to ever do it again, but then each time I think "this time will be different", but:confused: |
Originally Posted by satcook: Read the Peter Principle. Please. It should be mandatory. :ouch: |
Originally Posted by Cat Herder: |
Originally Posted by Cat Herder: It's eerily similar to the hoops special needs parents must jump through to obtain services the child is eligible for. 1. You must have Medicaid/free state health insurance to receive ANY therapies through the school district. 1a. Medicaid is income based, if you make too much... 1b. you need a waiver... that's another agency. You must have guardianship when your child turns 18. But wait, you cannot obtain guardianship without a very expensive attorney, who has MONTHS long waiting lists, and without a laundry list of forms from, you guess it...other agencies (no privately funded psychiatrist you must go though the state ones... but you must have a waiver, which you must obtain from another agency.... RESPITE OR HOME CARE? Unless youre willing to hire an essential nanny and pay all that tax, you must get approved through an agency with a year plus waiting list, and then ONCE approved, you must wait for a service coordinator through yet another agency to become available (that took us 9 months and daily phone calls). Once you have that, he will set up a meeting with ANOTHER agency and that will take another 3 months and both agencies aren't sure who pays- parent/guardian, insurance, state agency. They will fight. Parent will be required to support documentation. Things will expire in the mean time. and who is taking liability to prescribe meds? Because the private psychiatrist won't touch it because the child sees the state psychiatrist (SAW. ONCE. FOR PROOF OF DISABILITY) and then the school psychiatrist who sees him 3x/week cannot prescribe meds, and the family physician won't touch you with a ten foot pole. Don't even get me started on SSI/disability, or facility placement. I've talked to about a million agency workers with ART degrees though. :ouch: |
Originally Posted by daycarediva: |
Originally Posted by Annalee: |
Originally Posted by daycarediva: |
There are a lot of providers in my area but parents are just too picky. Usually about price, wanting a part time rate for an infant when the demand for infant care is high so providers rather take a full time infant and make more money..stuff like that. Ive had the same family message me 3 times (im assuming they forgot my name) over a 3 month span. I give them the same response. My price is way less than a center and about average for daycares in my area. With all the ads im seeing from providers with availability I cant imagine why they are having trouble finding care...:rolleyes:
|
This is a real problem in my area as well. I know a couple home providers that closed just because they got tired of dealing with licensing. And it’s because of their stories I still don’t want to get licensed. I’m content staying small even though I have the demand that I could easily grow. But having previously worked at a center and dealing with licensing, it just seems like such a headache.
Providers can be written up for the most ridiculous stuff, but being licensed does not mean quality. It really is a problem, and because of the high demand, few spaces and most providers in our area staying unlicensed and watching only 4 the prices are then put onto the families |
We have had articles in our paper about being in a Childcare Desert. Centers and some providers here have years of waiting list for infants.
Then the school district is cracking down because schools are getting to full and not allowing out of school area children to enroll. So those children then have to go to their area school and many are left without a childcare option. Some of these children are in stable childcare's, and others have been enrolled even in these schools for several years and still have to leave if the next grade is to full. Its a vicious cycle. |
I was interviewed for a Child Care Desert article, coming out who-knows-when. :lol:
Personally, I think if licensing relaxed ratios a little it would make a BIG difference all around. There would be more spaces for more children, and we'd make more money and be less likely to quit for better paying jobs. |
Originally Posted by AmyKidsCo: |
Taylortots here, I Forgot my password and locked myself out.
I just wanted to chime in "Yep!" to everything. |
Originally Posted by Unregistered: Let us know if you get back in |
Originally Posted by Blackcat31: |
Originally Posted by Cat Herder: LOL Taylortots - BTDT! I never used to have my computer save passwords but I've given in so now I don't know any of my passwords. :lol: |
All times are GMT -7. The time now is 08:39 PM. |