Originally Posted by jen:
Hey Crystal! I hear you and I understand how you feel but really it was the parent's responsiblity to ensure that a background check was performed. Just because a provider is unlicensed doesn't mean a parent can't run the appropriate checks. They can and they certainly should.
Here is another story of a LICENSED home in my area. A licensed daycare provider in a very nice area was running a meth lab out of her daycare. Turns out her brother had been release from prison and moved in with her. She obviously chose not to inform licesning of the change in living arrangements. http://www.methpedia.org/news.php?id=565
Anyway, my point is this. A licensed daycare operator who wants to get around the rules, can find a way. People do it all the time and while being licensed may be a slight deterrant it is in no way a sure thing. You could have reported, and maybe it would have been stopped but more than likely she wouldn't have told them that the boyfriend lived there and just gone ahead and gotten her license based on lie. I'm sure it happens all the time.
Licensing is certainly not a guarantee of quality. I am & have always operated as a licensed daycare, but used both licensed and unlicensed providers when my teenage daughter was young.he unlicensed one was a horrible experience. She sat on her but in front of the TV doing nothing- and I found my 3 yr old playing in the street unsupervised. The provider blamed the child for being naughty, I was appalled. I had done background checks and she and her spouse had no record, she was just lazy and stupid, and I settled because I was in a hurry to find care so I could keep my job. I reported her , and she subsequently became licensed! I hope her quality improved. Every states rules vary regarding the operation of unlicensed care- here it is one family in addition to your own family members. That can still be a large number of children, if one non related family has 2 or 3 kids and you watch several nieces and nephews plus your own. Licensing is expensive yet does little to ensure quality care- many providers barely passed english yet are expected to be your childs primary language influence. Unlicensed care flourishes because these providers are willing to cut rates operating off the books so its cheaper, but they dont incure the costs of training and facility maintenance that a licensed provider does. As long as families are more worried about money than quality they will continue to operate under the radar and unknown to county oversight. The end result is those poor quality facilities make a negative reputation for the profession as a whole, making it difficult for licensed providers to charge a reasonable rate given the overhead costs, or get treated as professionals. That said- the first poster seems to have some personal beef- maybe angry because she cant afford a pool? You seem to focus a lot of vitriol regarding your unhappy finances and life on one misinformed daycare- who probably does pay taxes and may have been watching one or two families and her own and needed simply to be made aware her pool should be fenced in. As for your insane idea that we make tons of money- after my elec and water bill that are twice as high, my exhorbitant grocery bill, the huge cost of daycare insurance, the cost of high quality preschool curriculum and supplies, the constant repair and maintenance of home and yard and replacement of equipment I average considerably less than a county worker for my 5:30 am to6:00 pm workday, not counting all the time to clean, sterilize, do lesson plans, attend required training etc.