Hello. I'm a child care provider who understands where you are coming from as a parent. I am a parent also, but my children no longer need child care. Anyway, as far as your provider's boyfriend, I believe that is her business if she has a boyfriend, and I understand your qualms about him being around the children. But if he's not living there, I don't believe he has to be fingerprinted. At least that's in my state regs. But if he's there all the time during day care hours, then your concern is understood.

I don't agree with her being gone from the day care to hang out with her boyfriend leaving her business in the care of an assistant. In my state, an assistant is always suppose to be supervised by the child care provider. They're allowed to pick-up and drop-off children from school, take them outside and do other minimal tasks.

If your provider wants to take off from site, then she needs to get a substitute. There is a difference between an assistant and a substitute. In my state, a substitute have to have everything the child care provider has and an assistant doesn't. Also, in my state, a provider can only use a substitute a max of 25 hours per month.

If something were to happen to those children while she is out hanging with her boyfriend, it's going to be all on her. The assistant isn't qualified to be there alone with those children a whole day, unsupervised, and not even should be alone with the children for too many hours. I know some of us have left to run errands and left our assistant, but why not send the assistant to run errands like grocery shopping for the child care.

As a professional, I wouldn't dream of taking off for hours or a day from my business and leaving the responsibility of children I'm responsible for in anybody else's care, unless they are qualified like I am (substitute). If your provider need a day to hang with her boyfriend, then she should shut down by using a personal day. I take the holidays I'm closed and take my personal days when I know I can't be available. My parents have my scheduled days off and they have signed the contract stating that they understand if I have to close for emergencies and that I have personal days I may need to take. IMO, this is what is right.

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