See this is what I don't get.

You stand firm that develomentally approriate programs are what all programs should be. You have shared that you are an evaluator of programs as a part of your living.Of course.

How can you suggest that it is EVER developmentally appropriate for a developmentally appropriate program to ALLOW eleven hour days? Doesn't that completely defy developmentally appropriate?When I speak of developmentally appropriate, I am referring to caring for children based on what are considered developmentally appropriate practices. Providing QUALITY CHILD CARE, QUALITY EARLY EXPERIENCES, in MY program. Nowhere in DAP guidelines does it state that a program should not allow 11 hour days or that I must MAKE a parent comply to my demands.

Where is it on your evaluation tools that asks "how many hours per day does each child in this program attend?". Shouldn't that be the FIRST question? Shouldn't that be more important than whether or not their is a sand and water table? Shouldn't that matter more than having comfy seating or a "quiet area" for privacyNo, because the tools we use are based on the environment, not number of hours of care. BUT, I would certainly hope that children who do attend 11 hours a day are in a program that is developmentally appropriate. And, of course, spending quality time with the parent is the better alternative, when possible.
When are we going to recognize that it is impossible to be developmentally appropriate when a child is away from their parent that many waking hours a day? When are we going to take a stand and tell parents we just can't do it? It's too much.
I agree that it is not “ideal” for a child to be away from their parents that many hours per day. Ideally parents would stay home and parent their children 100% of the time, but that isn’t realistic. Who are “WE” to take a stand against parents to inflict our own personal philosophy of parenting?

There are only twenty four hours in a day. That can't be cheated. If a kid is in your home eleven hours and has transport time home with parents there is no possible way for them to have any substantial DAILY awake face time with their kid.
I know. But it is what has to be done for Mom to provide basic, adequate care for her children. Who am I to judge her because she is trying to provide for her children without welfare and she is hoping to provide a better future for them?

I do nine hours max. You allow eleven. Just think about the last two hours every day in your program and imagine every single kid being home and awake with their parents. That would be swell, but the reality is that there are parents who NEED 11 hours of care…..and I NEED to meet the needs of families, or I wouldn’t have a job.

Now you tell me that you wouldn't prefer that? You tell me it wouldn't make a HUGE difference in the quality of parenting and the quality of YOU and your work? For the kids, certainly, I would prefer that. I don’t think it would necessarily affect my work, unless all of the kids in care were here 11 hours a day.

This isn't something that needs researching... it's plain simple common sense. Children need TIME .... awake TIME.. every day with their parents. Absolutely. They do. Unfortunately, my little kiddos have to stay up a bit later than I’d like, but their Mom DOES spend awake time with them every day. And, she makes weekends with her very meaningful to them.

I won't be a part of any care that means that at the end of the week the kid is in my care more hours awake than they are in the parents care a week awake. And that’s YOUR prerogative and you can run your business however you see fit.

We need to be the ones to take a stand and say we won't do it. We won't be a part of any system that promotes that much time in care. Sure people have busy lives .... they have to work... but the message needs to be sent before the kid is even conceived that the "BEST" child care won't allow eleven hour days because the best know it's not in the BEST interest of the kids.Again, IDEALLY we could do this and it would work. But the fact of the matter is that parents WORK to SUPPORT and PROVIDE for their children. IDEALLY parents would make the “choice” to not have children that they cannot “afford” to have, but REALITY is that parents CANNOT afford to care for their children if they do not work……and for some that means a long work day or commute. And, yeah, here in the city commute time can take up to two hours.
We can sit around and judge parents all day long, but it isn’t going to change the fact that some need extended hours of care.
I’d like to see ONE provider on this site who would consider themselves the PERFECT parent, because that sure as hell is what many of you ACT like when you talk about other people’s parenting.

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