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Carole's Daycare 11:59 AM 02-04-2010
Wow. That isn't just a defense of unlicensed caregiving, but an attack on licensed caregivers and any state or regulatory process involving childcare. Licensed caregivers found /cited in abuse neglect or injury cases make the news, but that's no excuse to bash all licensed caregivers. You hear about more cases of abuse because the media is now willing to talk about it, and law enforcement and social services do a better job of investigating and prosecuting it. Years ago it was kept "private" and not an issue at all in the public forum. In fact, licensed caregivers GET CAUGHT because of that state interference you are complaining about- which protects children, makes the public aware of potential hazards(which hopefully encourages them to be more involved in their child's care) and lets bad providers know they will be caught. Licensing investigates anyone who spends the night or frequents a daycare home during hours for the protection of the children, including my husband ( deputy sheriff) my teenaged honor student, and any friends that have access to the children. If that makes your friends uncomfortable, too bad.

As for the supposed lack of education- I'm certain just as many unlicensed providers were unsuccessful students or non-graduates as licensed ones. The difference is licensed providers are REQUIRED to participate in further training. Many unlicensed providers are educated and provide quality care, and choose to not license for many reasons. There are also some are blithering idiots that I wouldn't let watch my dog. They do not undergo ongoing training, and, since they are unlicensed, are not required to, nor are they "on the radar" so that anyone knows for certain what their qualifications might be. There are licensed providers that aren't terrific also. Hopefully that is changing, as in Minnesota we are implementing QRS (voluntary at the moment)- which is a quality rating program that allows licensed daycares to have independent observers evaluate their program and rate it on different areas. For example- How does the home/environment measure up based on the environmental rating scale? How much education does the provider have? What type of curriculum or educational opportunity is provided? How is parent communication handled. Etc Etc. Families will be able to get more information prior to enrolling children on how the daycare measures up, and choose caregivers that score higher in areas that are more important to them. A parent may not care if they have bulletin boards or newsletters, but really want a place with a lot of dedicated daycare space. Another parent may not consider separate daycare space as important as the providers education and training.

I don't think the "argument" about licensing VS unlicensed care is about whether unlicensed providers can be a good provider. For those of us who license- and I, at least, work in training and on boards related to children's issues, its about safety and consistency and quality- and how much influence and responsibility the state has for ensuring the safety of children in care. In MN over 80% of children under school age are in daycare or preschool programs. Statistics show nationally over 48% of available daycare options ARE NOT GOOD FOR CHILDREN. I promise you there are people who blame the state whenever there is a lack- and if it was totally unregulated and your child was hurt in any daycare, or even if they went to school unprepared, the state would get the blame for not ensuring the safety of a business caring for children. Should childcare providers have fewer requirements than workers caring for our elderly as home care or nursing home workers? Yet they must be licensed, and in fact take and pass a licensing exam, while daycares do not. It really isn't about making life hard for the provider, or the STATE owning your business. It does not require year round preschool, or any curriculum specifically. It requires basic safety and health precautions, and a knowledge and practice of basic quality care in terms of child development and positive discipline. It can be inconvenient- I just had my surprise food program visit this morning. The hope is to find a way to ensure consistent, quality care. No regulatory system can guarantee 100% effectiveness, but the hope is to empower providers to see themselves, and be treated, as professionals, thereby increasing their access to training, grants and professional development, as well as having some oversight as to basic safety and quality.

I respect all of the providers opinions, licensed or not, and have received encouragement, ideas and help from both, so it is not my intent to disparage anyone. I do think the vitriol and animosity towards the state of this original poster, makes me question their motives somewhat. Also, however eloquently they stated their case, it is apparent to me this individual has no business criticizing the education of other providers. Graduate or not I would not have this person as a primary language influence on my child. Also the extreme anti-establishment rhetoric makes me uncomfortable. I'm one of those parents who would choose education and curriculum over other factors. That's just how I am. I try hard to balance what I know they need to learn, and what I know they need for healthy emotional, psychological and social development, which is why I run a home daycare instead of a more institutional center. Another person may be uncomfortable with a childcare run by a geek that focuses on education- preferring a more laissez fare approach. Ultimately the amount of state influence over any business is always up for debate, but the unfortunately as the world changes and the cost of education goes up, and early childhood education is more and more a factor in long term success, there will be ongoing expectations of ensuring quality in the family daycare home.
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