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misol 12:04 PM 03-19-2010
Originally Posted by MarinaVanessa:
Yes they're supposed to be confidential and a state agent will not tell a provider who filed a complaint but come on think about. A provider has children in care. Parent has a complaint about let's say "sleeping on the job" and talks to provider or just gives provider a look of disgust. Provider knows parent is upset. Provider for whatever reason does not satistfy parent and so parent files a complaint with state. State comes out and investigates and questions provider about "sleeping on the job". Um ... looks pretty obvious to me who the parent that made the complaint was without needing to be told by the state agent.



Providers "sweat it" because that's somebody telling you that you're not doing your job right. Let's say that you have a child and you hold a playdate. Then you hear from somebody that the playdates parent is criticizing your parenting skills. Would you want to host another playdate for that family? I know I wouldn't.

Providers "sweat it" because even though it is just an investigation it still counts on our records. Even if it unfounded and dismissed it still there. Other people look at that and say "Oh they have a complaint." and get iffy about whether or not to take their own child. Regardless of whether there was any truth to it or whether it was dropped. We "sweat it" because any complaint no matter how small counts. No matter if it was dropped or not, it counts. No matter if it was true or not, it counts. It is still on their records. Their credability is now questionable and so is their reputation.



As a provider I that networks with other providers in my area I would hope that if they had a client that called the state on them and that client could potentially come to me for childcare that I would be given a heads up. And yes, they can. Not that it would matter anyway since most providers check references anyway and would call your last provider and find out why you left anyway. That raises a flag and I'd immediately look up the incident and call licensing and ask about it to the agent that handled it. Then I'd make a decision. I have to say that unless it was something serious like child abuse, negligence, an incident where a child got seriously hurt or something then I'd deny the parent and not provide services. In other words ... it better be serious enough to call for the need and not just because you don't like the way I do something. My thinking is, what's going to happen when we don't see eye-to-eye in our own situation. I'd be too afraid to be firm in my beliefs for fear of being reported to licensing for something so I'd just flat out deny you to begin with.

You may think that it's unfair for a provider to call other providers and "warn" them about previous clients but think about it. Parent gets upset calls licensing. Parent is doing what they feel is right and protecting the children and wants other parents to be warned (record is public and can be viewed by anyone). In return provider has state called and feels the need to protect the provider network and so calls providers to "warn" about parent. Again, I am talking about calling licensing about smaller issues. "Sleeping on job" for example. How are you going to prove that s provider was sleeping? Unless you took a photo or something you can't. How is licensing going to prove that they slept on job? Unless their sleeping through the visit they can't. Proper steps? Change providers. If you still felt the need to file a complaint (because sleeping on the job could pose a safety risk) the smarter thing to do would be to find alternative care then call licensing. I just don't see any issue where you are willing to stay being serious enough to call licensing.

I mean if it was really that serious then no parent would have the need to want to stay with that provider. Licensing is for times of serious issues. If you wouldn't leave the provider then the issue isn't serious enough to call for a compaint to licensing. Need to stay because a shortage of daycares? Bull. I as a parent would NEVER take my child somewhere that I was not comfortable with. No matter what. The safety of my child overrides my need to have childcare.
Well said.
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