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Daycare Center and Family Home Forum>Frustrated with Regulations
FrustratedProvider 12:00 PM 06-09-2010
I run a very safe, healthy and educational daycare. I pour 100% of my heart and energy into what I do for each and every child. I got registered, which allows me to have a max of 5 kids (not including my own) and followed all regulations. When I went to take the next step to be licensed, the county I lived in said it does not allow more than 5 children to be watched in a residential home regardless of licensure with social services. Also Social Services abides by each individual county's laws regarding regulations. I have an assistant who is with me full time and we can certainly handle alot more children, but I'm so frustrated that I"m stuck with 5, as I know that my program is better than alot of licensed daycare facilities and alot of other home daycares. Should I just take the chance and take on more children? How often do registered day homes actually get inspected. What are the penalties for Virginia if you go over your limit? I'm tempted to call social services and tell them to unregister me, but then again I'm on their radar. It really is upsetting.
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Daycare Mommy 02:06 PM 06-09-2010
Now I have no idea whether it's true any more or not but years ago during orientation to become licensed I was told by the licensing rep that unlicensed daycares over ratio are fined $500 per day. All it takes is one parent or neighbor calling in on you. If you truly must have a larger group, move to a neighboring county that doesn't have that restriction.
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MarinaVanessa 02:21 PM 06-09-2010
I think that it depends on where you live but I heard that it's a few hundred dollars a day here too and I live in S CA. You have to think about how you could get fined for all of the days that you have been opened at over capacity and weight that against the pros. You also risk being tagged for being over capacity and then being denied to ever work under a license period and maybe even registered. Tough choice you have to make there, I wouldn't risk it.
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misol 09:29 PM 06-09-2010
Wow. That's weird. I am a licensed provider in VA and my licensed capacity is 12. I would need an assistant if I were at capacity with a mixed age group but (depending on age) I could potentially have 12 kids alone if they were all over the age of 8.

I would call the office again in hopes of talking to another rep and see if the information that you get is the same.

BTW, what county are you in???
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Pammie 03:29 AM 06-10-2010
I understand your frustration. Licensing/registration here in Ohio is similar - and varies from county to county. In my county, you can only have 6 children cared for in your home. If I lived 1.25 miles north in the next county, I could get licensed for 12 with an assistant.

I've been tempted to go ahead and go over my limit too. I know the quality of program that I offer, and I know that depending on the dynamics of my group, I could provide quality care to more than #6 kids.

However I don't for a couple of reasons: The penalties for being caught over your limit are pretty stiff...once you're "on the radar" as you say, you stay there....but more importantly, regardless of how I personally feel about the regulations, I follow them - because I think it reflects on my overall professionalism for my clients and future clients.

Good luck in whatever you decide to do!
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VA provider 04:46 AM 06-10-2010
City/county regs trump state regs in VA. Providers are bound by both. The city/county is allowed to further restrict what the state has already regulated pretty much to death.

Oh and FYI, social services stalks Craigslist and some other advertising sites as well looking for providers operating illegally. I really don't advise it. What a nightmare that would be to be caught, fined enormously, and then shut down permanently.
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Janet 12:11 PM 06-10-2010
I get where you're coming from, OP, but I wouldn't recommend rolling the dice. It only takes 1 person to file a complaint about ratios and capacity, and then you could be up the river!
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Momma In MT 12:43 PM 06-10-2010
I have chosen not to be licensed. Here is a tip for you. You do not have to let them in your door. If they come to your door, tell them that you are not running a daycare. The only way they can do anything is if a formal complaint is made, as in someone is taking legal action. The fines are stiff but they I takes a lot to get to the point where they would fine you and honestly I have never seen that happen.
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Tags:regulations, virginia
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