I am on a parenting forum where a mom is thinking about starting an in home dc because of the issues her child has had with dc.

Anywho, some of the other posters are saying their in home has a back up provider who comes in and that the in home is never closed.
I have never heard of such a thing. Is this the norm in your area?

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I've heard a lot of providers say this. (that they DO offer back up/not closing)

Apparently its one of the "new" marketing strategies so that families choose in home care vs centers and choose their particular program verses anther in-home program that may not offer that same perk.

Similar to newer providers that offer long hours, no charges on absent days and weekend or night care.

I also "think" in some providences in Canada that if licensed the provider is required to provide back up care options if the provider is going to be closed.

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Here that's not too common yet. Most close, and don't provide back up. I thought about it for a while but found it was really tough to find anyone reliable, and trustworthy enough to be in my home, with my kids, with other people's kids etc. Plus the liability, what if something happened? Nope, waaaay too much problems for me lol. I do have some trusted friends that I offer as an alternative but they need to get in touch with them, set it up, and have it take place, well, just not here lol.

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I have seen a few local providers looking to hire back up help so they don't have to close . None have found anyone that I know of as I still see the same ads every week .

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It is something that is starting to be "recommended" here, too.

Ugh, first a private breast feeding area that no one uses, followed by dinner/evening bath serices, then mild ill care services, now back-up care?

Maybe I will just jump ahead and offer drop off at birth - pick-up for kindergarten services. Wonder what that going rate will be?

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Logistically, how does that even work? You have to have somebody who's qualified to provide child care and is just sitting around in the daytime with no other obligations. And does the back up care have to be licensed if the home is licensed?

In Canada, does it work like substitute teaching, where a small handful of backup providers are on call for a large number of family care providers?

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My mom does backup care. She used to do inhome for 16 years. Now she provides backup for other providers. Shes actually really busy and is her fulltime job. She has to have a background check and all the same trainings as a licensed provider.I think parents prefer that the provider have a backup, then them having to find someone. This also makes it easy on the provider/me when i have a last minute thing come up or i wake up sick!

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In my state IF I provided a back up provider then yes, that provider would have to have the required trainings and qualifications to provide care.

From my understanding for those Canadian providers that do have to provide back up, it doesn't have to be in their home just that they have another provider or program willing to be their back up and yes, I would assume that would mean they are sitting around doing nothing because I can't imagine having to tell my families, "Hey, I cant take my regular families this week because I'll be taking all Ms Pestle's daycare kids because she'd off for a few days"

This ^^ could very well have changed in recent years but I do know that some providers there did/do HAVE to provide back up but they went through some significant changes at their DHS levels too over the last few years so I can't accurately say what the rule is or how it reads or works in reality.

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I have a back up who is rarely available and charges more than I can afford to pay on a regular basis. When she is available, I use her for my medical appointments. I never used to bother with a back up, but I'm seeing 8 specialists right now (5 hours NW of me, 5 hours East of me, 1.5 hours South of me) With all the travel that I close for, I like to hire her for the shorter, more local appointments so I don't have to close so often.

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In Canada Ontario at least it depends on the provider.

If you are licenced through an agency such as Wee Watch (only way to be licened home provider) the agency can provide back up care and advertis to parents as such. But from what I've hear parents rarely actually get back up care for kids under 2 since space is limited. A space is only provided if backup provider as room that day. Backup care is given in the backup providers home.
Myself who is legally unlicensed have no requirements on anyone if someone I wish to come in and have look after the kids. I do use my MIL (if she has the day off or can use a sick day) or my husband.

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I know providers personally who offered back up care (not as part of an agency but it is their business model) who had to close because they did not get any calls! They were even double advertised as a "mommy's helper". Another woman offered it but was also an active supply teacher because her backup care couldn't pay the bills.

The demand seems to be imagined.

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Not common here in the south at all.

If you want a place that almost never closes then you choose a center. The large child care centers around here have huge issues (truly, huge issues...) and I have great difficulty in finding the "pros" with them. This is the only pro I can think of. If a parent wants to minimally parent or truly can't afford to take off of work then this is the way to go.

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LOLOL Why stop there? We could just charge a fee to CARRY the child for them. We could call it CK Care: "Conception to Kindergarten Care". Bahaha!

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I do have an assistant to cover appointments and such. But when I or my kids are sick, or on vacation, I do not want the liability of day care in my home.
I also know that in home care is typically much cheaper than center care, so I kind of side eye parents who want center service at in home prices.

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I should have added that here in MD you must have 2 substitutes , they have to be finger printed and background check but nothing else as far as classes or training . You are limited as to how many days and hours they can be subbing .

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The way MI rules are put together, it would be hard to share a back up or Assistant. But we are required to have an emergency back up person. This person can be anyone, no classes required, no background or fingerprinting required, they just need to be on call. I questioned having just one and was told I could have as many as wanted but one must be on file at with the state. So if number one is not available, I can call someone else. Which means there is no commitment at all, so what's the point, other than making me aware that I can use someone in an emergency.
(Of course, I would never use anyone that I felt to be unsafe, but I think they would require more than a sign paper.)

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More often than not, I offer back up when I am closed for a non vacation day.

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same!

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I have back up care. BUT only because of my family dynamics. My dh is retired, so he's usually here. My 21 yo granddaughter is in college so I can use her if needed. My DD also lives here so I can ask her in advance to cover. My niece has taken a day off to cover for me. I am lucky to have so many at hand.

It wasn't that way for many years, though. I never closed.

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Some people here have backup so they don't have to close. Most of them have their child care space separate from their homes. My space is integrated in my living space so I wouldn't be comfortable leaving a sub here and going on vacation, even if I knew and trusted the sub I'd still want to know what's going on in my house!

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There are two licensing agencies in my area (of Ontario Canada). One is Family Space (formerly Ontario Early Years) and the other is Wee Watch. Family Space requires the provider to have a sub willing to come to the providers home and fill in. Of the people I know, there are those who work out of the home, and a few who don't. Of those who don't, some have small children, or their own home-based business, or are retired. None would be willing to come to my house to fill in. Wee Watch doesn't require this. They will arrange for your clients to go to another provider when you are sick or have an appointment (or on holidays).

I haven't seen a non-licensed provider advertise this service though. I certainly don't offer it.

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That's where I'm at. If DW isn't subbing for me I have a family friend who subs periodically. I wouldn't ask her to run the daycare if I was out of the area or for multiple days. Not because I don't trust her but so I don't end up putting her in a situation where something happens and I'm not close to deal with it.

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I am fortunate enough to RARELY have to close. My daughter has an in home office here and works out of it, so if I need to go to an appointment or have a day off, she is able to cover for me. I go over this with all perspective families at interview and let them know that she might, on occasion, be a back up for me.
Unfortunately, every time a caregiver takes off they run the risk of losing a client. (Not that the client gives any thought to taking a day off from care-and income away from the provider)

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