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nanglgrl 03:24 PM 10-31-2012
If you are a childcare provider in Iowa, if you are a childcare provider in another state, if you are a parent or a person who knows a little something about changing technology. I would love to know if your state requires a copper based land line or if just any land line is fine, if you are even required to have a landline or if you know how copper landlines and VoIP services work. I shouldn't have titled my last post "Iowa Providers Unite" I should have just named it "Unite". The government needs to know that if they want us to follow a rule it needs to be voted into code. We shouldn't have different inspectors require different things from us. We shouldn't be told different things when we call to get clarification on a subject related to our businesses.

http://www.change.org/petitions/jeff...-code-110-5-1#
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biglou 03:28 PM 10-31-2012
NYS requires copper landlines.

Big Lou
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daycare 03:32 PM 10-31-2012
not in CA.... I am a cell phone only home

oh your link did not open.....
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bluemoose_mom 03:43 PM 10-31-2012
North Dakota requires a working phone. That's all.

In fact, when I got my license, I was waiting out my contract on a cell phone from a different area of the state, and wasn't using my phone. My liscenser was fine with me using my husbands cell phone (since he worked from home).

I am also an all cell phone home.
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Blackcat31 04:20 PM 10-31-2012
I just did a little on line research and found that more than likely the reason the state is requiring you to have a copper based landline is because newer technology such as VoIP and Fiber-optics wiring seem to have some issues during power outages leaving people unable to access outside phone service or even 911 if needed.

Here is a Consumer Reports article about copper, fiber-optics and VoIP wiring. http://consumerreports.org/cro/2012/...ency/index.htm

Other tidbits I picked up from info on line is receiving your phone service through your cable or internet provider such as Media-com is not always reliable and there are several forums where people complain about random and unexplained outages, static on the line, phones not connecting properly as well as the above mentioned loss of service during storms or power outages.

HTH
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nanglgrl 08:59 PM 10-31-2012
Originally Posted by Blackcat31:
I just did a little on line research and found that more than likely the reason the state is requiring you to have a copper based landline is because newer technology such as VoIP and Fiber-optics wiring seem to have some issues during power outages leaving people unable to access outside phone service or even 911 if needed.

Here is a Consumer Reports article about copper, fiber-optics and VoIP wiring. http://consumerreports.org/cro/2012/...ency/index.htm

Other tidbits I picked up from info on line is receiving your phone service through your cable or internet provider such as Media-com is not always reliable and there are several forums where people complain about random and unexplained outages, static on the line, phones not connecting properly as well as the above mentioned loss of service during storms or power outages.

HTH
The problem here is our copper landlines are so old and with the weather in Iowa it doesn't take much for them to go down. The copper landline I had up until a few months ago when I was told by DHS we could use Magic Jack was out for 8 months straight and I didn't even know it (of course I still had to pay the bills for that 8 months). A friend of mine had her copper landline go out the other day for the entire day and it was nice and sunny. I think the state is thinking these lines are more reliable than they actually are and is thinking that we are still in the years when cell phones and VoIP was new technology.
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nanglgrl 09:00 PM 10-31-2012
Originally Posted by nanglgrl:
The problem here is our copper landlines are so old and with the weather in Iowa it doesn't take much for them to go down. The copper landline I had up until a few months ago when I was told by DHS we could use Magic Jack was out for 8 months straight and I didn't even know it (of course I still had to pay the bills for that 8 months). A friend of mine had her copper landline go out the other day for the entire day and it was nice and sunny. I think the state is thinking these lines are more reliable than they actually are and is thinking that we are still in the years when cell phones and VoIP was new technology.
I should also add that even though copper landlines might work in the event of a power outage the cordless phone you have them hooked up on will not.
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daycare 09:05 PM 10-31-2012
So very true and good luck trying to find a phone that's not cordless??
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nanglgrl 09:29 PM 10-31-2012
Originally Posted by Blackcat31:
I just did a little on line research and found that more than likely the reason the state is requiring you to have a copper based landline is because newer technology such as VoIP and Fiber-optics wiring seem to have some issues during power outages leaving people unable to access outside phone service or even 911 if needed.

Here is a Consumer Reports article about copper, fiber-optics and VoIP wiring. http://consumerreports.org/cro/2012/...ency/index.htm

Other tidbits I picked up from info on line is receiving your phone service through your cable or internet provider such as Media-com is not always reliable and there are several forums where people complain about random and unexplained outages, static on the line, phones not connecting properly as well as the above mentioned loss of service during storms or power outages.

HTH
Thanks for the link...I've been researching like a madwoman. I'm on a mission. I'm trying to compile everything I will need for an eventual appeal (if it gets that far) and this article contained a lot of useful information.
I should add that my problem isn't with the saying they want us to have copper lines. If this was actually written into Iowa code and I was expected to use copper landlines from the start I would still try to change the code but I wouldn't be as mad. My problem is that nowhere is Iowa code for home daycares does it say we have to have a copper landline. In fact for years we've been told that any old landline would work now they are changing it up when providers are contracted for 2 years with companies such as Mediacom for their phone service. They are not trying to rewrite the code they are just saying "hey, do this and do it now". There are also a lot of areas in Iowa that do not have access to copper so this will effect those providers. One provider went to Mediacom after her copper line became completely unreliable, they threatened to revoke her registration and told her she had to have copper. When she said "so, you would rather me have a copper landline that never works instead of a line from Mediacom that usually works". The answer was yes. She is now unregistered.
Another provider does not have access to copper lines. She lives in a new housing addition. The only provider that still uses copper lines will not run copper to her home. She has no options. DHS doesn't care their answer is, "you need a copper landline".
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daycarediva 02:44 AM 11-01-2012
Originally Posted by biglou:
NYS requires copper landlines.

Big Lou
It must be regional because I am in NY and I didn't have to have one!
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nanglgrl 12:34 PM 11-02-2012
http://www.change.org/petitions/jeff...-code-110-5-1#

Please sign, this is not a stupid problem for us. I urge you to help us fight this being required because it is not part of the code we are guided by. If they do this and providers just bow down and do what they are told whats going to stop them next time they want us to do something that hasn't been voted on? No going on field trips? No transporting children? Only being able to have non-cordless phones? Leaving our doors unlocked for surprise visits? I could go on and on. My biggest problem is that this is not code and yet they are revoking and denying registration because of it.

If you have any problems with the link please let me know!
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Heidi 12:55 PM 11-02-2012
I cannot sign your petition because I am not a US citizen, but I certainly empathize!
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MarinaVanessa 02:09 PM 11-02-2012
Will it make a difference if people out of state sign your petition? I know that when we were asking for signatures for a petition against unionizing daycare providers (amongst others) that only the signatures of people in the same state that would be effected could sign. I'll sign it if my signature counts of course
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nanglgrl 02:16 PM 11-02-2012
Yes, it will certainly make a difference. Petitions are less about the signers and more about what happens each time someone signs. Every time someone signs everyone who is recognized at the top of the petition receives an e-mail. Petitions are about annoying these people so much that they actually look at the petition. Please do sign!
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itlw8 02:51 PM 11-02-2012
In MO we must have a landline and they want us to have one no cordless phone so incase of emergency we have a phone.

They do not consider magic Jack a landline here
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nanglgrl 03:12 PM 11-02-2012
Originally Posted by itlw8:
In MO we must have a landline and they want us to have one no cordless phone so incase of emergency we have a phone.

They do not consider magic Jack a landline here
Yes, it seems there are a few states that require a copper wired landline. The problem is that are state does not require it in code and are just saying we have to do it. 10 years from now we will laugh because copper based land lines will be obsolete as more and more service providers are switching to fiber optics. We had a huge tornado a few years ago that wreaked havoc on a small town not far away and guess what, their landlines didn't work and they had to use their cell phones. Copper is only underground on the way to your house (and even the underground part has problems with reliability because of moisture) the rest of the line is above ground on polls that are open to the elements such as ice, high winds, etc. Requiring copper based landlines and corded phones because of safety is ridiculous.
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nanglgrl 10:39 AM 11-09-2012
You know you hang out with kids too much when you have an accomplishment and the first thing that comes to mind is the Dora The Explorer theme song. We did it, we did it, we did it hooray!

This is not just a win for providers in Iowa but for all of us. It shows that if we stand together and throw a big fit about an injustice we can change things!

Nannyde pointed the problem out to a friend who used to work for AFSCME. Her friend contacted me and had me send her the letter DHS sent me. She passed it along to the Iowa Childcare Advisory Council at their meeting yesterday and the rest is history.

They noticed my letter from DHS wasn't even signed. I guess no one was willing to take responsibility for telling me to do something that was not part of Iowa code.
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Country Kids 10:41 AM 11-09-2012
Originally Posted by nanglgrl:
You know you hang out with kids too much when you have an accomplishment and the first thing that comes to mind is the Dora The Explorer theme song. We did it, we did it, we did it hooray!

This is not just a win for providers in Iowa but for all of us. It shows that if we stand together and throw a big fit about an injustice we can change things!

Nannyde pointed the problem out to a friend who used to work for AFSCME. Her friend contacted me and had me send her the letter DHS sent me. She passed it along to the Iowa Childcare Advisory Council at their meeting yesterday and the rest is history.

They noticed my letter from DHS wasn't even signed. I guess no one was willing to take responsibility for telling me to do something that was not part of Iowa code.


YOU GO GIRL!!!!!
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MsMe 11:54 AM 11-09-2012
Sounds like you got it straightened out, but where are you in Iowa?

I have been registered with the state for 8 years. We were at the top of every inspectors pile for the first couple of years when we went from an 'A' to a 'B' and then to a 'C' registration and then again when we switched main providers. We were in very close contact getting our program set up and have been renewed 4 times and inspected 3. Our last inspection was less than two weeks ago. Never once has anyone ever said anything about a copper wire phone line. How odd that they made such a big deal to you and others and I have never heard of this?
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nanglgrl 01:09 PM 11-09-2012
I'm in Cedar Falls. This really wasn't a big deal until about a week ago. It seems that they started denying registration for new providers who did not use a copper based landline and calling current providers to access who they utilized for phone service about a week ago. If they used Mediacom, Magic Jack, Vonage etc. they were sent letters saying their license would be revoked. I was one of the first ones in Black Hawk County..or at least the first one to put up a stink about it. Our DHS and CCRR were even surprised. They said something was mentioned to them about this a couple of months ago but they didn't think anything would come of it because they could not find where it was in Iowa Code.
I've been registered for 10 years and had my last inspection in September. Even then we were being told any phone line was fine as long as you had something besides a cell phone. They were suggesting these carriers to providers because the alternatives were so expensive. After this happened to me at the end of October I started to hear about it happening to a few other providers.
It seems that someone higher up just recently decided that landline meant copper wired and instructed people in Des Moines to look into the phone provider that each child care home uses. It didn't stand up though because it wasn't in Iowa code and from what I heard about the meeting it doesn't seem like anyone from DHS wants it to be.
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