Bill 143 and filling spaces

[playfelt]

I am beginning to field calls for spaces for Spring/Summer and will have an opening in July due to maternity leaves and child leaving to start JK. I have one in care who won't be two until next December.

I am leery to interview and sign up families only to find the final version of Bill 143 makes it impossible to do such as no more than 2 under 2. Is anyone holding off on the interviewing or final decisions. What are you telling prospective parents and what concerns do they have once they find out that they may have thought they secured a space in care only to be let go just before they need to start or worse just after starting.

For sure I am mentioning it to parents and telling them second reading is February and that I am not doing any interviewing until after that time. Ideally we might get a better sense of what MPs are thinking by then. I have some leeway anyways as two current families will eventually be sharing one space while on mat leave and they know I won't have room for all 4 kids next year anyways so we are all playing it by ear. I had debated about not filling the space but concerned that if the 2 under 2 rule comes into effect that it is better to get children into spaces sooner rather than later so they can get older faster just in case down the road I need to fill a space.

[Robyn]

I am carrying on as normal. There are many bills that don't make it through the 2nd reading and frankly I am not going to jeopardize a potential client by just waiting.

[Other Mummy]

Business as usual over here as well. Until we learn otherwise, I would continue interviewing and accepting children. If and when the bill passes as is, then I'd make the necessary changes (eg. having to let go of a client, etc.)

[sunnydays]

I am carrying on as usual as well. I don't think they will make the changes effective immediately, from what the MP responses have been. We may even have some type of grandfathering in of current clients...so I would rather be full in that case so as not to have to drop to 4 kids right away (my daughter would count with the current bill). I think it will take time for them to implement this even if/when it is passed...so I would not tell potential clients anything or jeopardize my business over this. Just think....many daycare providers don't even know about this bill most likely. Only those of us who come on forums like this even know about the possible changes.

[playfelt]

For me my space wont' open till May/June and I think that is where I am thinking that by the time that happens we will know what is going on and I still would have had a couple months to interview. I agree there will have to be some sort of time frame for getting with the program but doubt they will just let things stay as is against the rules because that is the point of the rules so if including our own is a new rule they will expect providers to be releasing kids. And I guess I am just feeling lazy and not in the mood to register knowing there is going to be a pick of kids once the rules do change from those let go from their daycares. At this point I would be bugging parents that are pregnant getting them to confirm plans and put it in writing and make them aware they can't change their minds etc. but I'm not. Maybe it is just the post holiday thing and the fact it isn't over for me as my son and his fiancé will be visiting Jan 20-27 from Calgary. So it will be February before I feel I am ready to interview anyways since I will be making use of the pull out couch in the playroom etc. while they are here, keeping up some of the decorations - undecided on the tree. If things were different personally then I probably would be interviewing as normal. Guess the fact the second reading is in February is more like a coincidence than something to plan around. I don't have little ones at home to factor in so I will have more flexibility that way. And I have to decide what to do with my two mat leave families because I can only take 3 of the 4 kids next year if I don't fill a space and leave it vacant from July to Jan or only take one of the families back if I do fill the space which I could do as early as April/May when kids I have now share a space during mat leave.

[skyee]

Can someone clarify this new law if it passes. the quota on the children you will be able to care for the ages ect..

thanks!

[playfelt]

Please remember that what is proposed is just that and we are hoping for changes but being private you will be allowed to have 5 children still but now your own children under age 6 will count in the total of 5 children in the home. Also of that group only 2 of them can be under age 2. Also any school age daycare kids up to age 13 will count as a daycare child.

With an agency they are going to increase it to 6 kids per home, and only enforce the 2 under age 2 but may have some leeway there. Still even with one extra child we would come out on the losing end.

[Daycare123]

This is a silly question I suppose but if the 5 children includes our own, does the 2 under 2 apply to our own children as well? If you have 2 under 2 of your own does this mean you can only take new children over 2?

[Crayola kiddies]

This is a silly question I suppose but if the 5 children includes our own, does the 2 under 2 apply to our own children as well? If you have 2 under 2 of your own does this mean you can only take new children over 2?
Yes that's correct if your own children are under two they count and you can only take three children over two to make 5 in total. If you have 1 under two and one over (but under 6) then you can take an additional 1 under two and two over two to make the five ...... As long as you have children under 6 they will count in the five allowable kids.

[Daycare123]

Crayola- Thank you! So I am right in that this has not passed yet (and hopefully won't)...I am not up to date clearly

[playfelt]

It had first reading in Dec as in was presented in the legislature and will get second reading in February. After that it gets discussed, changed, fixed hopefully and then is presented back for third reading and a vote is taken to accept and implement.