Bartering & babysitting/ratio?

Just wanted to share a cool arrangement that's been offerred to me with an acquaintance. We live right across from my 7 year old's school. A family (with 3 kids that go to this school) moved into the neighbourhood from out of province & we've been chatting at the park; great family & very well behaved kids. Mom just got a new job & will need care for 1/2 hour before school 2 days a week only. She has suggested that in lieu of fees if they would take our 2 for a couple of evenings (we've so wanted to plan regular date nights but just can't swing Childcare + date costs...so this offer REALLY appeals to me). Here's my problem; for the 1/2 hour (7:30am to 8am) on those 8 days a month these 3 (school age, ages 4, 8, 12) children will put me over my numbers. Do I risk it? My main group arrives anywhere from 7am to 8:30am.

Only you can answer this for yourself ~ my answer is no because it is 'illegal' and that's the bottom line for me ~ I do not have to 'agree' with the ratio rules or not cause that is irrelevant.

Ask yourself ~ if someone were to 'notice' and report you would the 'benefit' of this arrangement to your family be worth the fact that you could potentially be faced with a fine of $2000 a day for every day you were found to be over ratio operating an illegal daycare by the Ministry of Education?

Or that if the client or their child was 'injured' during this time frame you were 'over ratio and illegal' and as a result of that injury were wanting compensation would the 'benefit' of this arrangement out weight the fact that your home childcare ryder insurance would be void as a result of being illegal and over ratio and your home insurance policy would not cover it because it was 'business' related and not home ~ so you could be paying 1000's of $ in medical bills and potential being 'sued' because you know even though they might play ignorant when its too their advantage the minute it is 'not' they will plead they did not know you were illegal and you took advantage and so forth ~ people exploit that to their advantage!

Will you share this 'change in program policy' with your current clients or hope they do not notice ~ the risk being that either way if you tell them directly or they 'notice' some of them might be uncomfortable and 'pull' .... is the benefit of this arrangement worth that risk of loss of income from your full time clients?

These are the 'risks' you take with breaking the rules ~ if you weigh them and are fine with that it is personal choice!

BTW ~ you do not have to count the 12 year old in your ratios so you would only be 2 over ... the DNA only applies to children 0-10 years of age.

Unfortunately the 'rules' are that you can have no more than 5 children between the ages of 0-10 regardless of the number of adults present ... otherwise you could argue you hired the 12 year old as a helper during that time frame you were over ;)

I believe the 12 year old won't count towards you numbers since they are over 10.

All very good advice & things to ponder...I almost jumped in without taking all those things into account.

I here ya - I have had clients in a bind before who needed care for an older kid normally in school - and I felt bad being anal but it was just not a risk I wanted to take - with my luck the day I broke the law would be the day something happened - honestly anytime I have every walked the line ... caught :rolleyes:

Like I turned left once where it was a no left turn - but there was a road closed ahead and I followed at least 5 cars ahead of me doing same thing so figured the old they were doing it - must be ok with the road closed up there me and one other car got pulled over - and ticketed go figure!