Parents popping by

do you allow this? A few homes I have interviewed do not allow parents to 'pop' in without taking their kids home with them, do you have a policy like this?

Same as you. They are allowed to stop by, but be aware that they may be going home with the kids! It's all in my manual!

My parents are great though - haven't popped in at all - they trust me!

I have no issue with parents stopping by but if they do, they better be taking their child home with them. It is very unfair to the child for the parent to do that. When they see a parent show up a daycare their first and only thought is going home.

My policy is the same. Feel free to drop in but you take your child home with you. It is a matter of trust. When you dropped the child off in the morning you said you would come back for them. They do not understand that you are just visiting and will feel abandoned when you leave. Also it is not my responsibility to waste time resettling your child who is now in tears - way too time consuming. Just because a parent has insecurities there is no reason for the child to suffer.

Wow I didn't even realize parents would do that.

When I was a parent using a home daycare I would sometimes get off work early and come by to the daycare unannounced to pick up my child a few hours early. That was sort of my way of stopping in to see how things are when she was n ot expecting me but I was also taking my son back home with me. The daycare provider never seemed to mind. She was probably happy that I was taking my child home early.

I have never had a parent come by early unannounced. Well....only once but it was only 1 hour earlier and she was picking up her daughter early too. I didn't mind

I would never have thought of this problem either... :huh:
Do you have this issue? I would absolutely explain that they are welcome at any time during dayhome hours, but that this type of "visit" is un-necessarily hard on the child.
I tell parents that they are welcome, and I have had early pick-ups, but nobody just popping in and leaving again. That seems like something that would be common sense on behalf of the parent, no? :P

I've told my dc families that they are welcome to pop in but in 4 years no one has ever done it. They would be taking their child home with them.

If you pop by you take your child with you. Also, they are not allowed to 'pop in' and hang out. NO parent gets to stay or hang out here. I don't know these people. My concern is for the kids. These same parents come into my home and interview and demand things like police checks etc. Why then do they expect me to make an exception for THEM or any other parent? I don't know their background and therefore they are NOT hanging around or getting ANY access to the kids.

If you show up mid-day you stand at the door while I retrieve your child and then you leave. Period.

Hello All!

I opened my daycare in June and am basically doing transition and occasional care until my daycare children start full-time in September.
Originally in interview a mother asked if her mother or herself could just stop by the daycare to do "security checks", I told her that her presence in the part of the day when she did not intend to pick up her child would cause disruption in the day but I didn't want to refuse her access to her child.

Recently, the mothers child had a transition day (with another child -- the mothers are friends) and her child cried so intensely and so consistently that I had to call her and let her know that her 8 month old was not ready for a half-day of care.

This experience with transitioning in my own daycare made me realize how ridiculous it would be to allow parents to just drop in! I might as well say "yes, once I have finally gotten your child settled and comfortable, come and check in so that when you leave you child can return to a state of intense crying!" **insert sarcasm**.

I then wrote a newsletter to all parents explaining my transition policies (that each child must attend transition days before entering full time care) and stating that I would try and accommodate parents but random visits would not be permitted and that although I would have liked to I simply could not offer a completely open-door policy.

My question is, what if this mother comes back and says, "I want my mother to do security checks".

I fond this checking up on me a bit frustrating because it would essentially interrupt me efficcently running my daycare, and disturb the peace of the children I care for. I understand parents need to be cautious, but so do I .


How so others deal with an open door policy?
Thanks

The rule in my daycare is you may come by whenever you want BUT you must leave immediately with your child. You are not coming to play, not coming to watch, not coming to interfere with our day. You may come to "check up on us" at which point you will be thanked for your concern, handed your child and ushered out the door so we can go back to what we were busy doing. No it isn't worded quite like that to the parent unless they seem particularly obnoxious or insistent. I tell them that it is a matter of trust. When they dropped off their child at the start of the day they did so by promising to come back and pick up the child. They then do not have the right to come back but not keep their promise of picking up their child. When you give them the child's welfare as the reason they are less likely to pick up. My door is locked and you will not get in unless you ring the bell. I do not allow anyone to just walk in whenever they want as it would mean I could have strangers off the street doing the same thing and there is an increased chance of one of my toddlers walking out. In the first week of transition for me the child and mom stay for an hour on day one and then both go, second day mom 10-15 minutes if she must and then goes but child stays 1-3 hours depending on mom's comfort level. The next days mom drops and runs although I will be a little more lenient at the door and child stays gradually longer including lunch, then after nap then on Friday is here all day. ONLY the parent should be allowed to drop in never an outsider even if it is the grandparent. You have no idea what is going on in family dynamics and these days it can be a lot.