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I meet other caregivers at the library or at parks for playdates. It isn't difficult to set up this type of playdate and it's wonderful to have another adult to talk with while the children play. Sometimes we feel very isolated working alone in our homes so it's important to be able to reach out to others. But don't risk your entire business and livelihood by being misinformed!
I have to disagree with other posters. I have also called for clarification regarding the Days Nursery Act and was told that the Days Nursery Act does not specify regarding "play dates". I guess it has to do with who you are speaking to.
If you are uncomfortable with your daycare provider talk to her, or change.
As for me, my parents are extremely happy and supportive of all my activities I do with their children. It's unfortunate that people think it's necessary to nit pick about a play date. If you are this worried, maybe you should stay home and be with your children every day or put them in a daycare center where their ratios are much higher and they do not receive the necessary hugs and comfort when they need it.
Stop picking on home daycare providers who treat your children as their own. Be happy that there are those of us out there that look after your children for 10, 11 and 12 hours a day while you are working outside the home.
Someone my guess is that you have obviously talked to someone who has not kept up to date with their employee training at the Ministry ... which sadly happens with employees who miss work due to illness, vacation or perhaps were off on maternity/parental leave while 'clarification' memos were issued and so forth to government employees about issues with interpretation of their poorly worded DNA but this issue has been clarified.
It is NOW clearly written right on the Ministry of Education website in BLACK AND WHITE that it is illegal for those providing informal childcare to have play dates at other providers houses! Scroll down the link to informal childcare ... and this is what it states!
Very hard to 'interpret' that for anything other than it states = no play dates at each others homes! So while many of us providers agree it SUCKS and personally I think it is a rather illogical way to address the tragedy of what happened in Orleans but the fact is that it is been clarified as ILLEGAL and IMO as professionals it is our job to ensure that we are following the law otherwise we give ALL providers a bad name and fuel the fire with ammunition for media with an agenda like MARKETPLACE to do more horrible documentaries about the evil of an unregulated childcare industry putting children at risk :rolleyes: IMO we need to ensure we are self regulating ourselves through the rules that DO apply to us voluntarily otherwise with give the government the power they need to argue we should ALL BE REGULATED ... an argument they seem to be winning in the court of public opinion!Quote:
http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/childcare/faqs.html
I look after five children and my neighbour looks after five other children. Can we get together with the children for playdates at each other's homes?
No. If you are providing care for more than five children under the age of 10, even if there are two adults present, you need to be licensed by the Ministry of Education. ...
Also from what I have heard from other peers 'renewing' insurance is that the insurance industry has totally cracked down on home childcare ryder definitions and their willingness on how many children they will provide a ryder for ... hearing lots of grumbling from providers whose carrier use to provide policies for 5 plus your own but are no longer doing so when it comes time to renew and their carrier is now going with the 5 MAX of the 'regulated' industry making it harder for some providers :( As well as those who have had pools with no problem are having issues at time of renewal being told they will not offer the home childcare ryder with the pool.
Rules and regulations change and it is vital to ensure that we, as professionals with a desire to stay self regulated, stay on top of them by either belong to our local professional associations who are 'kept in the know' and pass on to members or ensuring that we as individuals have book marked all the government legislation websites and regularly check back for 'updates'!
Thank you all. I do appreciate your responses and reminding me that I do need to continually stay on top of reviewing the Days Nursery Act.
My apologies for any frustration/aggravation I may have caused. Unfortunately due to a frustrating moment with a new dcp regarding $ (of course) :( I allowed my personal frustration to show during my response. If I could remove those two posts I would, but unfortunately do not know how to do this. I am quite embarrassed that I allowed myself to behave in such a manner. :o
Please accept my apologies and know that I appreciate all the information that you shared yesterday.
don't worry about it. I and may others have done the same. We all forgive each other when it happens. You will find that this form is very understanding when it comes to letting out frustration then apologize for it.Quote:
My apologies for any frustration/aggravation I may have caused. Unfortunately due to a frustrating moment with a new dcp regarding $ (of course) I allowed my personal frustration to show during my response. If I could remove those two posts I would, but unfortunately do not know how to do this. I am quite embarrassed that I allowed myself to behave in such a manner.
I hope the rest of your day goes great. :)
Yup no worries Someone ~ the Day Nursery Act is like reading a foreign language ;) Not to mention that this particular issue has been confusing for all even those 'regulating' it ... cause when I started out in home childcare I was with a regulated agency who actually promoted play dates among providers and paired us up with others in our area to help us avoid isolation ... my own insurance company had initially told me it was COOL cause each of our ryders would cover our business on or off site ... so even within the 'industry' there were huge misinterpretations among this particular rule because it was shortly AFTER that the incident in Orleans Ontario occurred and suddenly memos were flying around about it being a NO NO to have play dates and when I called my insurance company to clarify I got a 'nope you cannot have more than 5 children on your premise so unless your play date involves less than 5 children total regardless of the adults present don't have one' :(
Personally I think it is stupid and an example of government regulations that MAKE NO SENSE at promoting quality childcare or safety for children because the reality is that horrible tragedy of the drowning in Orleans could have occurred in a 'public park' with pooled water and a life guard on duty in fact in Chatham Ontario that very thing happened at a Y not to long ago where a little girl drown during a birthday party ... plus really what is the difference between someones 'private property' and the local park as far as playdates and safety? Fact is private backyards are typically SAFER cause they are fenced, have equipment that is more age appropriate to 'daycare age children' verses school age children and we have access to running water and bathrooms and the likelihood of finding a used needle, used condom or broken glass in your own yard is far less than in a public park ;)
I didnt read everyone's response to this yet, but to my opinion, the Government has a stick way up his you know what. What is the big FN deal to meet with others for playdates. Oh no no we should all be confined to our space and be lonely and dont show the children any social skills at all. Do they want us to go crazy coo coo by being stuck 5 days a week with small children and no contacts with other providers and maybe make our days and job more interesting ''FUMING'' !!!
Sorry I'm ventilating here. I just really do not have the Government at the right place in my mind when it comes to child care laws and procedures. THEY DONT CARE that anyone can open a daycare even people far from qualified (I've heard some stories oh my !!) They dont even care if the providers have a safe environment for the children and such and such... when I opened my daycare I called to have them come and inspect and they said NO. They will let just anybody care for children, but then they put such laws about not having more children under a roof, PE-LEASE.
You know they say no more then 5 children per home daycare without counting your own kids. That means that a mother who has 4 children of her own can have 5 more (of any age at that... so she could have 5 new borns,... to be dramatic here) that means she would care for 9 children. When the provider with no children of her own (or older children at school age) can only have 5 and thats it ! Wow that makes sense .... NOT !!!!
Sorry it makes me so mad !!! I'm not too crazy about the Quebec Government either but, coming from Montreal and having my kids in home daycares for years, beside the PAY CHECK thats pretty bad for them... other then that, the rules are much less complicated. In fact, whats complicated is to actually start a daycare because they check EVERYTHING. You have to fill out piles of papers and questions before you can open and if your space is not to requirements, you cant open. At least they care about the well being of young children !!
Wow thats heavy for a Friday. Sorry ladies, HAPPY FRIDAY !! and to some HAPPY MARCH BREAK !!
Oh and I might add, that I dont care about what other providers do... if they have more then 5 and such. If the kids are happy and well taking care of, why not. In centers they have 8-9-10 and they dont take all such good care. I've been there and I saw it.
I completly agree that the law makes no sense however as Reggio pointed out I think it's important to apply as best we can to prevent giving others a bad name and cause for bashing.
''Very hard to 'interpret' that for anything other than it states = no play dates at each others homes! So while many of us providers agree it SUCKS and personally I think it is a rather illogical way to address the tragedy of what happened in Orleans but the fact is that it is been clarified as ILLEGAL and IMO as professionals it is our job to ensure that we are following the law otherwise we give ALL providers a bad name and fuel the fire with ammunition for media with an agenda like MARKETPLACE to do more horrible documentaries about the evil of an unregulated childcare industry putting children at risk IMO we need to ensure we are self regulating ourselves through the rules that DO apply to us voluntarily otherwise with give the government the power they need to argue we should ALL BE REGULATED ... an argument they seem to be winning in the court of public opinion!''
Someone, don't worry...I am sure we have all regretted a post here and there! We come here to vent, get advice, add opinions etc...I am sure nobody will judge you for an error.
I agree that the rule of no playdates is illogical and kids are often safer having a playdate ina providers back yard than at the park but, as others have said, I follow the rule because I wouldn't want to risk my business over it. I have a provider who lives across the street and I would LOVE to be able to combine the kids for activities such as music etc so that the cost would be low and we could have some lessons come into the daycare, but I cannot because of the rule. I live on a corner lot however with a huge front yard that is technicaly mostly the city's land (we own about 10 feet of it, the rest is theirs)...so I can legally have my neighbour and her daycare come to play in the front...crazy, but as long as they stay ten feet from the house, we are good ;) I will only likely do this in winter becaues the snow mountains all around keep the kids contained and so it is safe...we are not allowed to fence it unfortunately ;(