Looking for mothers and fathers who are concerned about a home daycare provider....

[Inspired by Reggio]

Unfortunately, the bad news sells

Only because we LET it

[Sandbox Sally]

All it does is scare poor frightened first time moms to the point where they're nervous wrecks ever leaving their babies with us...not good for anyone. It's not like people don't already know the potential for The Very Bad Things. It's shoved down our throats from the media on a regular basis.

I am so sad for Canadian journalism that it's becoming so very sensationalist and tabloidy. I remember a decade ago, being shocked at how crazy the American television station news reports were. My husband and I talked about how the opening credits were like Inside Edition or some entertainment rag "newscast". Our casts used to be so classy and informative. Now I wonder how much is real and how much is scare tactic to get people to watch.

I agree with what Janet says above,

"I'd like to challenge you to take a different path with your article! I think that you could do something memorable if you're willing to not take the beaten path."

The road less taken will always garner your journalism more attention than sensationalist bullcrap.

[mumstheword]

I am also wondering what positive is to come from a show about the negatives of home day care?
I have been running a HDC for 15+ years. I have come across many, many other providers. Most of whom are terrific caring, loving women. A select few who are not my idea of good or even fit providers. Why is it we always hear about the bad and never about the good. I would be happy to pass your contact information on to the parents of the children I have cared for over the past 15 years, if you would like to hear how awesome their experiences have been.

[mumstheword]

Sorry one more thing, Why would a parent contact you with a concern rather than the provider, the police or CAS?
I have heard parents complain about their provider (not knowing I was a provider). For example one woman told me that her provider only served her children mayonnaise sandwiches and went on about what a horrible woman she was. After listening to her complain about her provider (in front of her children no less, which only encourages their disrespect of the provider), I asked her why in the world she was sending her children to someone that she was so concerned about. And if she had confronted the DCP about her worries and why she was talking about this woman in front of her kids? She said she didn't have time to find a new provider and no she didn't talk to the provider about her concerns. (so in reality she has no idea what the provider is feeding her kids, she is taking her kids word for it.) If I believed everything the daycare kids told me...
I listened to a neighbour tell me that her provider left the kids in the highchairs all day and yet she left her daughter there for 6 months knowing this?
I had a previous client talk about me and tell LIES about me and my daycare to other parents etc. Luckily everyone in the neighbourhood knew me and knew they were lies, but what if they didn't? This previous client had a grudge against me because #1 I raised my rates and #2 I wouldn't work late for her when her shift was changed. She had to find a new sitter and was upset with me. Funny enough 6 months later when her shift was changed and her kids hated the new provider, she called me to see if I would take them back.
SO, even if you do hear horror stories from parents, I hope you do your homework and hear both sides of the story.
Sometimes a parent idea of what they want and the reality of what they get don't match and they are disappointed, don't mistake disappointment, guilt and misunderstandings for legitimate experience.

[country girl]

http://www.ottawacitizen.com/life/Ur...664/story.html

This link was posted on another site - I suggest Tyana do a feel good story on home daycare providers instead of bashing them and have it coincide with this ottawa citizen story....Maybe then all of the children mentioned in this story that currently don't have care can find loving, caring and thoughful placements in a home daycare with ladies such as yourselves.

[Cadillac]

I emailed her the following

It would be wonderful to report on how good this care setting can be. . . . . OR . . . if it must be bad new; Why not ask the providers on that forum for their bad experience with parents. What a great story you could make on how badly parents treat the people who care for their children on a daily basis.

just a thought

[Tyana]

I concur - this is indeed part of the problem - " The number of children waiting to get into a licensed child care centre exceeds the number of spaces available by more than 70 per cent in a dozen Ottawa wards."

http://www.ottawacitizen.com/life/Ur...664/story.html

This link was posted on another site - I suggest Tyana do a feel good story on home daycare providers instead of bashing them and have it coincide with this ottawa citizen story....Maybe then all of the children mentioned in this story that currently don't have care can find loving, caring and thoughful placements in a home daycare with ladies such as yourselves.

[Tyana]

I do hope we are trying for more than this! I'd like to hear from daycare providers as to their concerns - eg, around licensing difficulties, etc, as well as other issues from the people on the frontline.

My guess is that she will be back. There was another CBC journalist on here about three weeks ago PMing members with the same request. I personally had a PM asking me about "illegal daycare" and if I would like to speak on that point to a journalist. Now, I see it is all negative, negative, negative. I am VERY wary of working with any reporter who might twist and turn words to suit the agenda of their piece.

I can just see it now.....it will be a half hour report on how awful and unsafe home daycare is with a small, 30 second snippet that say, "of course, there are great home daycares out there and it is the parent's job to seek them out".

[Play and Learn]

One of the things we ARE looking at is daycare providers who actually WOULD like to become licensed ....and find that the hopes they have to jump through are too restrictive. We've heard that perfectly great daycares have had their licenses taken away from them for not having "yard space" - despite the fact that the daycare was directly across from a park that the children visited every day.

IF you're doing your research correctly, then you would know that the DNA (Day Nurseries Act - in Ontario) has rules and regulations in place for licensed daycares. They are there for a reason, and have been for awhile, and licensed daycares should KNOW this prior to opening. If they don't then tough luck for them.

[ladyjbug]

Tyana, am I to understand that you have completely changed your article now? Or are you still looking for parents to bash home daycare? Your later posts indicate that you really care what we think but the questions you are asking do not coincide with your original post, nor to I see them being linked in any way, shape or form unless our words would be twisted. So, please clarify. I am a parent of two, a private home daycare provider, a person who has worked in a licensed childcare centre during college, and a person that worked with an accredited agency up until my brief maternity leave with my second child. They asked me to come back, but I declined for several reasons. I have a wealth of experience in many different types of childcare and a lot of opinions on how the current system could be improved and open up more spaces, but I need to know exactly what your motive is for writing this article. Our vocation is already looked on so poorly and we provide such an essential service. I do not want another article that is a step backward for all the hardworking women (and men) like me.