For your child's safety, please insist on qualifications for providers!

[fruitloop]

* First Aid?
* Relevant Certifications?
* Vehicle suitability, safety, certifications, government commercial transport inspections?
* Back up vehicles? Could your child be stranded somewhere? Vehicle properly equipped?
* Can the vehicle survive an impact from another vehicle?
* Driver certification, professional, ICBC manifest, health?

When parents post things like this, it always springs to mind - do they have first aid themselves? (I have mine but I can assure you that if there is much more than a band-aid needing to be placed, I'm calling the parents or an ambulance. I'm not messing around) Relevant certifications? (Did the parent take courses before having children? Book knowledge does not guarantee a good provider) Do you have a vehicle that is in 100% maintenance? Do you have a back up vehicle in case your car breaks down on the way to pick up your kid at daycare? (This could happen to anyone) Can your vehicle survive an impact from another vehicle? (ANY vehicle can be crushed on impact!) Do you make sure you're fully certified before you drive your kid(s) anywhere?

I understand the concerns that parents have when taking their child to daycare with a stranger, I really do. But sometimes, I think the focus is so much on what we see on paper versus how we really feel about the provider personally and trusting our gut about who is best for our kids. I guess what I'm trying to point out is that it always seems parents have no qualms asking for things that they themselves usually don't have or do for their own families and the irony of it makes me smile.

I 100% agree with you on this! While I agree that parents should do their homework when looking for a provider, they also have to have realistic expectations of their provider. Questions like the following...

* First Aid?
* Relevant Certifications?
* Business license?
* Vehicle suitability, safety, certifications, government commercial transport inspections?
* Back up vehicles? Could your child be stranded somewhere?
* Can the vehicle survive an impact from another vehicle?
* Documentation?

... are pretty irrelevant IMO. As the pp stated...do the parents have first aid? I'd say that 50% of them don't but yet they require you to. Vehicles...well, the ones i posted are just irrelevant questions...no vehicle is 100% accident proof and anyone could get stranded. Parents SHOULD ask if they have the proper insurance on their vehicles though to cover the dck. You don't need a business licence to operate a daycare/day home...at least you don't in Alberta. Also, like the pp stated...there is way more to a care giver than pieces of paper and choosing a provider should NEVER be based solely on that. There are tons of cases where "educated(those with certificates)" providers have harmed a child. I have no idea what you mean by "documentation". Exactly what kind of documents are you looking for?

Things like references, foods (unless you are ok with them eating crap, kd, hotdogs, etc. all the time), proper insurance, background checks...both for criminal and child intervention checks, definitely who will be in contact with your child, asking about outside time (you don't want a provider who keeps the kids inside all the time), stimulating activities (unless you're ok with them sitting in front of a t.v. all day), contracts (a provider with a good contract has thought long and hard how she wants her business to be and what she wants to offer the kids and parents, you don't want to go with a provider with no contract. It protects you both.), appropriate toys for the ages of the kids, safe and clean environment, # of children in care...you don't want to stick your child in a child warehouse just because the price is cheap, and last but not least (I'm sure I'll think of more to add) you get what you pay for. If a daycare is offering really cheap rates, they aren't feeding your children "good" foods, they aren't doing crafts and special things with your child and they are most likely warehousing kids...