Quote Originally Posted by apples and bananas View Post
I'd like to add a question to this thread. What about step kids? Do they count towards my numbers? They're technically related to my spouse and my spouse is related to me through marriage. So, do my step kids become my own kids through marriage based on this rule?
I would call and ask to be sure you have an first hand answer that way if it is ever questioned you have done the research first hand ... unfortunately you are the one that if the Ministry were to show up at your door and ultimately held accountable to their interpretation and the interpretation / practice in your community might be different as well.

However when I was with an agency I had to count my stepson initially for the first few months I was open when he was here until he turned 10 because we according to he was not MINE and I did not have 'custody' of him and our residences was not his primary residence ... seriously sometimes the rules are STUPID!

Flip side i have two providers friends who have fostered to adopt while doing home childcare ... one had to count the foster children in her ratios for the daycare because they were 'technically still wards of the state and not their child' so she ended up closing up cause she could not afford to make a go of it on the 3 children she was allowed to have and the other has not had to count the kids who are basically the same age because they interpret the rule as the providers home is now the primary residence and therefore 'their children' in all intensive purposes .... both providers working in same city, with same DNA rules and same CSA mandates but both having very different experiences on what is 'allowable' based on the interpretation of their home care coordinators / inspectors?

One of the reasons why there are so many heated debates about what is 'right or wrong' cause even those who 'oversee' the industry cannot agree on the poorly worded act and therefore have many different interpretations!