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  1. #1
    Starting to feel at home... dragonlady3's Avatar
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    Question Play dates between home daycare providers

    Hi ...I am a member of the Child Care Providers Resource Network (CCPRN) Ottawa and we were told this Sept. that we are no longer allowed to have play dates in each others homes. (No more than 5 children on the premises under the age of 10 regardless of the number of adults present.) This, we are told, is part of the Day Nurseries Act of 1990. Up until this Sept., many of us had been having play dates, and believing they were fine. Some of us can remember our mothers having play dates with other mums and children in the neighborhood and can't imagine telling them that they shouldn't interact with each other in their homes (only in parks, playgrounds, libraries, etc.) The CCPRN wrote the Prov. for clarification for its 800 members and the Prov. did confirm and added that they would prosecute any child care giver having play dates in their homes. Feedback would be really appreciated...esp. from outside Ottawa.

  2. #2
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    I would like to see something in writing from the Province clarifying this. I was going on the assumption that the children would have to use that home as their 'home away from home' for it to count. I'm sure it's still fine to meet other dayhomes at the park, as we do.

    I'm sorry to hear this as I do want to be law-abiding but enjoy playdates with other providers.
    ~ Mama to 4, Dayhome provider ~

  3. #3
    Starting to feel at home... dragonlady3's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Emilys4Guppies View Post
    I would like to see something in writing from the Province clarifying this. I was going on the assumption that the children would have to use that home as their 'home away from home' for it to count. I'm sure it's still fine to meet other dayhomes at the park, as we do.

    I'm sorry to hear this as I do want to be law-abiding but enjoy playdates with other providers.
    Sorry ...I am new to this Forum and keep messing up my replies. Several of us have been asking the Prov. to provide a 'book of rules' and several months ago they said they were working on it. Hmmm....that will take a while. In the meantime, they have assured us in Ottawa, that they will prosecute offenders, many of whom don't even know they are breaking the rules. Yikes.

  4. #4
    Shy
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    Apparently this is true as about a year ago some ladies in the neighbourhood were reported and when the workers came they gave them a package outlining what was and wasn't allowed and it is true that you are not to have more than 5 children (daycare) in your home (not including your own) under the age of ten regardless of how many adults. It is a $2000/day fine if you are caught.

  5. #5
    Starting to feel at home... dragonlady3's Avatar
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    The organization I belong to has approx. 800 members and even they didn't know that we shouldn't go to each others homes. It has not been handled well by the Prov. I think the reason things have changed might be due to the fact that the Min. of Child and Youth Services recently transferred to the Ministry of Education...and we all know how that Ministry has messed up this year. I hope we can go back a bit in time and visit each other without this new 'threat' factor looming over our heads.

  6. #6
    Shy
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    That is absolutely ridiculous. If they want people to follow the "rules" then they should have a website where we can download the paperwork or where we can have an address and have it sent to us. How else do they expect us to know unless we get into trouble first?

  7. #7
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    I was told that it is a very "grey" area and that the best choice for providers was to meet somewhere public... park, early years, indoor plauground, toy library etc. But not in someones home.

  8. #8
    Starting to feel at home... dragonlady3's Avatar
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    Like everyone has an unsafe home! Or has a fitted out car to drive to these locations some of which are not as safe as our homes! I think the Prov. needs a reality check. AND if it is a grey area...they should not be prosecuting people until they get it clarified.

  9. #9
    Starting to feel at home... Tot-Time's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by dragonlady3 View Post
    AND if it is a grey area...they should not be prosecuting people until they get it clarified.
    Truthfully, it isn't a grey area. When I lived in Petawawa (7 - 16 yrs ago) and used to attend the caregiver meetings there, we once had a ministry rep from Ottawa come in and strictly told us that we were not allowed to have other children on our premises unless we had less than 5 children (other than our own). This included any child neighbours, friends, and visiting family.

    I think the ministry just turned a blind eye to play dates because there are so many benefits to it. All it takes is one accident/incident for the ministry to enforce the DNA to its truest form. But they aren't denying us all play dates, just any with another caregiver unless we have less than 5 children in total (else than the children that live on the premises).

    But what confuses me most is the private premises part of the DNA for informal childcare ... a private premise is any premises that isn't public property. Which if the ministry wanted to, could they not tell us we can no longer meet at places that are privately owned but open to the public, such as certain play groups, farms, museums, etc?

    I do agree that the ministry needs to be more clear on their policies and update policies to be more realistic. I do have a vehicle that I can travel with, I am not worried about my driving with the children, I am worried about the crazies that might be on the roads when I am!

    Here are some links to the DNA:

    http://www.e-laws.gov.on.ca/html/sta...es_90d02_e.htm

    http://www.e-laws.gov.on.ca/html/reg...s_900262_e.htm

    This one is a little more user friendly and was useful for school, not so much for home daycare:

    http://childcarelearning.on.ca/child_care_setting/

    http://www.cdrcp.com/ccip/day-nurseries-act
    ~*~ Nicole's Tot-Time Daycare ~*~
    www.nicolestot-time.com

  10. #10
    Starting to feel at home... dragonlady3's Avatar
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    I'm finding myself more and more confused by this legislation. I was inspected many times over the last 15 years and on some occasions we were having play dates with another day care. (I am downtown and several neighbours have been aggravated by the extra parking demands and inconvenience of my day care). In 2000, Lise Hamer of the Ministry of Child and Youth Services wrote both day cares a letter stating we were to "limit visits between the two day care businesses". She never told us what 'limit' meant....2 visits a week, a month??? but we were not told to STOP visiting! We were not fined for visits and faced no charges until 2009. That seems to be when the attitude changed.
    Anyway, CCPRN seems to be taking this issue seriously and has asked all of us to contact our MPPs with our concerns and maybe encourage a more realistic attitude re: play dates. They wrote:" The impact on child care will lead to poorer quality care and potential loss of child care providers through: increased isolation of caregivers; decreased opportunities for children to socialize with other children and interact in a new environment; decreased learning/networking opportunities for caregivers; outing opportunities limited to public space which often are less safe than a caregiver's home; no opportunity for experienced caregivers to mentor new caregivers on incorporating quality proven daycare practices...."

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