Quote Originally Posted by playfelt View Post
We are going to have to be very careful in this discussion because each province has different regulations about how many children that can be cared for, the age mix and if a license is required. To say unlincensed will mean different things in different provinces. In Ontario for instance there is no such thing as a licensed caregiver. We have licensed daycare centres and we have agencies that are licensed to contract with individual caregivers for services and they do inspections but those caregivers themselves are not licensed. A caregiver in Ontario can care for up to 5 children. Therefore I am not licensed as such but have been a daycare provider for 23 years and would like to think I provide an excellent service to parents. It is not about being licensed that makes the difference. At the same time it is up to the parents that contract with me to monitor the care I am providing and they are in a better place to do that than a supervisor that stops in once a month even if it is unannounced. Just a reminder that for this thread if everyone wouldn't mind saying what province they are in when they post so that there are no hard feelings or misinterpretations. Just because I live in Ontario and can not be licensed means I can be just as good a caregiver as someone that lives in another province that offers licensing.
I agree with this! I am also an unlicenced daycare provider. I'm in Alberta and for us, we're allowed to have 6 children plus our own. I take pride in my job and the kids are my #1 priority. I want what is best for them whether it be a good sleep schedule, eating, meeting milestones...the whole works! My daycare is a daycare I would want my children to go to. I have a lot of teacher families, a waiting list to get into my daycare and i think that says a lot about my daycare quality.

Advice I would give to parents...interview interview interview. Ask questions, look around the daycare space, check out the yard etc. and don't let price be the decision factor for you. Cheaper doesn't always mean better BUT more expensive doesn't always mean better either. Ask for criminal record check, child intervention checks and make sure it's the right fit (philosophy, child rearing, and discipline) for your family.

I don't really like drop in visits, although if a parent wanted to drop in they could. They would have to take their child home with them though when they leave as it's not fair to the child as to why mom/dad came and then didn't take them home with them. I think it's cruel.