Proposed changes to the DNA in Ontario

[Artsand crafts]

also, I won't classify myself as a daycare, instead I will be a babysitter like all the rest of them on kijijji because its obvious that no one monitors babysitters.

Hahaha...good idea

well the 2 and under doesn't make sense because all my kids are under 2. They go to school at 3.5or 4 yrs old so that would mean I wouldn't have any kids. Also, how can you classify your own older kids when they are in school all day. So in the summer I have to get rid of kids because mine are home.

Just that one would make me close too. I currently have enrolled 4 kids under 2 and I do not take kids over 18 months to start. Unless these 2 pay for the other 3 open spaces (which I doubt) it would stop making sense for me to be stay in business.

[momofnerds]

also, where are the moms going to bring their babies if no one can take them till are they going to up the enrollement at daycares.

[treeholm]

This could pose a huge problem for parents! I already have a waiting list for two new babies who won't be born until later this summer, and want care for September 2014. I wouldn't be able to accept them under the new plan. If many of us either close, or can't take any more one-year olds, where are the parents going back to work after maternity leave going to put their children? The government needs to re-think this...

[Trace of Angels]

Hi Ladies,

I attended the meeting last night......some of you may know me as "the BC lady" I have some opinions that I would love to voice but was a little flustered in front of the group last night. I wrote a long winded e-mail to the CCPRN today and I would love to share my thoughts with you so lets look at the facts.

1.The proposed changes put forth last night were from an "agency's viewpoint"
2. The only thing that the minister of education truly said is that they would like to make it less of an incentive for us to work without a license.

These are my feelings
1. Could there be some benefits to working within a licensed system that might benefit us all, caregivers, parents and children in Ontario
2. I am firmly against working under an agency and we need to stand up for our right as a self employed business that runs in our own property and home.
3. I believe that Ontario will do what is best for everyone involved, children, parents providers and small business owners. All of this is to their advantage.

Let's look at licenses. Doctors are licensed, nurses, hairdressers, you need a license to drive a car in this province and go fishing, but yet not to do a job that is of so much importance.......tea ch and raise children who needs a license to do that? How many times might you have said "wow you need a license to drive a car but not to be a parent, that is ridiculous"

Let's take hairdressing for example. They must have a license to cut hair BUT as a consumer I have a choice to go to "First Choice" get a $10 haircut or go to "Sage salon and spa" to get a $50 hair cut. Are they equal? Probably not. But at least as a consumer I am protected that walking into either place I know that the girl with the scissors has some kind of training and passed some certification before she puts those scissors in my hair.
We need a license system to protect our children, parents and providers to give them minimum standards and training to do this valuable job that we all do. The majority of us are doing this already but there are some that don't have the proper resources, support and training that could be given under a system and benefit families that can't afford "sage salon and spa" but would have a better rest knowing that their children are safe and their brains are being engaged.

Being a home daycare and being licensed in BC is much like putting your keys into your car. You must do it before the engine starts. It's the norm and it looks pretty great.
There are standards in place. Safety for all children, their homes are inspected for safety, for fire hazards, they are supported caregivers. The licensing agent visited and fined the ones not up to standard and left the good ones with some time between visits.

But with everything there are good and bad. Drivers good and bad but at least we know they can drive before they get on the road and have some basic training on the rules of the road.

With that being said I believe that CCPRN is on the right track in wanting to stand up and fight for our right to continue to be small business owners much like in BC.

We live in a free country and parents must have that choice for their child.
Lets stand up and be a voice and contribute to a system that would protect our most valuable resource.......our children. We want to give them the world but we aren't willing to protect them in their early years??????
Lets stand up and protect our rights to run a business in our home under minimum safe guidelines and training. Lets work with our province to make this wonderful.........I LOVE ONTARIO lets give them a little credit before we give them none........LETS HAVE A POSITIVE VOICE and ask for positive changes..........

[sunnydays]

I'm from BC too and had my oldest child in a home daycare there...so I believe something like that could work here too. It is the agency part and the resrictions on numbers that we are all against!

[Trace of Angels]

But the proposed changes and restrictions on numbers were brought forth only by agencies both who could benefit from it being that way and make a ton of money as well. The government has said nothing of number restrictions as of yet only the agencies have. Lets not jump the gun and get worried about something the government hasn't said yet and lets stand together and be heard and have a positive impact on any changes that come to benefit children parents and caregivers.........

[andreah1032]

that's what my husband keeps saying that it will cost the government a ton of money to license everyone, to inspect all the houses, that this might just be the agencies trying to use scare tactics to get the ball moving or to get things to go their ways, the government has only said make it less incentive for those who aren't licensed that was all that I heard on the news from them it's only in the agency reccomendation reports where it says we would all have to be licensed, would all have to work with an agency, number restrictions... but if CCPRN is thinking along the same lines maybe they know something else?
I wouldn't be able to stay open financially it just wouldn't make sense as I think most providers would also have to close what happens to all those kids, this can't be an overnight change it will take years for it to be fully implemented and by then there might be a new government who isn't interested in it.... I need to stop stressing about it since i can't sleep at night my DH keeps telling me that both the city and the govt have a 4 year plan of modernizing centre care and subsidized care nowhere does it say anything about informal care changes although that doesn't mean they aren't coming... i just wish they were more clear so I could get more sleep...

[sunnydays]

Andreah, I wouldn't lose sleep over this! It might end up that nothing changes or the changes may be quite minimal so that we just pay a fee to be licensed or something. The reason it would be apealing to the govt to force us to work with agencies is that it would not cost them anything as they wouldn't be licensing us...the agencies are licensed and they would make a ton of money out of us and hire more staff etc. It is true that govt moves slowly and then there is a govt change and things change yet again...who knows! I am not losing sleep over it, but I am doing what I can to have my voice heard and have a possible positive impact on how things turn out. I am not panicking or thinking of closing at this point. I think we all need to stay as positive as possible

[sunnydays]

I agree Trace! And by the way, I thought you did just fine at the meeting...I would not have been brave enough to stand up and speak I am guessing you were the first speaker from BC as there were two in a row ?

[Trace of Angels]

Thanks Sunnydays