Research Project

[cfred]

Yes, you are correct. Anyone can start an agency. It's not a simple process as nothing with the ministry ever is. I've looked into it myself, and it's still a consideration. Believe me, every thing that can be thought of in regards to sorting this mess out is being looked into. My problem with starting an agency (myself) is that I have to fully give up my business in order to do so. You cannot run an agency and have kids in care. Then, while I say goodbye to my income, I have to hope and pray that my savings (which is nearly nonexistant) hold out long enough for me to sign enough providers to make enough income for myself to be self sustaining. Which is where admin fees come in...which is where really crappy pay comes in....and from what I'm reading, some shifty business practices. This is one of the points of the research; to fully learn about the agency sector. There are some horrible agencies, which will come to light. BUT, there are some wonderful agencies who do a really, really great job and are above board....but the pay is still terrible. This is because of lack of funding. No one in the general public is aware of this....no one. The shady ones just need to be called out, but the the whole system needs a light shone on it for everyone to see. The whole system needs revamping. If we start an agency, the same financial issues will exist. We still need to come up with money for inspectors' salaries. With one inspector required for every 25 home daycares, that's a whole lot of money to come up with, and it will most assuredly NOT be coming from the government unless we make it very public that this is how the system works. We'd be in the same boat...just with a different skipper....make sense? This is how I see it anyway.

This project is, hopefully, going to gather valuable information for just that purpose. My story about the MPs not being aware that Inspectors are funded by us was, I think, indicative of the system as a whole. They just haven't got a clue, nor does the general public. If someone doesn't point it out to them, they never will and nothing changes.