Ontario Caregivers - daycare announcement due today

[gravy_train]

Sassygirl, it still needs to be approved, which I suspect it will be.

[torontokids]

The only thing we risk is parents learning that we need to cut kids and they beat us to it and find care elsewhere. I want to pick which kids get the boot and unfortunately it would be one of my long time fantastic families and a part timer just because it would make the most sense.

[Artsand crafts]

I may have been misinformed about the 10$ per day but I did read in an article from I think the globe and mail that said agencies take up to 30% of your pay.

When I worked for Wee Watch they charged parents $42 (for under 3yo) and they paid me $30.

[treeholm]

I'm assuming that this will take awhile to become law, and then take effect. They can't expect us to all suddenly be able to terminate families who have nowhere to go.... Hopefully, there will be a grandfather clause for children who are already in care. I hate the thought of suddenly having to ditch my families!

[cfred]

When I worked for Wee Watch they charged parents $42 (for under 3yo) and they paid me $30.

Yes. I looked into Wee Watch and Hopscotch. Both charged me about the same....for things I already have in place! They offered me insurance. When I indicated that I already had appropriate insurance, their retort was that I wasn't covered for sexual abuse charges. Ummmmm, excuse me??? Yes I am luv. Well, what about First Aid/CPR? Yep, got that too. Wait....training? Well, I figure my ECE diploma might cover that. Toys and equipment? Yeah, kinda got that covered in my first decade in the industry. All I needed was help getting clients when I first moved into a new area. Turned out I didn't need them and now am turning people away. Their fees are outrageous and not remotely justified! And anything I've heard about their service isn't great. I've interviewed people who said my daycare was far superior to anything they saw through either of those two agencies. They indicated that it was just someone's living room with a few toys. I'm trying to understand how this is better....aside from the inspections.

Can you get licensed here without an agency? Is it even possible? I'd rather do that than go with them.

[Artsand crafts]

I'm assuming that this will take awhile to become law, and then take effect. They can't expect us to all suddenly be able to terminate families who have nowhere to go.... Hopefully, there will be a grandfather clause for children who are already in care. I hate the thought of suddenly having to ditch my families!

This is what is surprising to me, that they haven't think about the kids that will be left without daycare options (since 80% of kids are in unlicensed daycare). If every unlicensed provider joined an agency that will not solve the problem. There will still be shortage of spots for under 2 year old.

[Artsand crafts]

Yes. I looked into Wee Watch and Hopscotch. Both charged me about the same....for things I already have in place! They offered me insurance. When I indicated that I already had appropriate insurance, their retort was that I wasn't covered for sexual abuse charges. Ummmmm, excuse me??? Yes I am luv. Well, what about First Aid/CPR? Yep, got that too. Wait....training? Well, I figure my ECE diploma might cover that. Toys and equipment? Yeah, kinda got that covered in my first decade in the industry. All I needed was help getting clients when I first moved into a new area. Turned out I didn't need them and now am turning people away. Their fees are outrageous and not remotely justified! And anything I've heard about their service isn't great. I've interviewed people who said my daycare was far superior to anything they saw through either of those two agencies. They indicated that it was just someone's living room with a few toys. I'm trying to understand how this is better....aside from the inspections.

Can you get licensed here without an agency? Is it even possible? I'd rather do that than go with them.

Wee watch does not even offer home daycare insurance anymore. The "equipment" they lend (limited amount of gates, playpens, highchairs) anybody could get at a fraction of the price at Kijiji.

A client quit on me, because she needed to use back up care occasionally (for personal reasons on my side) when I worked for Wee Watch (they accommodate kids in other home daycare when a provider is not available). She told me she could not send her kid to those places, not even occasionally, because of the poor quality of care. So she ended up hiring a nanny.

My "training" was someone reviewing some parts of the manual they left with me. Nothing that is worth to be called "training" really

Inspections were just a lady asking what I did with the kids for the past month so she could fill out a form to be given to the parents. No safety inspections, the only safety inspection they did was pushing the button of the fire alarm almost every time they came.

[Daisy123]

Someone I just spoke to (works for the Red Cross now) used to do daycare through Wee Watch. She was telling me that the government gave her grants per month to go through an agency. This sounds strange to me- anyone else ever hear of this?

[treeholm]

I can't see any information on how to become licensed... I would never go with an agency like Wee Watch.. I've heard too many horror stories. So, there would have to be an option to become privately licensed, right? I also have a swimming pool, which I believe would be a problem. AND, I will have two one-year olds, and two two-year olds next year, with an occasional one-year old grandson. I started this business to look after my grandchildren, whom I don't charge. I would have to get rid of my paying customers, since both my grand-babies are one and under. Oh well...

I can see that parents are going to go nuts! I have a Mom on mat leave sending her 18 month old a few days a week just to hold a spot for her newborn, who would start next August. Now, I would have to tell her neither one of her children can continue.... Ridiculous....

[Artsand crafts]

Someone I just spoke to (works for the Red Cross now) used to do daycare through Wee Watch. She was telling me that the government gave her grants per month to go through an agency. This sounds strange to me- anyone else ever hear of this?

That's right. Government send you a check here and there, but it was peanuts that I don't even remember how much it was.