As a home childcare provider for 15 years, I have done both private and licensed. I started off as private for 7 years and then became licensed as someone needed a subsidy. For the next 8 years, I remained licensed as I always had at least one family who required a subsidy. Yes, I had to follow rules under the DNA but privately, you are supposed to do that too. One of the biggest differences was that there were age restrictions on the five non family children in your care (one under age one, two under age two, three under age three and five under age six) compared to any aged children, up to five, privately (you could potentially have 5 babies). Another big difference was the discrepancy in pay from private and licensed care families, with private pay about $5+/day/child more. I had an unannounced home visit every month with quarterly reviews and things like fridge temp., safety, programming, attendance, menus, fire drills, up to date paperwork, insurance and CPR were checked. Once a year at agency license renewal, the ON government came around to ensure that the agency was doing their jobs properly. They would attend any caregivers house; this happened to me once in 8 years. Parents received a summary or follow up call with info. To be a licensed home daycare provider, I could still take families in privately as long as I had at least one spot for agency placement. I stopped doing licensed care this past September as I no longer had any families that needed subsidy and I have gone to before and after school care only. It was a money and health issue for me as the only negatives for me were the money and that agency staff represented both parents and caregivers. I felt that, in a difficult situation, it was a conflict of interest to work things out in a fair and objective manner. This didnt happen often, thankfully. While it may appear that I am a cheerleader of licensing, I am only posting my experience for information purposes. I know other providers who enjoy the benefits of having clients brought to them, someone else collecting payments, equipment lending, educational opportunities and the overall support of caring for others children. I myself, as a Child and Youth Worker, was already doing above and beyond what the agency required of me and could have easily continued on my own successfully. I have seen firsthand licensed caregivers whom I wouldnt send my pets to and unlicensed caregivers who could probably raise my own kids better than I can. This Bill, as I understand it, is just an excuse for the Government to not be accountable for the things that are are already accountable for; passing the buck so to speak. Licensed or not, caregivers are to follow the DNA and there are supposed to be consequences for those that do not. Those consequences are ultimately the responsibility of the government who created the Act in the first place. I am angered that the choices of caregivers and parents are being undermined for the wrong reasons. I still have a lot of questions and am wondering how it is possible to take these great homes and ensure that children are safe without taking an income hit to an already bottom pay scale. Its almost a cry of Hey stupid! Raise our young out of the kindness of your heart. Theyre the leaders of tomorrow but we wont acknowledge how much heart and soul you pour into them and that you have any clue as to what youre doing. Often times its a thankless job, other than what you choose to see in it. Throwing the baby out with the bathwater is not the answer to addressing it.
Posted on: Wed, 22 Jan 2014 16:34:15 +0000
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