Home Daycare

[shesaidboom]

I hope that it's alright that I am posting this thread here because I would really like the opinions of student and working parents since you are who would generally be interested in using a homebased daycare. Please do let me know if this is not where I should be posting this and I will move my thread to a more appropriate place (to be honest, I'm not really sure where it fits).

What would be your ideal home daycare situation? I am planning to start one in the next few years and highly value opinions of parents while I work on my business plan. I am full of ideas as I am a registered ECE and am attending teacher's college next year, and have tons of experience working with children in a variety of settings, but since I am not yet a parent I can't speak much from that front.

My philosophy has elements from Enki, Waldorf, Montessori, and a few others but it does not fully fit with any. It could be described as a holistic philosophy. This is what I have in mind for my program so far, but any ideas or opinions you have to share, especially constructive criticism, are welcome. I know it really sounds like a program offered in a daycare centre, because that is generally what I am familiar with, but this would be in an home environment.

-I would be a registered daycare
-a gentle environment with many opportunities for discovery and play based learning
-gentle discipline and logical consequences
-a loosely based daily rhythm so children can anticipate what is coming next, but can still go at their own pace
-naturally based, open ended toys
-a cubby specifically for each child so they have their own space that is theirs alone
-no TV, blinky, or loud toys
-opportunities for sensory, creative, dramatic, gross motor, fine motor, discovery, music, and outdoor play
-rotating toys, materials, and books
-outdoor play for at least 1-2 hours each day, except in extreme weather
-hot, organic lunches, and allergies would be accounted for
-walks, trips to nearby parks, possibly field trips to local farms, zoos, and gardens
-special activities like baking
-chemical-free environment (organic cleaning products..which is something I must further research due to regulations from the Day Nurseries Act in my province)
-cloth-diapering friendly
-breastmilk friendly

Another thing to consider is that we are not a pet-free home. Would that sway your decision on using a specific home daycare? We currently have a cat and a small dog, but we were hoping to add a large dog to our family and I am concerned about how that would affect the home daycare. Would you feel more comfortable with small vs. large dogs in the home? What if they did not enter the playroom?

Thanks again for your input!!

[One_Girl]

That sounds really awesome. The biggest things I look for in daycare are discipline style, free play opportunities, a teacher that doesn't believe in allowing children to exclude each other, outside time, open ended art, and healthy food. I look for them in that order. Elements of Montessori would be a big turn off depending on which elements they were, but it is the in thing right now with some parents so it may make you more ideal for some families.

[BunnySlippers]

It all sounds pretty awesome. I would be ok with the animals so long as they are well socialised and child friendly.
I ran a home daycare with big dogs, and cats, and rabbits, and ponies, and chickens, and ducks and a snake lol.

Here is my philosophy- offer what feels right and do-able to you. The people who fit your style will come and be happy and appreciative.

My fav parents were the ones who loved to see thier kids covered head to toe in dirt after a day of freedom at our house

[shesaidboom]

Thank you both for the great feedback and advice! It really helps to see what parents are looking for and what is important to them.

One_Girl - The element of Montessori that I like is the child directed play, and the following of individual interests. Personally I'm not a fan of Montessori as a school-aged learning philosophy, but I like bits of it for pre-school/daycare settings. There'd be a lot of free play, and I'd like to add activities and books that follow what the children are currently interested in at the time. I also like some of the practical life opportunities, like learning to help take care of the daycare room in age appropriate ways (things like bringing their dishes to the sink after lunch and helping to put away materials when they're finished with them). At the same time, I find creative and imaginative play so important and would like that to be a big part of what I would offer, which is why it's so hard for me to find a philosophy I could really use to describe my own.

My fav parents were the ones who loved to see thier kids covered head to toe in dirt after a day of freedom at our house

I love that! It's also good to hear that you had no problem with animals. I know some parents don't really mind, but I'm worried that more than not would.

[Alisse]

The pet thing would be a definite deal breaker for me as a hygiene and safety issue. However i do agree with BunnySlippers in that I'm sure there would be ppl out there that would be ok with that.

[Jane]

I'd want someone who really digs kids and enjoys that caregiver/teacher role (ie, not me). Non negotiable: breastmilk, allergies. Outdoor play, limited tv, and dirt are a plus. Cats and dogs, organic food, the rest of the stuff not as important to me, either plus or minus. I like home daycares. My husband likes centers, tho.

[~pi]

Sounds a lot like our (beloved) former home DCP though she wasn't and ECE and didn't talk about particular curricula.

Like the pp, my top criteria for home care are that the person who is caring for my DS genuinely (1) cares for him as his own individual small person and (2) likes being with kids all day.

I will mention that the field trips made me nervous at first (how can one person really watch 5 children in an unfamiliar environment?) though I did more or less come to terms with them, and I know DS had a blast on them. DS is at a centre now and when they do field trips, they have three adults minimum for 15 kids -- same ratio, but I like it better when there are multiple adults. Thinking back to the person I was as a new parent, I would have liked to have seen explicit details about how supervision works on field trips.

ETA: For me, the pets were a plus. (We don't have them for life reasons, but I liked having DS exposed to them.)

Good luck with it!

[CariOfOz]

Something the OP might need to consider is whether your pets would be allowed to be around any day care children at all, whether or not their parents were ok with it. I was a home child care provider in 3 states (military and in all of those states, any pets had to be COMPLETELY locked away from children and inaccessible during any hours of care. No pet paraphenalia (litter boxes/food bowls) were to be out during those hours either.

SO, even if you find parents that would be cool with pets.. the state you are licensing through would likely not be! Sadly you will also find in most states... that toys & surfaces must be sanitized with bleach solution every so often etc.

[shesaidboom]

Thanks so much! These are great responses and have given me a lot to think about.

CariOfOz - Thanks for the info! I'm in Ontario, Canada so our regulations are different, but it is something I have to further look into. I know that by regulation daycares have to do a 1 part bleach, 10 parts water solution to wipe down tables and toys (I supply in a daycare centre now so I know the regulation for centres, but I don't yet have experience with home care), but I have heard of daycares getting around this and using natural cleaners. This is definitely something I have to look into further because I really don't like the idea of cleaning everything down with bleach.

I don't believe we have that strict a rule with pets in home daycares here. I know of several that have pets in the home with the children. What I was planning on doing was keeping the pets out of the main playroom we'd be using and out of the room where the children would nap. Hopefully that would be enough, but definitely something I will check into. I have to pull out the Day Nurseries Act to read up!

Thanks again!

[BunnySlippers]

If you are in Ontario- cats and dogs MUST have rabies vaccination, with proof. The 3-year rabies shot is fine.

The children can not have access to litter box (or tools, or paint cans, or stairs- if you are registered). I put mine in storage room in the basement and put up a baby gate. The dogs poo'd in a fenced in area.
We may have lots of critters, but I am pretty anal about poo

so where in ontario are you? are going licensed or just private? Will you be up and running for summer care?

I agree with poster who mentioned field-trips. I don't like my dd going on field trips now that she is in daycare. Especially in vehicles- too much potential to go wrong.

When I was in the country we only walked to the river- and everyone had on life jackets and we walked as a group.
In the city we walked to the library or parks, but mostly we stayed at home.

I had two children that I'd had forever, who I would take on field trips if it was a day with just them and my daughter.
We are still friends(parents and I) even though I no longer do daycare. We still do playdates and things with our kids
You will make some friends along the way

[shesaidboom]

Thanks for your input! That is all really good information to have. I'm currently in Toronto, but we'll be moving a little north of the city. I am planning to go licensed, and I'm a registered ECE, but I'm not sure I'll be allowed to avoid the bleach cleaners as a licensed home daycare. I'd be doing summers too. Right now I'm in the planning phase, asking questions, getting feedback, and seeing how it would work, so when I am ready to go for it I will hopefully be a lot more prepared

I'm like you...lots of critters, but anal about poop. My dog poops in the same spot in the yard and it's cleaned up right away. It wouldn't be difficult to throw a fence up if I needed to. My dog teaches a dog safety and empathy program with me at some local schools, so we need proof of vaccines and a health record for that, and I'm sure her experiences with children will help! Some parents might not be as worried of a dog in the home if she has worked in schools with primary aged students.

It seems that I should re-think the field trip thing! I was thinking of going to some simple places for the experiences, but it's sounding like I should stick to neighbourhood walks and local parks, and maybe the local library for story hour (things we'd be able to walk to). That sounds like it would make parents more comfortable, which is always a good thing.

It's wonderful that you are still friends with some of the families you cared for! I'm really excited about doing this, and making friends along the way is always a good thing.

[Evan&Anna's_Mom]

I would love everything you describe except pets and field trips. Pets because both I and my DS are allergic, so coming home with pet hair on clothing would equal asthma attack for me. I also don't think its not fair to pets to have several children interact with them during the day because both child and pet can be unpredictable. My children's elementary school has a school dog and I hate it. Dog seems to be OK with children but growls and snaps at me on occassion. And because the headmistress has a dog, other people (teachers, families) feel free to bring their dogs as well for the day or to pick up and those dogs can be less trustworthy. Also, I would fear that you would be spending all of your time supervising children and pet interactions, ignoring other potential issues. And what would happen if the dog was goaded beyond endurance by a child and snapped/bit? You could be forced to put down animal and then everyone would be traumatized. Anyway, I would feel much safer in an environment without regular pet interaction.

For young children I would be uncomfortable with group field trips that involved driving. Too many issues with carseats that are properly installed and I can't imagine supervising more than 2 or 3 small kids on an outing. So, assuming you had more than a couple of kids, I wouldn't feel comfortable with my children out with you beyond maybe a small local park and/or library that was within walking distance.

[BunnySlippers]

I was hoping you were closer to me , we would loved to have you for summer care as my dd's summer care is taking the summer off

[lyterae]

Sounds fantastic, the pets wouldn't be a dealbreaker but I would be a bit leary. A couple of key things that swayed me in my choice of provider

1.) She was familiar with food allergies and knew how to keep my daughter safe
2.) A flexible schedule, we aren't always able to make it there by 5:45.
3.) A montesorri -influenced approach
4.) Loose schedules for our dd who really needs a schedule, but also paying attention to her needs (if she needs a rest/nap earlier in the day,etc)

As it is they have basically become extended family and I'm so happy that my daughter goes to a daycare with a provider who cares for her that much.

[momtoTnT]

I think it all sounds good - except the field trips part. I'd be ok with walking field trips to the nearby park/school etc, but nothing in the car. I had a provider who did this (and ran errands - ie taking her son to school) and found out that she regularly left the kids unattended in the van (still running so they wouldn't get hot/cold) while she took care of whatever business she had to take care of.

My DS also has cat allergies, so while it wouldn't necessarily be a deal breaker for me (our current provider has cats) it would be something I'd consider if I was trying to choose between 2 providers.

[shesaidboom]

Great responses everyone! This is helping so much and I am making lots of notes of things to keep in mind. I now see that field trips are a big cause for concern, so I would definitely want to take those out. Park trips and neighbourhood walks would be good enough, with maybe the occassional library within walking distance trip.

I definitely understand both sides of having pets in the home, so I will see what I can find with ideas to keep both kids and pets safe and happy. The best solution I've come up with so far is to have the main playroom and sleeping room as a pet-free area, a separate area for outside play, and of course being open with parents about the pets in the home and have them meet them/spend time with them before enrolling. Of course some parents would still be uncomfortable with pets in the home regardless of training and safety measures, which I understand, but hopefully I can find a solution that would be ideal for those who don't mind!

I had a provider who did this (and ran errands - ie taking her son to school) and found out that she regularly left the kids unattended in the van (still running so they wouldn't get hot/cold) while she took care of whatever business she had to take care of.

Eek! That is really horrible. I would definitely not be comfortable with that either.

4.) Loose schedules for our dd who really needs a schedule, but also paying attention to her needs (if she needs a rest/nap earlier in the day,etc)

lyterae, I really like this and it's an important part of my philosophy. Thank you for bringing it up! I like having daily rhythms but at the same time following the needs of individual children. I've worked in a centre that did this with a very relaxed and stress-free attitude, and the children seemed to be very comfortable there. It just seemed to flow naturally.

I was hoping you were closer to me , we would loved to have you for summer care as my dd's summer care is taking the summer off

Sorry! That is a huge confidence boost though, so thank you

[blizzard_babe]

I think it sounds great. Well-socialized (and supervised) animals are not an issue for me; our 70-pound Labrador Retriever is way more patient with DS than I am some days . Though, for the animals' sake, you might want to consider keeping them in a blocked-off area of the house (perhaps letting the dog who's used to kids come in for a little while every day for some structured "dog time," since the dog has experience working with kids on dog safety, etc) lest they be pestered to poor/dangerous behavior by continuous application of well-meaning-but-still-annoying little hands. You may lose a few due to allergies or just people who don't like animals, but you could easily make up for that by...

FLEXIBLE SCHEDULING... if you're available earlier or later in the day than other providers, you'll have an advantage for parents whose schedules (a) vary, or (b) are consistent, but trend earlier or later than whatever is "average" for your area. I know there are some days when we need dinner-hour child care and have to call in favors from friends (OK, they're not favors if the friends are BEGGING to babysit ) because our provider doesn't do extended hours. Or... Saturdays. DH works Saturdays, and I occasionally have to go in on Saturday; it'd be nice to be able to use our same provider on weird-schedule days.

[CariOfOz]

Originally Posted by BunnySlippers

The dogs poo'd in a fenced in area.
We may have lots of critters, but I am pretty anal about poo

Sorry, could not help it

Originally Posted by Treyson'sMommy

I had a provider who did this (and ran errands - ie taking her son to school) and found out that she regularly left the kids unattended in the van (still running so they wouldn't get hot/cold) while she took care of whatever business she had to take care of.

drop seriously?!?!! I never leave my OWN children in the car while doing things like that, much less someone else's!!!!!

Originally Posted by blizzard_babe

I think it sounds great. Well-socialized (and supervised) animals are not an issue for me;

Same! I would also highly suggest having an area the dog/cat can get to (but that is inaccessible to the children) when they have just had enough. That way they can go to a quieter place and snooze, relax etc without getting irritable with the kids. I think, allergies aside obviously, that well socialized and supervised pets are a wonderful learning experience for children.

[moonyoungi]

Sounds great!
My DCP is actually cloth diapering daycare who is "sposie friendly"!
She uses cloth diaper service, but accommodates parents who doesn't want to use cloth diaper for whatever reason.

If you want to visit her website to look at pictures of her backyard...
here it is...http://www.countrykidsfamilychildcare.com/

Our daycare emphasizes a lot of outdoor play time with great backyard filled with fun and nature exploration. Plus lots of gardening.
They have 3 hens, 2 guinea pigs, 1 dog, 1 cat and we are thinking about getting a goat.
Sooo fun!

ps...The animals all have their own closed off yard, except the cat who just likes to stay in the room until the school is out...(she avoids kids at all cost...lol) The children get to interact with our animal friends during certain times with supervision. Other times they are just chilling by themselves.

[~pi]

FYI, I think the field trips can be great, it's just something to be aware of if you plan to do them: make sure to explain to the parents exactly how it will work.

DS had a great time visiting the zoo, centre island, strawberry picking, etc.