Forced to vaccinate? What are my options?

[e4hand]

I'm having some trouble and I really could use some support from like-minded mamas right now. My 12 month old has been staying with a sitter during the day while I'm working. It's not an ideal situation but unfortunately I have to work in order to pay the mortgage. Anyway, he's been there with no problems until yesterday. My sitter is now keeping two other babies of the same age in addition to her baby of the same age for a total of 4. She is trying to get a state certification (Florida) as a child care provider but in order to do that she has to show proof that all 4 babies have been fully vaccinated. All but my son have been. He has been partially vaccinated and is on a delayed schedule because that is my wish. She is telling me that I will have to take him out if I don't get him vaccinated because she won't get the certificate. Sorry to give you more information than you probably wanted but I feel so alone here. No one I know understands my natural parenting or why I do things the way I do. I feel like I am constantly defending myself. I guess my question is what are my options? Am I screwed because I chose a different lifestyle than the majority of mothers and have to work at the same time? Who would accept my child partially vaccinated and not treat him like a leper? I have to find another option here. If I cave and get him vaccinated I will feel like I'm giving up something I believe in and worry about the consequences of my decision for years. It just seems to unfair to me that I (and ultimately my son) am being punished just because I can't afford to stay home with him; I just don't understand why working natural mothers don't have more options. Any advice you could give me would be greatly appreciated.

[Marnica]

Your sitter is mistaken.....


If she is attempting to get licensed as a daycare provider in the state of fL, she must maintain proper records, like any otgher "school". She needs to show that the children she cares for are either up to date OR she needs to show a exemption.

The child care facility if responsible for obtaining for each child in care a current, complete and properly executed Florida Certification of Immunization form Part A-1, B, or C, DH 680 (July 2001), or Religious Exemption from Immunization form, DH 681 (May 1999), which are incorporated herein by reference, from the custodial parent or legal guardian. DH Form 680 and DH Form 681 may be obtained from the local county health department.

Go to your local health dept..get the form and sub,mit it to this woman and that should suffice for legal purposes. Print out the law for Florida http://www.nvic.org/Vaccine-Laws/sta...s/florida.aspx and show it to the sitter. If she gets certified as a provider and refuses to take the exemption, this could open her up to a lawsuit based on religious discrimination. My bet is she just had bad information.

Good luck and keep us posted!

[tanyam926]

But isn't the exemption form only for non vaccinated children, not for delayed/selctively vaxed kids?

I always thought that's how it works in my state (not FL ftr), but I could be mistaken.

[Emmeline II]

You need to vaccinate OR submit an exemption. In Florida you need to go to the county health department and get a religious exemption (you do not have to explain your religion). Give the exemption and a copy of the law off the state website (if necessary).

[Emmeline II]

Originally Posted by tanyam926

But isn't the exemption form only for non vaccinated children, not for delayed/selctively vaxed kids?

I always thought that's how it works in my state (not FL ftr), but I could be mistaken.

Yes, so one has to make a choice or try to vax 'under the radar.'

[tanyalynn]

Originally Posted by tanyam926

But isn't the exemption form only for non vaccinated children, not for delayed/selctively vaxed kids?

I always thought that's how it works in my state (not FL ftr), but I could be mistaken.

Religious exemptions are intended for people opposed to the entire practice of vaccination (so you'd never want to justify it to the state talking about ingredients or safety) but one can develop a new religious belief at any time; plenty of somewhat vaccinated kids have exemptions filed.

After you file the exemption, further vaccination would be grounds for the state to deny your exemption. Does anyone check daycares? I don't know, I'd be doubtful--matching up your paperwork to what's on file with the vaccine registry. But it's a risk, possibly moreso if/when your child starts public school.

Letting your sitter know about the exemption process would be helpful for your situation now and useful for someone else in the future.

[moonjunio]

I have only just recently been learning about religious exemptions, because we selectively vaccinate but are considering moving to Oregon. I was comforted to learn from the state department's brochure on religious exemptions that I would not be required to document my "religion", that any system of beliefs or ethics would count, and -also- that documenting my child's vax would not disqualify her for the exemption. So it wouldn't be an all-or-nothing thing.

I got the link to the right state department resources from this website, which has resources and sample forms for every state and some additional countries:
http://www.vaclib.org/exemption.htm

So I encourage you to check out the Florida dept's website and learn for yourself about any possible exemptions.

[JamieCatheryn]

For now I'd just write and give her a religious exemption explaining with a spiritual or religious slant your beliefs (with NO medical reasons cited). If it's anything like my state, she needs either vax records or the exemption on file, that's all. If you keep vaccinating that can be separate between your family and the pediatrician. Yes if it all gets audited for some reason you could lose your excuse or have to defend it. But normally none of that becomes the school's business.

[serenbat]

aren't you still dealing with a private business, so to speak? regardless of the law-doesn't she have the right to deal with who she wants and doesn't want? it is a private home daycare not a center-correct?,

licensed or not - same with other private businesses you can choose who you want to take as a client and who you do not

[ammiga]

Originally Posted by serenbat

aren't you still dealing with a private business, so to speak? regardless of the law-doesn't she have the right to deal with who she wants and doesn't want? it is a private home daycare not a center-correct?,

licensed or not - same with other private businesses you can choose who you want to take as a client and who you do not

Child centers are private businesses as well, they just aren't run out of a home, they are run out of a building. All licensed businesses are required to abide by certain legalities. In FL, it appears that one of those legalities for day cares is maintaining proper immunization records of all the children who attend.

Of course, the provider may decide for one reason or another that she doesn't want to deal with certain children. In this case, the OP's provider is incorrect in her statement that she needs all children UTD in order to obtain her license.

[mommy212]

I would just try to get another sitter, perhaps a SAHM natural mom looking for some extra cash. If we lived in the same rea, I'd be happy to take care of your LO for you! however, since I doubt we do, I would suggest posting ads on some sites (make sure you do thorough checks on the person) and making sure youb get what you want!

[VeezieTG]

i'm in fl, have an exemption, and do delayed and selective vax. without your consent, under hipa, your ped can't give your vax info out to the sitter, so an exemption would be fine in that case... idk about pub school... n here in broward they could kind of care less about a family's personal preference as long as the paperwork is right. also, the way the form is worded, you're getting religious exemption from vaccinating, not all vaccines. its worded just about right, as far as i'm concerned...

[Emmeline II]

Originally Posted by serenbat

licensed or not - same with other private businesses you can choose who you want to take as a client and who you do not

Her provider said that she didn't want the OP's undervaxed child because she could not get her license. It is not true that children have to be vaxed for her to be licensed, she just needs to have the appropriate paperwork (complete vax record OR an exemption).

[serenbat]

regardless, it is a private business and if she doesn't want the child, she does not need to take who she does not want-regardless of how ever many exemptions she is given

[onlyboys]

Your sitter just needs the Religious Exemption blue form that you can get at your local health department. She can use that in her files. If she's telling you to find someone else because she is opposed to you not vaccinating your child, I have no idea if that is legal. It's her decision, I suppose.

[Marnica]

Originally Posted by onlyboys

Your sitter just needs the Religious Exemption blue form that you can get at your local health department. She can use that in her files. If she's telling you to find someone else because she is opposed to you not vaccinating your child, I have no idea if that is legal. It's her decision, I suppose.

Actually if she becomes a licensed provider and specifically tells OP that she refuses her child based on the no -vax status and will not except her waiver...that is NOT legal and OP could sue her for religious discrimination. Now she could make up some other reason not to take the child, but she can't cite no-vaxing as a reason if the OP has provided her with a lawful exemption. If she is licensed, she must follow Florida law just like any of the other child care facilities.

[Marnica]

Originally Posted by serenbat

regardless, it is a private business and if she doesn't want the child, she does not need to take who she does not want-regardless of how ever many exemptions she is given

true, but she could not cite the reason as the child not being vaxed...she would have to be creative and come up with some other reason.

Private or not, if she is licenced, she needs to abide by the laws.

[moonjunio]

Since the sitter is new to licensing, I would bet that she merely doesn't understand the law. Perhaps e4hand can inform her about the religious exemption and encourage the sitter to verify that an RE form will take care of everything. Probably just a misunderstanding, I doubt a sitter would want to lose good business unless she had to.

[bluebirdiemama]

[serenbat]

Private or not, if she is licenced, she needs to abide by the laws.

-----really-how?

How do you force someone to take a child vaxed or on un-vaxed?



This is a private person/business and they have every right to pick and choose. The poster did not state that this is a facility being given state or federal funds. I certainly don't see this a case to sue over.

Now she could make up some other reason not to take the child,

An professional has the right to refuse the client, this happens all the time. Dr. do it all the time-they are licensed!

She may just want to have vaxed children in her care. There are many sitters that do not want un-vaxed clinets.