Tonite I Had To Pick My Mouth Up Off The Floor

[Crystal]

That is a pretty high minimum wage. Is the cost of living high there as well?

I'm not saying that making minimum wage excuses their behavior. I would have been appalled too. I just can understand, based on what I have seen and based on the survey I conducted at the college, that these caregivers are probably less than enamored with their jobs. BUT, if they are they should probably find another line of work if that's how they truly feel.

[Crystal]

Sigh. More generalizations. I put 100% into my program. I'm not going to divulge my income, but its way WAY more than minimum wage. I pay my staffer $10 an hour, she holds a masters degree and is highly trained and dedicated, as am I and my husband. I put MASSIVE effort into my program and DO CARE if my kids/clients are happy. My staffer has superior support, input, and training. No, no health insurance but neither do myself and my husband. I don't tolerate bad behavior OR jerky parents. My staff turnover is 0%. Again, as I posted above, sweeping generalizations should be avoided. NOT ALL CENTERS ARE SUCKY KID MILLS staffed by uncaring, untrained, and uneducated people and owned by money-grubbing hard a**es. I proudly work/own and operate a 4 star quality center.

Oh, please don't think I was referring to all centers. I apologize if that is what you thought I was saying. I did say MANY, not all.

I wasn't making generalizations. I base this on a survey I conducted of 100 students who work in centers. I conducted the survey when I was planning to open a center and I wanted to make sure that my employees would be happy and stay long term. I have also conducted over 50 ECERS on centers and Head Star programs, and I can tell you that many of them were low quality programs.

I am sure you run a quality program. The only thing I would disagree with being a perk for your staffer is that $10/hour with a Masters Degree is a very low wage. I really believe that most smaller centers are quality programs. I have found that the type of programs I am speaking about are typically the large chain type centers, where the corporation is in it for the money, not the children/families/relationships. Even in many of those programs I have met very caring, dedicated teachers, but they are few and far between.

[Sugar Magnolia]

Oh, please don't think I was referring to all centers. I apologize if that is what you thought I was saying. I did say MANY, not all.

I wasn't making generalizations. I base this on a survey I conducted of 100 students who work in centers. I conducted the survey when I was planning to open a center and I wanted to make sure that my employees would be happy and stay long term. I have also conducted over 50 ECERS on centers and Head Star programs, and I can tell you that many of them were low quality programs.

I am sure you run a quality program. The only thing I would disagree with being a perk for your staffer is that $10/hour with a Masters Degree is a very low wage. I really believe that most smaller centers are quality programs. I have found that the type of programs I am speaking about are typically the large chain type centers, where the corporation is in it for the money, not the children/families/relationships. Even in many of those programs I have met very caring, dedicated teachers, but they are few and far between.

I appreciate the apology, and I hope you can see why I am sensitive to the anti-center atmosphere. Its just discouraging to see so little praise of centers. It's usually unfair generalizations. I apologize as well for my defensiveness.

My staffer has a masters in a non-related field, she is a former client/parent, her daughter attended here for 3 years. She lost her job and was volunteering here to keep busy when her daughter went to Kindergarten last year. I took her on as a staffer and she completed all the required training and beyond the required, because she cares. The $10 is $2.50 above minimum wage, and decent for the horrible job market here. Getting $10/hour is a perk when you can't find work in your field. I'm a super small business and I "created a job" so that's the best I can do. If I could, I'd pay more, actually make her a partner if I could expand. She's wonderful. See why I get upset by "underpaid, overworked, don't care" line of thinking?

I really respect that you do ECERS evaluations. I use this as my "bible" and you and I could probably have a very productive discussion on this. Owning ECERS will make me a 5 star this year. Thanks for the feedback, I just need to express my "don't lump all centers together, centers aren't evil, we care too" bent sometimes.

[busymommy0420]

I don't care if the kids don't eat. It used to bother me a LOT. But, I got over it. I provide a reasonably healthy meal, and that's my job... their job is to eat it...if they don't eat it, I'm OK with that too.

90% of my kids eat HORRIBLE meals at home. I am not kidding... those hot pockets in the freezer section???? MY (dc) kids eat those! I thought those were only for potheads who lived in their parent's basement or college students.[/QUOTE]

I have one friend who doesn't eat too much, so I just give her less and if she wants more then I give her more. Hey I like lean pockets I have one for lunch with a veggie here and there. I don't serve to my kiddos but I like the garlic pizza ones LOL!

[countrymom]

I think it makes me mad when I listen to you ladies who are liscenced and have to adhear to such strict rules and then you have centers who do things like this. In ontario home daycares are not liscenced but I pride myself in providing top notch care. I'm always one step ahead, making sure the kids eat good, are clean, are educated and get enough time to play outside....and the centers can do what they please.

[Sugar Magnolia]

I think it makes me mad when I listen to you ladies who are liscenced and have to adhear to such strict rules and then you have centers who do things like this....and the centers can do what they please.

Huh? I'm confused. You think the "ladies who are licensed" (meaning licensed home daycares) have to adhere to "strict rules" and that "centers
do as they please"? Actually, in the US, centers are very regulated. Heavily, thoroughly and completely regulated. In my state, licensed home daycares have much LESS oversight and "strict rules" than centers do.

[Sugar Magnolia]

Head on over to the "omg..." thread. That horrible provider is a HOME daycare. There are good and bad of both. I rest my case.

[Sunchimes]

I've seen both

When I graduated from high school 40 years ago, I took a summer job at a center. It was horrible, truly horrible. The kids were sent outside all day long. In Texas, in the summer. And the food was something I wouldn't feed my dogs. It left a bad taste in my mouth and I've avoided centers since then, with the exception of the university child care center, where I spent 2 happy years.

My grandson, who has ADHD, went to a center. It was a wonderful experience. It was owned and operated by a lovely couple who took gs into their hearts. He learned and thrived--going into kindergarten was actually a step back for him after his day care experience. Even now, at 18, he still goes back to visit these people.

I think it's safe to say that you can find examples of both extremes in centers and home care.

As for these ladies, maybe it's the truth and parents don't care enough to change. I've believed for years that no matter what lip service we pay, America doesn't value children.

[youretooloud]

When I graduated from high school 40 years ago, I took a summer job at a center. It was horrible, truly horrible. The kids were sent outside all day long. In Texas, in the summer. And the food was something I wouldn't feed my dogs. It left a bad taste in my mouth and I've avoided centers since then, with the exception of the university child care center, where I spent 2 happy years.

We must have been working in centers at about the same time. The chain centers (Daybridge, Childtime) were awful!

But, we had one chain center called "Palo Alto" that was amazing! I wish more than anything that centers could be run like this place forever. They had individual classrooms, and teachers, but center time and forum time, and outdoor time was done all together. The kids could move freely throughout the whole school, and choose whatever area they wanted to play/work in. They could use the gym, or go do a craft, or do table centers, and they could even go in the front office to lay on a bean bag with the director. She'd sometimes stop what she was doing and lay down with them and read books.

I miss that place.