New Regs For NYS...Thoughts?

[Margarete]

Number 7:
Use of any devices for brief and necessary communications OR purposes directly related to the child care program.

I would say that some personal calls during business hours/ repair calls and such could be argued to be brief and necessary, and I would think answering the phone for anyone shouldn't be a problem (You don't know it's not a parent, potential client, licensing, other child care related call, or even personal family emergency necessary communication until you answer).... it says 'or' so it doesn't need to be directly related to the child care program.

[Play Care]

Yes, number 7 is bothersome. The problem is if you go against it, you sound like someone who sits on Facebook all day
SO if I take three minutes to call my sister while the kids are happily playing to confirm that my nephews birthday party is at 3 at the bowling alley I will be given a violation? How are they going to monitor this - the honor system? Hello, yes I'd like to report that I used the telephone??????

The bedding also bothers me. Each child's bedding is laundered weekly and we keep it stacked with their cots...not anymore I guess. Not quite sure how I am going to organize it now:confused:

Does this include quiet time? Many providers use that time to take online classes. I assume they will be told they can't do that?

[daycarediva]

#7 is crap. Seriously, no more daycare forum at nap and during free play(like now when I am typing but my eyes are on the kids?)


no idea how to store the bedding. Probably in huge zippered bags again. GRRR. I wash my bedding daily, too. So it makes it that much worse.

Annoyed!!!!!!!

[nannyde]

Does this include quiet time? Many providers use that time to take online classes. I assume they will be told they can't do that?

My State reg for supervision is "careful supervision at all times" so I would assume it would mean during any time a child is in care.

This is a slippery slope. I think providers need to fight it. I would first ask for the data and research that shows that children have been harmed and died because of a provider having a screen on for entertainment.

[Margarete]

My State reg for supervision is "careful supervision at all times" so I would assume it would mean during any time a child is in care.

This is a slippery slope. I think providers need to fight it. I would first ask for the data and research that shows that children have been harmed and died because of a provider having a screen on for entertainment.

Seriously it does need to be fought. Any employer/ employee job legally REQUIRES 2 - 15 minute breaks, and another 30-60minute break for lunch. Everyone needs some down time during their work day, and the state shouldn't dictate what you do during yours in your own business.
Does this mean that if you have a large family child care, that you wouldn't be able to give your assistant/ employee the legally required break without having a second assistant come in for an hour a day spread out over 3 sessions, that would be pretty expensive paying for a split time frame like that (I'm not sure how small/ large ratio numbers work in NY)
Obviously our down times are never really 'off' times as we are always on call the moment a child wakes up, or needs us.

[snbauser]

With the exception of #7, all the others are already regulations here.

[Unregistered]

Cell phones are acceptable. They just cannot be carried around. Have to be in one spot so they can be easily found for emergency use. (This was confirmed in a videoconference training about the new regs.) My registrar told me she didn't agree w/ # 7 and would be unlikely to cite anyone for it. VOICE, the daycare union, was against it. However, every single proposed reg was enacted in spite of many protests against several of them (except for minor re-wording of some). Because they didn't want to have to go back and go through the entire public comment period again, which they'd have to do for any "substantial change" to the proposals.

[nanglgrl]

If you don't like it fight it, it can be won. Get a group of providers together and make a change. We used to be required to have a landline, the code just said it had to be a landline and didn't say that it couldn't be through the internet or cable. Then someone higher up decided it had to be copper based and could not be fiber optic which is not what our regulations stated. There were several problems with this. One main one being that copper landline is not offered in all parts of our state, it also can be incredibly unreliable because it's so old and phone companies aren't repairing it because the customer base just doesn't support the cost. I wrote a change.com petition and linked state lawmakers, union reps and several people at DHS and I asked for help. Nannyde put me in contact with a friend if hers that knew some people who could help. I was only trying to fight against having to have copper based landlines. I was using magic jack (through internet lines) at the time and even though the "landline" was never used it was cheap enough that it wasn't a problem for me. Not even a month later the requirement for copper landlines was dropped and within a few months they dropped the requirement to have a landline completely. Just don't be quiet about it, start a petition, I will sign it as I'm sure a lot of women on this board will. They can't keep telling us what to do and acting like we're self employed.

[Unregistered]

I should clarify. Having a cell phone only, no landline, is acceptable.
I read the bedding storage to mean after use before washing the bedding can't touch. Clean laundry in a closet touching - why wouldn't that be ok?

[nannyde]

Cell phones are acceptable. They just cannot be carried around. Have to be in one spot so they can be easily found for emergency use. (This was confirmed in a videoconference training about the new regs.) My registrar told me she didn't agree w/ # 7 and would be unlikely to cite anyone for it. VOICE, the daycare union, was against it. However, every single proposed reg was enacted in spite of many protests against several of them (except for minor re-wording of some). Because they didn't want to have to go back and go through the entire public comment period again, which they'd have to do for any "substantial change" to the proposals.

It has many consequences. Now a parent can file a complaint of negligence based on a provider having a screen on in the home. Simply having the news on for entertainment for the adult will be negligence. Posting a Facebook post will be negligence. Talking with your provider friend on the phone will be negligence.

We are not children. We are self employed business owners. We do not need the government telling us what kinds of entertainment we can enjoy while caring for kids in our own home.

I'm furious about this.

[snbauser]

I read the bedding storage to mean after use before washing the bedding can't touch. Clean laundry in a closet touching - why wouldn't that be ok?

This is how the rule is here. I use cots. I leave the sheets on the cots during the week and the cots are stacked when not in use. The sheets from one cot do not touch the other cot. Blankets are stored in a bucket in the bottom of their cubby. Before I had cubbies, I stored their blankets in gallon sized ziploc bags.

[Leanna]

Cell phones are acceptable. They just cannot be carried around. Have to be in one spot so they can be easily found for emergency use. (This was confirmed in a videoconference training about the new regs.) My registrar told me she didn't agree w/ # 7 and would be unlikely to cite anyone for it. VOICE, the daycare union, was against it. However, every single proposed reg was enacted in spite of many protests against several of them (except for minor re-wording of some). Because they didn't want to have to go back and go through the entire public comment period again, which they'd have to do for any "substantial change" to the proposals.

Ok, but if we go for a walk, in the backyard, to the park, to the playroom, I want my cell phone in my pocket - not some designated spot! I have kids with serious medical conditions and I want my phone on me- not my kitchen counter!

It has many consequences. Now a parent can file a complaint of negligence based on a provider having a screen on in the home. Simply having the news on for entertainment for the adult will be negligence. Posting a Facebook post will be negligence. Talking with your provider friend on the phone will be negligence.

We are not children. We are self employed business owners. We do not need the government telling us what kinds of entertainment we can enjoy while caring for kids in our own home.

I'm furious about this.

I have now moved from annoyed at the reg to totally freaked out!

[Michael]

We need smaller government. This is what happens when government thinks it knows better.

[Mister Sir Husband]

Well, my licensor told me that the rule on screen time happened because some providers in centers were busted because they had multiple kids in a room and were on their phones surfing the web instead of interacting with the kids. And as far as my cell phone not being in my pocket, I am using 5 different rooms on 2 floors in my home for daycare. If its on the counter as the new regs suggest, and I forget to grab it before heading downstairs.. Welp the parent calling me about their kid might just have to be ok with getting my voicemail, in which case I will gladly give them the number of the ocfs.

[nannyde]

Well, my licensor told me that the rule on screen time happened because some providers in centers were busted because they had multiple kids in a room and were on their phones surfing the web instead of interacting with the kids. And as far as my cell phone not being in my pocket, I am using 5 different rooms on 2 floors in my home for daycare. If its on the counter as the new regs suggest, and I forget to grab it before heading downstairs.. Welp the parent calling me about their kid might just have to be ok with getting my voicemail, in which case I will gladly give them the number of the ocfs.

I've been searching all weekend and I can't see that this has been done for centers. I'm not seeing a center regulation speaking to number seven and I can't see where the center regs have changed. Maybe I'm just not finding it.