Wwyd?

[Sugar Magnolia]

I just don't get why any state would allow even an emergency back up person WITHOUT a background check?! Why should the hypothetical neighbor be allowed to watch kids in an emergency if he/she is a convicted abuser or worse a pedophile?! I think NO PARENT wants to arrive to pick up their child and finding some sketchy, unknown person watching their kids? And you've never met our seen them? As a mom, I want anyone supervising my child to, at a minimum, have a background check.

[Heidi]

I just don't get why any state would allow even an emergency back up person WITHOUT a background check?! Why should the hypothetical neighbor be allowed to watch kids in an emergency if he/she is a convicted abuser or worse a pedophile?! I think NO PARENT wants to arrive to pick up their child and finding some sketchy, unknown person watching their kids? And you've never met our seen them? As a mom, I want anyone supervising my child to, at a minimum, have a background check.

Because it's intended for an emergency only. So, assuming I had a heart attack or fell and broke my leg, SOMEONE has to take care of the kiddos long enough for their parents to get here.

Assuming that my neighbor is a pedophile (or one of my daycare parents), it's pretty unlikely, even for a sicko, to say "hey, dcp called me and the ambulance is on it's way; now's my chance to do something disgusting to one of the kids". Even our seriously strict licensing dept. doesn't consider that likely.

On top of that, a background check is no guarantee that someone is not an abuser-only that they haven't been caught. Honestly, I already know more about my neighbors than any background check could tell me.

[SignMeUp]

Crap ::::::
Our seriously (and believe me, they take themselves very seriously) strict licensing department does care if the emergency provider is background checked. We are required to have an emergency substitute who is background checked and has training.
Now, do all providers have an emergency provider who is just sitting on their hands waiting for that emergency call (that rarely, hopefully never comes)?
In my opinion, it is quite unlikely that most providers' designated emergency substitute is going to be available when said emergency occurs.

[TaylorTots]

I can't stop wondering... why would you ever leave your kids in such an unreliable person's care. This has been going on for over a month by your posts. I would have terminated my care with that DCP a month ago when there was more than one questionable event.

There HAS to be other options for B/A care. Ultimately the parent is the responsible person for putting their child into safe situations. This DCP does not sound like a safe situation, regardless of your reporting it to anyone, you need to do the responsible parent move and pull your child immediately.

[daycaremum]

Sounds to me like the provider dropped the ball. She should have openly communicated with you that she had a "broken neck" when it originally happened as that could have effected the care of the children, as well as the fact that she was told by the doctor to watch for these signs which she states is why she went to the hospital that day.
That should have been all communicated to the parents in advance of any emergency trip occurring.
She should have had a plan in place. I have a page in my daycare planner that has all the parents phone numbers. That way I can tell my husband or whoever where the list is and they can call all the parents to let them know immediately of what is happening.
Where were her assistants?? She had two, why weren't they sent to pick up the children? Why would she have to close so often if she employs assistants that could have taken over for the day when she was sick?
It also sounds like the parents were unable to contact her for an extended period of time. Completely unacceptable unless she was on vacation.

OP, lots of red flags have been happening for a while with your provider. Live and learn. Move on to a new provider. If your new provider is unreliable, unreachable, and uncommunicative as that one, leave them too.

I don't believe this provider tried to be inconsiderate and incompetent. It will be hard for her to lose all these clients but hopefully it will teach her to improve in all the areas in which she is so obviously lacking.