Random Drug Testing on Child Care Workers

[JenNJ]

If you are so sure in your opinion, the only responsible thing to do is stay home with your child or hire a nanny and make drug testing part of her contract. I used to nanny and I signed on knowing I could be drug tested or recorded at any time.

Your opinion is not going to change the way thousands of daycares are run across the country. Random drug testing requires money and parents generally look for the best care they an afford. Most parents will not agree to paying the extra fees to drug test employees in centers. That's a lot of extra money per week.


If any of my clients asked to drug test me, I would be OK with that but they would have to pay for it. Pay for my time to drive there, sit there, be tested, drive home, and all missed wages. Also gas and wear and tear on my car. If they choose to pay for it, no problem. If not they need to find a new provider.

[morgan24]

You state that 10 people do not constiture any majority in your book but in your first post you quoted: The Child Care Statistics are 4 % of people (ages 18 - 64) admitted to using illegal and legal drugs and/or alcohol in the last month. I don't consider 4% to be a majority either.

In a center setting I think that the director would be the one to observe the employees and take action if they suspect something. I do not think that they should be drug tested just in case.

I'm a home provider and I would never accept a parent into my program who would ask for a drug test, that indicates to me you already don't trust me and I would consider that type of a parent as a huge liability.

[MyAngels]

If any of my clients asked to drug test me, I would be OK with that but they would have to pay for it. Pay for my time to drive there, sit there, be tested, drive home, and all missed wages. Also gas and wear and tear on my car. If they choose to pay for it, no problem. If not they need to find a new provider.

I think you've hit upon the solution to the OP's dilemma. Since she is so worried about this issue, and does not wish to hire a nanny to quell her fears, she should offer to pay for the drug testing program at the daycare center of her choosing.

Think of it - she could be a hero among her peers. Other parents would soon say, "Look, Yvonne has put her money where her mouth is. Maybe we should all be paying for the random drug testing of our providers, too." Next thing you know, parents everywhere would be offering to pay for the testing too.

A side benefit, of course, would be that this would scare any prospective drug users from seeking employment in child care because, as we all know, these tests cannot be manipulated in any way.

It's genius, really. What about it OP, ready to put your money where your mouth is?

[Blackcat31]

I think you've hit upon the solution to the OP's dilemma. Since she is so worried about this issue, and does not wish to hire a nanny to quell her fears, she should offer to pay for the drug testing program at the daycare center of her choosing.

Think of it - she could be a hero among her peers. Other parents would soon say, "Look, Yvonne has put her money where her mouth is. Maybe we should all be paying for the random drug testing of our providers, too." Next thing you know, parents everywhere would be offering to pay for the testing too.

A side benefit, of course, would be that this would scare any prospective drug users from seeking employment in child care because, as we all know, these tests cannot be manipulated in any way.

It's genius, really. What about it OP, ready to put your money where your mouth is?

Of course this goes both ways......If Yvonne wants to pay for and request drug testing on her child's caregivers then she better be fully prepared to do the same. If I worked in the center she brings her child to, I would fork over the cash to have her submit to random testing too since I don't trust a parent who doesn't trust me.

The parents in my care and I have built a trusting, respectful and caring relationship with each other. We don't ask each other to pee in a cup.

But if they ever did ask me....you can bet your bottom dollar I am going to follow the Golden Rule and hand them a 5 oz. plastic Dixie cup!

[jen]

So be it.
If someone has random drug testing to drive a truck for the Dept of Transportation to ensure public safety ... and bus drivers who drive our school busses. But you disagree on random drug testing for child care workers ? Come on. Get real. It is the responsibility of parents to ensure the safety of their children. Plain and simple. Glad to ruffle some feathers here.
But ya know... as a point of reference. Only 10 people had an opinion - so far - and 10 people do not constitute any majority in my book. So please .. if you have an opinion, try to not personalize your opinions - we're not talking about YOU having a drink after work.... who here actually spoke about the symptoms of addiction? Loss of control, loss of focus and patience, lack of good/sound judgement, inability concentrate, etc. These are all vital in caring for children who frequently act impulsively, become unruly - testing any normal rational adult into check their reactions.

I don't care if you have a drink after dinner. This doesn't make you an alcoholic. But did you know it takes one hour per ounce of alcohol to be broken down by the liver So if you have a bottle of wine after work, it can take as long as 3 hours to be out of your system... go do the math. Or take meds prescribed by your doctor. Opiates (pain killers) show up on drug tests. Marijuana shows up on drug tests. If you have a valid prescription, fine. If you have a problem - and you know your company performs random drug testing, then guess what ??? you probably won't want to work there. Drug testing acts as a deterrent. Works for me.

Get a Nanny ? Get real. I want to be able to send my child to a place where I know Negligence due to Drug abuse can be ruled out. Not guaranteed, but ruled out as a potential hazard. Like putting plugs in light sockets that babies can reach. Good old, smart preventative measures.

LOL... I didn't reply because your post fails on several levels...let's go...

First of all, the tone of your post isn't going to win anyone over. If you want to be successful in your campaign, try being a bit more personable.

Now for the practicalities...

There are approximately 1,300,000 people employed as a Child Care Workers in the United States. The average price per drug test nationally is about $44 per test. Let's say we test 20% of the total daycare workforce annually, that is 260,000 employees at a rate of $44 each, for a total of $1,1440,000 annually. Of course, that is in addition to the pre-employment drug testing that already exists in a number of settings.

That is ONLY the cost of the test itself. Who exactly is going to oversee this great idea? The government? How much will that cost the tax payers? Can we even begin to afford the government programs that we already have in place? What should get rid of to pay for it?

Another consideration...you can only regulate licensed providers. How many providers will just say forget it on principle and either discontinue services or beging to do unlicensed care. What will that do to the price of daycare, not to mention overall oversight? Less providers equals higher costs, more unlicensed care means less oversight, not more.

You clearly have very specific needs and some trust issues. Find yourself a nanny or family member who you trust.

http://www.studentscholarships.org/professions/111/employed/child_care_workers.php

http://www.ohsinc.com/DRUG_TESTING_COST_DRUG_TEST_COST.htm

[MyAngels]

Of course this goes both ways......If Yvonne wants to pay for and request drug testing on her child's caregivers then she better be fully prepared to do the same. If I worked in the center she brings her child to, I would fork over the cash to have her submit to random testing too since I don't trust a parent who doesn't trust me.

The parents in my care and I have built a trusting, respectful and caring relationship with each other. We don't ask each other to pee in a cup.

But if they ever did ask me....you can bet your bottom dollar I am going to follow the Golden Rule and hand them a 5 oz. plastic Dixie cup!

Sort of an "You show me yours, I'll show you mine" thing. I like it!

[missnikki]

. But did you know it takes one hour per ounce of alcohol to be broken down by the liver So if you have a bottle of wine after work, it can take as long as 3 hours to be out of your system... go do the math.

Are you trolling? Seriously...I did the math.

According to your infallable statistics:

1 bottle of wine= 25.4 ounces
1 hour= 1 ounce "broken down by liver" (don't get me started on that)

Therefore, 1 bottle = 3 hours. I'm not math whiz, but....

Yvonne, there are plenty of qualified people who would watch your child for the right pay, and agree to random drug testing. Hire one of those. But for your sake, bring a calculator to the interview.

[Blackcat31]

*24% of drowning deaths are children under age 5 (NCoS Data 09/10)

*35.7% of deaths in motor vehicle accidents are children under age 5 (Dept of Trans 04/09)

*36% of accidental injury involving children occur in the home (National Hospital/ER Statistic Reports)

*80% of homicides with children as the victim are perpetrated by parents (Administration for Children and Families of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services)


Well, it looks to be like we should probably do away with pools, spas, sprinklers, bath tubs and showers....we better drain all the ponds, lakes, rivers and oceans.....

We also need to drug test anyone who drives a motor vehicle because the statistics are high in that area too. Bus drivers, taxi cab drivers, parents, heck, anyone with a drivers license should be randomly tested...or we could just do away with motor vehicles altogether. Gas is too high anyways...plus it would solve the obesity epidemic.....

And we can't possibly allow our children to spend time at home because statistics say that 36% of accidental injuries to children occur in their homes.....

Also did you see that statistics also say that 80% of homicides involving children are perpetrated by parents!!!!


"In 2010, parents, acting alone or with another person, were responsible for 71.0 percent of child abuse or neglect fatalities. More than one-quarter (26.6 percent) of these fatalities were perpetrated by the mother acting alone. " (The National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System (NCANDS)


I am starting to think the safest place for a child is child care!!!! After all, we are governed by a set of rules put in place to protect the child.

[nannyde]

*24% of drowning deaths are children under age 5 (NCoS Data 09/10)

*35.7% of deaths in motor vehicle accidents are children under age 5 (Dept of Trans 04/09)

*36% of accidental injury involving children occur in the home (National Hospital/ER Statistic Reports)

*80% of homicides with children as the victim are perpetrated by parents (Administration for Children and Families of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services)


Well, it looks to be like we should probably do away with pools, spas, sprinklers, bath tubs and showers....we better drain all the ponds, lakes, rivers and oceans.....

We also need to drug test anyone who drives a motor vehicle because the statistics are high in that area too. Bus drivers, taxi cab drivers, parents, heck, anyone with a drivers license should be randomly tested...or we could just do away with motor vehicles altogether. Gas is too high anyways...plus it would solve the obesity epidemic.....

And we can't possibly allow our children to spend time at home because statistics say that 36% of accidental injuries to children occur in their homes.....

Also did you see that statistics also say that 80% of homicides involving children are perpetrated by parents!!!!


"In 2010, parents, acting alone or with another person, were responsible for 71.0 percent of child abuse or neglect fatalities. More than one-quarter (26.6 percent) of these fatalities were perpetrated by the mother acting alone. " (The National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System (NCANDS)


I am starting to think the safest place for a child is child care!!!! After all, we are governed by a set of rules put in place to protect the child.

my work here is done ::

[DBug]

I, for one, totally agree with Yvonne. I don't trust very many people at all to watch my kids. I'm a non-drinker, non-drug user and non-smoker, and I don't want my kids to be exposed to any of those things. Not even empty bottles or cigarette butts laying around.

So ... that's why I stay home with my kids

[Blackcat31]

I, for one, totally agree with Yvonne. I don't trust very many people at all to watch my kids. I'm a non-drinker, non-drug user and non-smoker, and I don't want my kids to be exposed to any of those things. Not even empty bottles or cigarette butts laying around.

So ... that's why I stay home with my kids

Yes, you may not trust anyone else to watch your child, but you chose to stay home and do it yourself......you are not out trying to rally the troops to pee in cups....

I didn't trust many people to watch my own kids either~they were 10 and 12 the first time I ever left them over night somewhere...but unlike Yvonne, I took responsibility for them rather than make other people submit to rediculous "random testing" so there is a BIG difference between choosing to stay home and do it yourself and making vague accusations toward child care providers.

The message I got from her post was that childcare providers are the "hidden" drug/alcohol users of the world that should be policed better because behind closed doors we are all sniffing the glue sticks we give our kids to do crafts..... and I am offended my the way it was presented.

[Unregistered]

I support the OP

I support the OP. She was not rude in her original post but almost all others were rude. Random drug testing is the norm for all CDL holder's (commercial driver's licenses) nation wide - and this is done for the public's safety. Most large corporations require the test upon hire for all employees. Many perform the tests randomly otherwise for employees depending on company policy.

CDL holders also get their driving records sent to their employer every time they get a traffic violation. I can say that I've worked with an employee who failed the test that had a CDL - they were required to attend mandatory in patient treatment - and we were all scared about the people that could have been killed by that employee under the influence. Random testing isn't bad - it's simply a checking measure. It would realistically work in the center based environment but I can't begin to fathom how it would work in the home based environment because right now, companies are in charge of the random testing themselves. Testing centers are not open 24 hours a day. And I can't imagine states are going to pay for a roaming nurse to go door to door to get these samples. With all the new laws being passed on children's safety, I can realistically see states moving for some type of testing in the future in order to better protect children.

I'm all for testing but working out the logistics of testing in home would be pretty difficult. I can tell you that my child was in a center where I discovered one of the teachers had a long legal record with DUIs and confirmed the probs on the facebook page. Any responsible parent is going to search public records online to find out backgrounds on all caregivers. I pulled my kid out of there. As a child of an alcoholic, I know first hand how hangovers and alcohol abuse affect child rearing and child safety. AND OUR CHILDREN'S SAFETY IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN YOUR PRIVACY!

[laundrymom]

Im all for drug and underage alcohol testing for those who have shown to have issues. Not for only child for workers but teachers, police fire and medical staff. Anyone directly responsible for anothers life. I also think for ANY public aid, housing, food, medical, education, daycare, any public money period, you should be tested, then randomly retested. If you test positive then you get NOTHING for 18mo. Much cheaper to spend $50 bucks on testing, then not pay someones bills for 18 months. Get clean, then ask for help again. When you are clean, trying to Get your life In order, then fine. But I am tired of paying housing food meds and daycare on people who party and enjoy my money so I don't get to. I did get an initial drug test. So did my husband and anyone over 18 in my home. If a dayparent wanted me initially tested and was willing to pay then fine. They don't know me personally. I understand. But to generally say " 1 in 25" so everyone???? Yeah ummm your crazy. Lol.

1 in 25 food poisonings come from salsa. Should. We ban it?
1 in 25 are sociopaths
1 in 25 playstations fail
On certain BMW motorcycles the final drive shaft failure rate after 100,000 miles is 1 in 25.

I personally am more bugged by the playstations than your statistic::
The Child Care Statistics are 4 % of people (ages 18 - 64) admitted to using illegal and legal drugs and/or alcohol in the last month

So 1 in 25 childcare providers admitted they may have had a drink in the past month???

I just don't see your problem.

[bgmeyers]

[QUOTE=Yvonne;89199]So be it.
If someone has random drug testing to drive a truck for the Dept of Transportation to ensure public safety ...


Don't kid yourself on this. It's not for public safety, they just paint it that way. This is for the insurance companies who are trying to protect themselves.

The others have posted on your other ridiculous points, but this was just laughable.

[nannyde]

I support the OP. She was not rude in her original post but almost all others were rude. Random drug testing is the norm for all CDL holder's (commercial driver's licenses) nation wide - and this is done for the public's safety. Most large corporations require the test upon hire for all employees. Many perform the tests randomly otherwise for employees depending on company policy.

CDL holders also get their driving records sent to their employer every time they get a traffic violation. I can say that I've worked with an employee who failed the test that had a CDL - they were required to attend mandatory in patient treatment - and we were all scared about the people that could have been killed by that employee under the influence. Random testing isn't bad - it's simply a checking measure. It would realistically work in the center based environment but I can't begin to fathom how it would work in the home based environment because right now, companies are in charge of the random testing themselves. Testing centers are not open 24 hours a day. And I can't imagine states are going to pay for a roaming nurse to go door to door to get these samples. With all the new laws being passed on children's safety, I can realistically see states moving for some type of testing in the future in order to better protect children.

I'm all for testing but working out the logistics of testing in home would be pretty difficult. I can tell you that my child was in a center where I discovered one of the teachers had a long legal record with DUIs and confirmed the probs on the facebook page. Any responsible parent is going to search public records online to find out backgrounds on all caregivers. I pulled my kid out of there. As a child of an alcoholic, I know first hand how hangovers and alcohol abuse affect child rearing and child safety. AND OUR CHILDREN'S SAFETY IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN YOUR PRIVACY!

What doesn't make sense to me though is you are interested in testing providers and they aren't the biggest risk to the children. The parents are the biggest risk.

I ask this honestly.... why start with providers when all the statistics show that children are markedly more at risk with parents then they are with child care providers. The kids safety is MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE PARENTS PRIVACY?