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Nanny vs. Daycare and Beyond

Large group, small group: Sorting through your childcare options

by MaryP | 1976 views | 8 comments | Rate this now!

About the Author

Mother of three (teens), step-mother of five (teens), home daycare operator of five (todders), and STILL SANE!! NOTHING is impossible...

8 comments so far...

Hello, Emma! Glad to see you're still around. Have you received my network request yet? I'd love to have you in mine: makes for interesting conversation when people have differing perspectives. Though I don't think ours are all THAT different, really, just enough to make it interesting!

Flag as inappropriate Posted by MaryP on 9th April 2008
I must have said that wrong. We don't have to have an ECE, just early childhood education hours. Washington State requires 20 hours the first year and 10 hours each year after. If you want to be acredited, you need your ECE.
As far as the law goes...I think it is a pretty good idea. I have known 2 gals that started up a daycare but didn't want to get licensed. They both didn't care about the kids just the money. They got lots of kids because they would charge less. They took in way too many kids, and they weren't being cared for properly. I actually called the state on one of them. They were nice girls to the parents...just not the kids. Some parents just don't care, as long as it is cheap. The U.S. is pretty messed up that way.

Flag as inappropriate Posted by emma on 8th April 2008
Emma - " 'The lady next door' is against the law now." That makes me sigh a little. It's a shame, isn't it? While there is value in education, there is also value in experience and character -- which cannot be guaranteed by the right documentation. Parents should have the right to choose someone they think has the experience and character, with or without that piece of paper.

I have had communication with providers in various states, and though most of them have to take some courses, none have reported neediing to be a full-fledged ECE. Though perhaps we define "ECE" differently: where I live, the ECE course is a year or two (depending on how intensive) of full-time study. Or perhaps they just assumed the need for ECE credentials as a given, figured I would know that, and didn't feel the need to make it explicit! Now I'm curious. I will have to go ask them.

Flag as inappropriate Posted by MaryP on 5th April 2008
I am pretty aware of the requirements, but only in the U.S..
In the U.S. you need to have a license to care for more than one family and with the license you need the early childhood education. I didn't say 'the lady next door' had any shame attached...you said it was a con. I am just saying that in the U.S. we have just as much education as if we were working in childcare centers...therefore, over here, it is not a con. That's all.
I love the lady next door as that is what I had growing up, which made me want to be in the childcare business. It's just against the law now.

Flag as inappropriate Posted by emma on 5th April 2008
Heels - You're right on both counts: you're lucky, and it's possible! I'm glad you've found an arrangement which works so well for your family.

Florinda - thank you!

Emma - the certification requirements for home care providers varies *enormously* from one jurisdiction to the next. In some, they are well-trained and have high standards applied to them, in many others they are "the nice lady down the street." There is no shame in the latter, of course: most mothers have less experience than that "nice lady" when they start out, yet we generally all do a good job.

Flag as inappropriate Posted by MaryP on 3rd April 2008
In the state of Washington home care providers are required to have early childhood education. I have my early childhood degree plus I attend local 'stars' (we need 10 'stars' hours every year) classes at the library and I attend the NAEYC(National Association of Education) conference every year. Sooooo, most of us are not 'the nice lady down the street'.
Good article though!

Flag as inappropriate Posted by emma on 2nd April 2008
I'm WAY past where I need this myself, but it's a great, objective overview of the options available in what is ultimately a subjective decision.

Flag as inappropriate Posted by Florinda Pendley Vasquez on 2nd April 2008
Perhaps I'm inordinately lucky, but I feel like we have the best of both worlds. My son is in a home daycare with only 5 other children (ages 10 months to 3.5 years at the moment). However, the provider is a woman who takes school preparedness very seriously. They (those who are old enough to do so) have a class time every day, and she goes to continuing education classes monthly on weekends and evenings. I suppose she is the exception, but finding dedicated people like her IS possible.

Flag as inappropriate Posted by heels on 2nd April 2008