Friends Over

[TwinMama]

Hey there,

It's Spring break and I'm already thinking about Summer.

I'm not sure about whether my license allows me to let my kids have a friend over. What do you guys do about this? My husband could be here to monitor them while I continue my day with daycare.

I still want my 7 year olds to have a fun Summer and they love my littles here, but they also want to see their own friends.

[Blackcat31]

Hey there,

It's Spring break and I'm already thinking about Summer.

I'm not sure about whether my license allows me to let my kids have a friend over. What do you guys do about this? My husband could be here to monitor them while I continue my day with daycare.

I still want my 7 year olds to have a fun Summer and they love my littles here, but they also want to see their own friends.

Some states are pretty strict about those types of things and some aren't but I think it comes down to how separate you can keep them from your daycare kids because technically friends wouldn't be covered by your liability insurance and if one of them injured or hurt a daycare child it could be complicated. kwim?

I also think it depends on the age of the friends. I mean if they are under age 12 in my state they would count in my ratios if they are on my property no matter who is supervising them so that's something to consider as well.

[Cat Herder]

Here if they are under 18, they count into your ratio. If they are over 14, they must have a national background check on file. Even if they are on your property to mow the lawn, they must have a national background check on file.

Basically, we cannot have visitors or service professionals over during daycare hours.

[Alwaysgreener]

We can hire 14 year olds for an in-home, a little bit more regulated now where they can't be left alone with the children.

[Cat Herder]

There is no longer an "assistant" category, here, except for a resident who covers for bathroom breaks. They have to meet minimum training the same as if they were a lead provider. Unless I read it wrong, I see no wiggle room for it anymore.

[Alwaysgreener]

My husband was listed as my assistant but now he's listed as a staff member and the title for people under 18 changed as well, but I don't recall what it is. My sister who was my emergency backup that I was required to have is now a volunteer that has been background checked and fingerprinted.

I remember at the last place I worked (non daycare) at every so many months to a year they would redefine a team leads role and retitle it, change responsibilities, and adjust the wage, sometimes up but not always. Current team lead would have to reapply for their job as their job no longer existed, sometimes it would get their job back but not always. Gotta love it.

[Alwaysgreener]

My son counts in my ratio until he's 6, but as soon as my husband gets home from work and "picks him up" from my daycare, I can add a child to my ratio and still be legal.

My daughter no longer counts in the ratio but she can still do what my daycare friends do without my husband supervising her per ratio rules.

So if she wanted a friend over during a daycare day, which I wouldn't do but that's me, her friend could not come over until my husband was home and taking care of our son. I wouldn't charge them but for safety, licensing, legal reasons I would require all paperwork to be complete.

However since I don't operate my daycare on Fridays, last Summer my daughter had her friend over on some Fridays.

[TwinMama]

I would never have the friend over interacting with my daycare kids. It would always be under the supervision of my husband. My children are 7. We have a separate daycare space in the house so it would be easy to keep them apart.