ExchangeEveryDay Past Issues

In Australia, we have a very good and safe home day care model called Family Day Care. It is legislated with the same Act and Regulations as childcare centres and goes through National Quality assurance compliance every couple of years. There are also unannounced spot checks on services.
The carer can have 4 children under school age in care at any one time, and three additional school age children only. The homes are visited regularly (every three to four weeks or more often if required). The coordinator will view general safety, who is living in the house or visiting, checking numbers of children and other compliance areas, such as what acitivities and experiences the carer is providing for the children.
The carers and all adults who live in the house must pass a criminal history check. The carer also must hold a current first aid certificate and attend regular inservice professional development training and have $10 000000 worth of public liability insurance. Many of the carers in Australia are studying or have a certificate three in childcare(a trade level qualification). Families love the individual care their children receive and children have very meaningful safe and calm daily experiences. Family Day Care is a great carreer choice for those who enjoy caring for children and also enjoy being at home but want the professionalism of a structure.

Concerning this article on family daycare homes--I wished it would differentiate the regulations of certified family daycare and licensed family daycare because there is a difference. Certified family childcare is done by the county in which that home is located and is for 6 children --3 under age 7 yrs and three over 7 yrs. Licensed family childcare is for up to 8 children of which 2 children may be under 2 yrs of age with one provider. In these situations both require inspections before being certified or licensed as well as other paperwork and such to show proof that all is in place before care begins. I wished someone in the article could've found out more specific info before dumping us all in the same category. I am licensed, have a CDA, completed Wis Prof Credential for Childcare Administrators, and am currently pursuiing a BSW degree. Please don't make family childcare the bad guy--childcare is sorely underfunded with so great a need. We really need to work together to make changes happen.
Venus Childs
Sweet Dreams Childcare

After reading the article on leaving children to chance, I feel that the states should required all licensed family care providers to be registered and have documented proof of completing the CDA or the Child Development Associate. Also, states should offer financial assistance through grants, loans and scholarships and be made available for these providers.
The CDA consists of 120 hours of training, on-line or on-site which qualifies caregivers to work in child care centers in several states. This national accrediation can be used in any state in the US.
We are a host site for the council in Washington, DC.
This CDA study will also improve on the health, safety and nutritional issues that providers face. Also, this will increase the marketability of the providers. When parents know that they are not just "babysitters" but they are professionals who are qualified caregivers with the knowledge on best practices and what is appropriate for their children.
Without it, there is no way for the states to properly and adequately monitor such a large and growing number of family care providers.

I agree with Linda Smith that we should be concerned and question the reasons if the states are not regulating small family child care homes. Some of them should be covered by licensing if the state's reason for not covering them are not reasonable. Others of them might be regulated by funding standards, or specifications, if the state subsidizes the care. Some
of them may be loopholes that enable the states to meet high demand at lower cost. As advocates, we should know more about how to fix these state policies.

There are three reasons that states may not be covering some "small homes" with licensing: (1) The home only cares for one, or a few
children, the number specified by the states. As a basis for not regulating, this is not valid. We have no evidence that a few children are less at risk in the care of a stranger than a larger number of children; they may be more at risk. Small family homes enrolling 9 to 6 (or more) children shoul be regulated. (2) The caregiver is a close relative. We do not regulate
parents, or grandparents. Most relative care is care by grandparents, and we have good research data that the lifelong family ties result in good quality for children when a grandparent is the caregiver. We have less evidence about aunts and uncles, but there are far fewer aunts and uncles providing care. Wlhen states are subsidizing care by grandparents, they can set standards for the subsidy, as part of their fiscal agreement. They can also provide help and support to relatives, rather than trying to professionalize them.
(3) A third basis for not regulating
"small familiy" home care is that the
caregiver is "kith" --i.e. a longtime family friend even though not a blood relative. States that have used this rationale need to add to their definition of "friend" to avoid what is simply a loophole for
getting more care at a lower cost, ti
meet demand. This kind of friend has to have known the family for some length of time, not have been recruited yesterday. Brand new caregivers may become friends, but
they are strangers when recruited. (4) The state may not cover care by "neighbors". That needs a definition that puts the neighbor in some geographic proximity, such as within a radius of 10 miles.
One problem that has led to too many loopholes has been a research
definition of "informal" forms of care
that lumps grandparents with potential strangers. Grandparents are not covered because we do not regulate families, not because they are "informal". There is no research evidence that "informal" is good, if
grandparents are not included in the category.
As advocates for children, we can fix
these problems but we have to define the problem to fix it.