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Biomom
08-08-2012, 10:43 AM
Hi,

I'm opening a new daycare and am wondering if any kids I watch for before and after school care count toward the child limit for my unlicensed daycare (in Ontario).

Thanks!

Sandbox Sally
08-08-2012, 10:56 AM
Everyone under the age of 10 counts in your numbers, regardless of how many hours per day they are present. You may only have five children under the age of 10 at any time, not including your own.

Inspired by Reggio
08-08-2012, 11:29 AM
Everyone under the age of 10 counts in your numbers, regardless of how many hours per day they are present. You may only have five children under the age of 10 at any time, not including your own.

Ditto ~ this is why there is such a demand for before and after school care in most communities because most home childcare providers do not want to forgo the income of a full time client in order to take on one who is only there a 1-3 hours a day before or after school and only wants to pay $10-15 for the day as a result.

Mamma_Mia
08-08-2012, 03:14 PM
QUESTION:

I know someone who has a 12year old in her care (parents don't trust her at home alone) would she count in that provider's numbers of 5 max?

Play and Learn
08-08-2012, 03:44 PM
QUESTION:

I know someone who has a 12year old in her care (parents don't trust her at home alone) would she count in that provider's numbers of 5 max?
NOPE. As she's over the age of 10, she's not included in numbers.

Inspired by Reggio
08-08-2012, 03:50 PM
QUESTION:

I know someone who has a 12year old in her care (parents don't trust her at home alone) would she count in that provider's numbers of 5 max?

Technically we do not have to count children over the age of 10 in Ontario ... however if she is being 'paid' to supervise this child because it is felt that the child does not have the ability to be on her own she might fall under the 'special needs' category and am not sure how that works in 'unregulated care' cause I have never had to deal with it but in 'licensed' programs if we had a client in care under the special needs category we had to not only count them in our ratio but they were counted as an 'infant' in the no more than 2 under 2 restriction regardless of their age.

Personally if I was the provider I would call and inquire myself to make sure and preferably get it in 'writing' if they say it is OK to not count the child even though they are being 'paid' to watch them.

Play and Learn
08-08-2012, 04:06 PM
Reggio, when I worked in the centers, we often had children who were 11-13 years of age that were not included in numbers. Parents just didn't feel safe to have these children left at home alone during the summer months.

Would this not be considered in the same situation? I know my parents didn't feel safe leaving me at home alone for a few hours after school when I was in that age bracket, so I stayed at a home daycare (also had a friend there). I know I was not included in numbers.

Inspired by Reggio
08-08-2012, 04:26 PM
Reggio, when I worked in the centers, we often had children who were 11-13 years of age that were not included in numbers. Parents just didn't feel safe to have these children left at home alone during the summer months.

Really ~ to be honest sometimes it is hard to know what the actual 'rules' are verses what is interpreted rule or what is best practice in some communities cause I know when I moved from one city to another it was confusing for me what Ministry Advisers did not allow in my previous city because it was not viewed as 'best practice' but was allowed in the new one which was way 'less standards wise'?

All I know is that every centre I worked at if the parent was PAYING for the spot the child was counted in numbers cause the program was licensed for 15 children for example that was all the SPACE that was allotted in the room you could not have more than 15 kids in the program .... we had some 'special needs' kids in our B&A programs as well as some kids who did not qualify for that status but the parents just were not 'ready' for the kid to have that kind of freedom .... the program never went over the 15 children though cause that was the licensed capacity of the room?

I had the same issue of 'varied interpretations' with home care when I started doing home care my stepson was technically only 10 cause he is a December baby and my program adviser tried to tell me that I had to count him in my ratios when he was here .... but other providers with agencies did not have to count their own children once they were 6 years of age so really why did I have to wait until he was 11?

Just really seemed stupid to me cause what difference does it make whose 'womb' he popped out of does it make him any more or less work to supervise at that age??? Thankfully he turned 11 before I was 'full' anyway but the stupidity of that rule still irks me!