Infant's death shows gaps in care licensing

What are some of the better child care facilities in Arnold?

I have 3 daughters. My oldest is 4 and goes to a licensed child care and loves it. My twins go to a in home only for a few hours in the evening when my husband has to leave for work. So I have both worlds. I do my research on all the facilities and also do background checks. Your child is never 100% safe. So there is no answer to say which is safer or better. You just have to research till you can research no more. My 4 year old has been in licensed child cares since she was 1. She is on her 3 one. The first one shut down. and the 2nd one I pulled her from cause I had horrible feelings every time I dropped her off and I hated the way the place was ran. Dirty, over crowded and ZERO security. Now the place she is at is wonderful. She is learning so much and they have an awesome Pre-School program as well. Just have to go with your maternal instincts.

A CARING MOM wrote:

WHAT DIFFERENCE DOES IT MAKE IF AN IN HOME DAYCARE OR A LICENSED DAYCARE THINGS CAN HAPPEN ANY WHERE - I UNFORTUNATELY DID NOT HEAR OR READ ABOUT THIS UNTIL TODAY - I AM VERY SORRY FOR THE PARENTS BUT EXPLAIN DIFFERENCE IN WHO TAKES BETTER CARE OF YOUR KIDS IN HOME UNLICENSED OR A LICENSED DAYCARE.

I couldn't agree with you more. I myself know how things have happened with my own kids and if they would have been with someone else I may not have believed how it really happened. Through the years I have grown to understand this fact. I'm sure the lady that left the baby sleeping on his/her belly had done it before and the baby probably slept better that way. While we have come to know that this is not the best way sometimes as parents we do things that aren't the way they should be done but they work. Who knows the mother of that child may have known that this was being done and would never say so now.

My heart goes out to all involved. I personally would rather have had my child in the right home day care then in a daycare center full of infections all the time. I think the parents were well aware of the fact that the home was not licensed so why now do they won't action on something they knew about?

sad but true wrote:

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I couldn't agree with you more. I myself know how things have happened with my own kids and if they would have been with someone else I may not have believed how it really happened. Through the years I have grown to understand this fact. I'm sure the lady that left the baby sleeping on his/her belly had done it before and the baby probably slept better that way. While we have come to know that this is not the best way sometimes as parents we do things that aren't the way they should be done but they work. Who knows the mother of that child may have known that this was being done and would never say so now.
My heart goes out to all involved. I personally would rather have had my child in the right home day care then in a daycare center full of infections all the time. I think the parents were well aware of the fact that the home was not licensed so why now do they won't action on something they knew about?

Having worked in a licensed daycare for over 10 years I will tell you that anything can happen in any daycare center. Having said that I will also say that you should do your research. Just as you will find some bad home care places you will also find some places that have a license that are also not so great.

I can tell you some of the differences some of the things the state requires in order for a daycare to get a license. The state requires that licensed daycare employees have a certain amount of training each year which includes first aide and cpr for both adults and children or infants, they require child abuse training, they require a certain number of employees according to the number of children, they require safety inspections on playground equipment, they require the water temp. to be at a certain point, they require employees be trained in food handling. The only thing I have touched on here is the required training.
Now does all this training that a licensed daycare employee go through mean that your child will be completely safe in a licensed daycare facility? No. Would it be a good idea if everyone running a daycare facility had cpr and first aide training and was taught safe food handling? Yes
So I would like to say there is no right or wrong answer as to who is better qualified in looking after your child. Many people run good homehome care from their homes and there are many good licensed facilities out there but beware because there are also bad licensed daycares and bad homecare also.
Check out the daycare you chose for your child, don't come pick them up the same time every day and make sure the day care you choose has an open door policy.
If something just does not feel right about a daycare center then do not leave your child there. Better safe than sorry.