Licensed Care VS. Unlicensed Care

Licensed Care

There are two options for childcare in Saskatchewan - licensed and unlicensed. Licensed care means that the centre or home is licensed and monitored by the Saskatchewan Government. The Department of Learning Child Day Care Branch currently regulates and monitors licensed childcare by means of a childcare consultant. In the Moose Jaw area, the consultant can be reached by calling 694-3644.

Licensed care homes centers must meet the standards of the Saskatchewan Government Child Care Act and Child Care Regulations (2001) before they receive a license. They are inspected at least once a year and have occasional unannounced drop-in visits to make sure that they are meeting the standards. These standards include: the number of children for each staff, group size, minimum play space per child, nutrition, health, safety, outdoor play.

In addition to the above requirements, staff members employed in a child care centre are required to have current CPR and First Aid training, TB testing, complete and pass a criminal record check and have a minimum level of early childhood development training, obtained through college or university classes.

Staff employed at the YMCA Play "N" Learn Childcare Centre are required to complete a child abuse welfare check and are also required to compete a minimum of one early childhood development course every 6 months. Every licensed facility must have a written philosophy and policy handbook to tell you about the daily routine, the type of activities, policies, and your responsibilities. ASK for it.

Licensed childcare centers are obliged to follow ratios with respect to the maximum number of children that can be with one staff member.

• One staff:3 infants
• One staff:5 toddlers
• One staff:10 pre-school age
• One staff:15 school age

Licensed childcare may give you the opportunity, depending on your gross monthly income, to receive subsidy for your child's care.

To find out if you may qualify for subsidy, Call 1-800-667-7155.

Be prepared to provide the assessor with your average gross family income, and the total childcare fees that you will be expected to pay to the childcare facility. Please note that significant changes were introduced to the subsidy system in September of 2006, and many families that did not previously qualify due to higher incomes now qualify for subsidy.

 

Unlicensed Care

Unlicensed care is said to be "unregulated". This means it has few legal requirements to meet and no one is inspecting the premises. Unlicensed care includes nannies, private childcare sitters, friends, or relatives. Your child can be looked after either in your home or be taken to the childcare provider's home. There is no such thing as unlicensed centre in Saskatchewan.

 

Where do I start?
Identifying needs:

You must take into consideration your child's social, emotional, intellectual, and physical development as well as his/her personality to find the best care for your child. Beyond your child's needs, it is important to consider your own! Ask yourself the following questions. Use the answers to help you choose the proper care for you and your child.

Your child’s needs:

• Is your child very active? Does s/he need a lot of structured play?
• Does your child do better with only one or two caregivers?
• Does your child have diverse needs? For example, special physical, emotional, language needs.
• Does your child seem happier with children of his/her own age or with children of different ages?
• What are the five most important things you want for your child when s/he is in the care of someone else? (e.g. type of discipline, type of play, emphasis on literacy, emphasis on interaction with others.)

Your Needs:

• Do you require a place that can serve your child breakfast or supper?
• Do you require care before 7:30 a.m. or after 5:30 p.m.?
• Do you require full-time, part-time, or on-call care?
• Do you want care close to your work or close to your home?
• Do you have two or more children that you want to be together in care?

What should I ask a childcare provider?

It is important that you make the effort to find a childcare provider that will suit your needs and the needs of your child. Take the time to make a phone call to find basic information. This is your screening process. Write down the answers while you are talking to the person.

Some questions to ask in a telephone conversation:

• Is the centre/home currently taking children?
• Is there a waiting list?
• Are they aware of homes or centres with vacancies?
• Where are they located?Is the home or centre licensed?
• Are there schools nearby? Where?
• What are the basic fees?
• Are there any extra charges? What are they?
• Do they provide tax receipts?
• What are the provider’s qualifications/education?
• Do they provide references?
• What is the age range of children enrolled?
• How many children are enrolled in the centre or home?

Check the answers you have been given. Do you feel comfortable with the answers? Only make an appointment to go to the facility if you are comfortable with the answers to the phone interview.

Some questions to ask on-site.

Take your child with you. Watch how s/he interacts with the provider and/or staff. How does the provider and/or staff behave with and speak to your child?

• What hours are they open?
• What are the drop-off and pick up times?
• Are there extra fees for dropping the child off early or picking him/her up late?
• What are the rules about other people picking up the child from the centre or home?
• What type of liability insurance has the provider purchased to cover the childcare home or centre?
• What is the fee structure? Cost? How to pay? When to pay?
• Payment during vacation (yours and theirs)? Do you pay when your child is ill or absent?
• What is the policy regarding sick children?
• How much notice does the parent have to give for the withdrawal of the child?
• How much notice does the provider have to give the parent when asking for the child to be removed?
• What type of parent involvement and responsibilities does the centre or home expect?
• How do they communicate with parents with regards to changes in program, fees, activities, and other important information?
• What are the lunch provisions? Are snacks provided?
• Are there any special features of the program?
• What is the program for a typical day/week? Does it balance active and quiet play?
• What types of field trips and outings are provided? How are the children transported? How do they make sure the children are safe (e.g. extra caregivers)?
• Do they have a written policy and procedures manual to give to the parents?
• What procedures are followed in the event of an emergency including fire safety? Do they include practising with the children?
• What are the procedures for administering medicine to a child?

Make sure the above information is written into the contract when you decide on which provider’s services you will use!

• Ask about the activities provided in a typical day or week.
• Ask to see all areas of the centre or home and the yard to which your child will have access. Are they clean? Are the toys and the play equipment (in-door and out-door) in good shape?
• Ask to see how the provider prevents the children from going into areas in which they are not allowed. Are the doors closed? Are they locked?
• Do you see any safety problems? For example, dangling cords, uncovered electrical outlets. Check how medicines and poisonous substances are kept away from the children.

 

What is my role in a good childcare partnership?

• Remember that childcare providers are operating a business! They have business expenses that they must pay each month. Pay on time and in full.
• Do not bring sick children to the centre or home. Your child can make other children ill. Find alternate arrangements if your child is not feeling well unless you have made arrangements with your provider.
• Make sure you provide a contact number for yourself or another contact in case of an emergency.
• Pick up and drop off your child on time. Let the provider know if the times they are needed have changed.
• Be sure to let the provider know about any important changes in the child’s life. A disruption at home increases the chances of a change in behaviour in other areas of the child’s life.
• Make appointments with your provider to discuss important things. They are busy at drop-off and pick up times, at meals, at play times.
• Providers often provide general information by way of newsletters, bulletin boards, or notices sent home with the child. Please be sure to check for these on a daily basis so that you know what is happening at the centre or home.
• Do not discuss your child’s behaviour problems or problems with the child care service in front of your child.
• Bring issues to the attention of the provider tactfully and in a time set aside for that purpose. Avoid rude and loud confrontations. Put all decisions in writing.
• Review all policy manuals and regulations on a regular basis

How can I tell if there may be a problem?

It is unrealistic to expect a problem-free child care relationship. Every relationship has challenges. There are some steps that can be taken to avoid problems or help when problems occur. Discuss problems and issues with the provider as soon as possible. Use a low key, non-threatening, non-abusive manner.

• Keep track of your child’s behaviour. What do the “experts” say a child will do at your child’s age?
• Be aware of the following red flags. Red flags are signals that there may be a problem with your child care arrangement. A combination of many red flags should be a sign to the parent that their arrangements may not be working out.

RED FLAGS
Does your child:

• Show a reluctance or fear (other than the normal not wanting to leave a parent) to go to centre or home even after they have been attending for awhile?
• Have a loss of appetite or a noticeable change in sleep patterns (e.g. trouble falling asleep, sleep more than usual, have nightmares, start wetting the bed again)?
• Seem unusually upset or fearful of the providers and/or other children in the centre or home?
• Physically stay away from or withdraw from the provider?
• Get upset easier than usual or cry more than usual? Seem withdrawn, have less energy, or is being more aggressive (more hurtful in action or words) towards other children?

Does your provider:

• Let the children scream and fight in the background while talking with you?
• Speak harshly or negatively to you or the children?
• Stop you from moving out of the doorway when you drop-off or pick up your child?
• Become angry or make excuses when you calmly ask about your child?
• Speak negatively about other children or adults?
• Seem to avoid you or refuse to tell you about your child’s day?
• Refuse to clean the facility or provide normal safety features for children?
• Seem to have lost interest in providing care and early learning experiences for the children?
• Have more children in the home or centre than is allowed? (ratios for centres and homes are listed on this page)

Do you as a parent:

• Feel uncomfortable with the provider’s values, child-rearing methods, and discipline methods?
• Always worry about your child when you are at work/school because you feel ‘something is not right’?
• Feel that the provider is taking advantage of you because you have no one else to care for your child?
• Feel unwelcome, threatened, or bullied by the provider when you are in the centre or home?
• Feel that you cannot really trust the provider?

 

What do I do when there is a problem?
Dealing with every day problems

• Identify the problem. What do you want to solve?
• Be clear of your position. What are you willing to let go and what will you not change?
• Explain the problem in a clear, calm way.
• Listen to the provider. Proper listening means that you are not defensive or thinking of how to answer the person while they are talking. It means really paying attention to them. It means repeating what they said using your own words to make sure you understand his/her position.
• Try to find many possible solutions and choose the solution you both think is the best.
• Work with your provider to create a plan of action? What will you do, what will the provider do?
• Put the plan in writing, both of you sign the plan, and each of you keep a copy.