Daycare Question WWYD?

charmgal

This is my second week back at work and leaving my LO is hard enough.  We really like our daycare and were comfortable with it from the first time we toured it.  There is one infant room and one waddler room next door.  Sometimes in the mornings, before all the kids get there, a couple of waddlers and one teacher will come over and join the one infant teacher and the couple of babies that are there.  When the additional teachers/kids arrive, the waddlers will go back to their own classroom.  Well this morning, when I got there to drop DD off, there were 4 or 5 waddlers and 5 infants (including mine).  There was still only 1 teacher from each room.  In my state there has to be one teacher for 4 infants.  So the waddler teacher couldn't leave because there were 5 infants. 

The older infants were all hungry for their breakfast so the infant teacher was busy trying to feed 4 hungry older infants (my DD is the youngest).  I put her on an activity mat and as I was unpacking her stuff, the waddlers were throwing toys and almost hitting her. There were just too many kids for the two teachers to handle.  I wasn't comfortable leaving her there in that chaos, so I stayed 45 minutes until the second teacher arrived.  Obviously I was late for work.

The infant teacher was overwhelmed and the waddler teacher was ticked and kept calling the front office to find out why there wasn't help for the infant room so that she could get the older kids back to their classroom (she recognized they were too boistrous for my DD).  I know that she made it clear to the assistant director that this was unacceptable. 

I don't think this is a recurring thing (but I've only been there a week and a half, so how do I know).  I cried all the way to work after I left because I already feel guilty leaving DD and this morning I felt like I was leaving her in total chaos with no one to take care of her the way she needs.  I also can't be late to work every day.

What would you do? Nothing and hope it doesn't happen again? Call or email the director and make my concerns known?  Sorry this is so long.

MAprincess

I'd put a call into the director.  Make sure you make it clear that the teachers were doing everything they could and recognized the problem (pointing out that they were actively calling for help) and you felt that someone-- the director/assistant director-- should have come down for back-up.  You can even say that this is your second week, so you aren't saying it happens all the time.  But frankly, it shouldn't happen ever.

At my DC, the director, assistant director, or one of the two "floater" teachers were always on hand in the event something like this happened.  It's important for them to know that it did not go unnoticed.

Snowy_Owl

Call or talk to the director - let them be aware of how you felt you had to stay an extra 45 minutes until another infant teacher arrived.

I'd also watch & see - this may have been a one time issue.  Give them the benefit of the doubt, but with eyes wide open.

KathrynMD

I'd call the director and ask what happened.  Ditto the PP, the director or assistant director should have come and helped.  We have 3 adminstrators, plus 4 or 5 floaters at our DC.  They have staggered arrival/departure times to cover early and late. 

FWIW - they do the same thing at DD's DC - they combine the older and younger babies early and late in the day. 

Where are you in Baltimore?

EastCoastBride

I'm in Baltimore too.  Is the law 1 teacher for 4 infants?  The places I looked in to, they have 1 teacher for 3 infants.  I thought that was the law, but maybe they are just being more strict. 

But yes- I'd call the director and ask what happened. 

Pesky

Ditto pps re calling the director to find out why this occurred and to ensure this won't happen again.  I would also say you don't fault the teachers, that they were doing the best they could. 

KathrynMD

I actually have a brochure from the state of maryland w/ me and for 0-18 months, the ratio is 1:3.

charmgal

I'm actually in Laurel, and I thought the law was 1 to 4, but you're right, it's 1 to 3, so no wonder the teachers were upset! 

 Thanks for the advice, I will contact the director, and make sure she knows the teachers weren't to blame.

jlw2505

It sounds to me like this is not a common thing and the teachers were trying to deal with it and get help.  I would be questioning why the management staff did not come in and help.  Sounds like staff did not show up on time or kids were dropped off earlier than normal.  I know at my center, there are times when the directors are in the classrooms helping out due to staffing issues.  I personally would not be overly concerned unless you see this happening on a normal basis.  From the teachers reactions, it sounds like this was not an everyday thing.  If it makes you feel better, I would ask the infant teacher if things like that happen often and what they do to resolve and if you are not happy, then go to the director.

livinitup

What you described requires a call to the director.  You need a plan in place that assures that this does not happen again.

You do not need to ignore it.  Or hope it doesn't happen again.

I would also ask the director what he or she would like you to do if you are ever in the same situation again.  Staying for 45 minutes is not an option.

Whirlgirl01

I would speak to the director about it.  We drop off DD almost right after the daycare opens so there aren't a lot of children or teachers there at that time.  DD was only 10 weeks old when we first started and they immediately had a chicken pox scare and a case of scarlet fever.  One of the toddlers had been hanging out in the infant room and that just happened to be the one with the chicken pox scare.  I spoke to them about it and ever since, DD is not to be out and about with the older kids for both safety and health reasons.  One of the toddler teachers comes into the infant room and takes care of DD until her teacher arrives (within a half an hour).  And no other children are allowed in the infant room.  The infants are at all stages of their immunizations and are more prone to illnesses until their immune system matures.

jen5-03

What you should have done is take your DD and go up to the office and tell them to get down there and solve the problem NOW and if they did not act immediately point out that they are in violation of state law.

What you should do now is talk to the director, ask for an explanation of why they were understaffed, why the director/asst director did not go down there immediately to fix the situation, and how they intend to make sure it doesn't happen again.

shannm

Like others have said - call the director.  Our director or assistant director is always there in the mornings for backup if there are too many babies for one teacher.  I would have taken DD right up to her office and asked her then what was going on.

annegirrl

Were you at my daycare this morning? Very similar problem. The 2+ teacher hadn't arrived yet so 4 of them were in the baby room with 2 babies and 1 teacher. One of the 2+ kids was screaming and crying and had to be held by the teacher to keep him from running out of the room which left the babies with no one. Not good. At least someone from the main office walked in and said that they were getting someone over to the 2+ room right away.

ElopeToHawaii

I'm in Laurel too!  Can I ask what day care you go to?  My DD is in her second day care and both have 1 to 3 infant and toddler ratios.  Sometimes when I drop DD off she will put them over the ratio or another child will arrive at the same time and really put them over the ratio.  They are always quick to shuffle staff around, but it still takes a few minutes.  I would have been upset if it took 45 minutes.

The kids in DD's daycare come at about the same time every day and I have to assume that yours do too.  If a few kids came early for some reason that might have really thrown the staff ratios off.  I agree with the PPs that you should talk to the director about your concerns but don't over-react.