- Pregnancy
- Baby & Toddler
- Parents
- Getting Pregnant
- Baby Names
- Product Reviews
-
Registry
- Community
-
More
Want a personalized experience?
Download the free app
3rd Trimester
ibis
member
Daycare drop-in FAIL
ibis
member
So I stopped by the woman's home who I'm considering for daycare. No one answered the doorbell (but the dogs were barking so I know it was working). I tried calling her on my cell and there was no answer.
Does that sound like a bad sign? Should I just drop in again sometime, or call ahead next time, or give her a vague window...? I can't figure out why she wouldn't be there at 3pm on a Wednesday if she runs a home daycare.
This discussion has been closed.
Re: Daycare drop-in FAIL
Hmmm...that would give me a bad vibe. How many kids does she care for? Unless it's just one or two and they happen to be out today, I can't see why she shoudn't be home.
Bummer!!
Hmmmm...are you sure you had the right address? Other than that, I am out of ideas...unless maybe a lot of parents have their kids out for the holidays???
I would try again and then make a point to say that you stopped by.
Ditto pp - they may have gone out to get some fresh air and that isn't really a bad thing!
I used to run an in-home daycare.
There's a couple possibilities.
She could have had the kids at the park or (depending on if the kids she had that day have paperwork allowing her to transport them) some other outing.
Does she have older children that she picks up from school? Maybe she walked the children to the school bus stop?
She may have taken the day off. (Yes, in-home providers get vacation days, too.)
She could have them outside playing (I don't know what the weather is like in your area) and her parents/clients have an understanding to go around back or call her phone when they arrive?
She also may have a policy not to open her front door unless she is expecting someone. A lot of in-home provider friends I know have that policy for the safety of the children.
Hmmm, did she know you may be dropping by? My friend's daycare provider does not answer the door during the day because that would mean she had to leave the kids unattended. She has to go up a half flight of stairs and will not leave the kids alone for a second. She also only answers the phone during work hours for parents (whose number she knows) so that she can dedicate her time to the infants/toddlers. When I went to pick her daughter up (because of a family emergency), my friend had to call her and I had to give her a few minutes to put all the mobile kids in their cribs/playpens.
I say give her the benefit of the doubt and try her again. But if your really feeling uneasy about it then move on to the next person.
If I took my kids anywhere I had the permission of EVERY parent, or we didn't go. They always knew where their kids were.
Since it's about 20 degrees outside, I'm kind of doubtful on the park excursion, but I don't know.
Last time I talked to her was about two weeks ago... I said I wanted to drop in last week and she said anytime was fine. I didn't make it bc we had a huge snowstorm.
To the pp who thought that was rude... daycares should always be ok with drop-ins. I was told by a nurse that anyone who isn't should send you running in the other direction.
This lady said she was ok with me dropping in w/out calling ahead but then just wasn't there... I guess I'll try again.
This was my first thought.
Oh I totally understand. When DS was in an in-home center I was always OK with neighborhood walking trips (to the bus stop, the playground, etc) but nothing they had to drive to, lol.
I would give her another chance. maybe give her a call and tell her you stopped by but no one was home. Like pp said (especially with it being the week before the holidays) She may have had no kids that day or Maybe she was not in a position to run and answer the door. My mom had an in home daycare for years and alwasy told parents they were free to drop in anytime but that she did need a window (i.e. I will be there on this day). She wouldn't answer the door for anyone but parents or people who called ahead for saftey reasons. And She also wouldn't answer the door if it ment leaving the kids unattended (she had a helper in the afternoon).
I would be more concerned if she had answerd the door and left her kids alone honestly
hope that helps
1. near the Holidays she may have taken a day off for personal time-my daycare has this Friday off to attend her Pre-School aged child's Christmas program during the day and then taking her own kids for shot.
2. She could be sick and not answering
3. If she takes the children on outings she could have been out and about with them
4. My daycare provider doesn't often answer but will call back-so did you hear from her?? would she recognize your number to call you back? did you leave a message?
could be lots of things. if it was nap time she may not answer. i also know one morning i stopped at my daycare, the door was locked and she wasn't answering the door (i was there to drop off my daughter). well her other kids that typically come early-didn't that day and she was vaccuming with her daughter and didn't hear the door until they were done cleaning.
You could call and mention that no one was home when you came by. I dropped in on a daycare to see what it was really like, and I am GLAD I did. It FAILED. It was loud and crazy and the lady in the infant room didn't seem to have her wits about her. She was leaving yucky tissues from another baby around the room, and there were big pillows and blankets in the pack n plays (not cribs). Oh and I just walked in without anyone greeting me for a few minutes. I could have been some crazy man with a gun.?
Compare that to the one I had just been to- I had to be buzzed in to get in. There was a sign in process. Someone immediately was there to show me around. I had to put little booties on my feet and take off my shoes to even enter the infant room, and everyone there was very knowledgeable and friendly. There were even lesson plans posted on the wall. That is why I chose them.
?
?
my boss uses an in home day care, and from what she tells me, there could be a multitude of reasons. Sometimes they do outings (my boss once forgot to drop off her kids car seats that morning and they couldn't go on the outing), or if the sitter is sick, she'll cancel so she doesn't get the kids sick. Or when my boss is taking off for the holidays, she doesn't send her kids in, so sometimes the sitter has no one. And also, closer to the holidays, the sitter has time scheduled off for herself to do shopping, and to get ready and she doesn't offer her services on those days.
it is strange, but b/c it is so close to Christmas time, I wouldn't worry yet