Cloth Diapers and Daycare Your Experiences

motoLyn · February 2014

Good Morning!

I had my first infant/daycare tour last Friday and I absolutely loved the place, BUT they don't handle cloth diapers. They told me that the state does not allow them to handle cloth diapers. So my question is, have any of you STMs or FTMs run into this situation? And how you dealt with it? I can't really foresee using both disposals and cloth diapers, as I would think that may confuse the baby. But I really rather not use disposable diapers. I kind of had my heart set on cloth diapers. I still have one more infant care to go tour but I feel if it is a state sanitary issue then the other daycare would tell me the same.

Opinions? Experiences?

Miggg · February 2014

What?? There are states that disallow cloth diapers in daycares?? That's crazy! I live in Minnesota and every daycare I toured was fine with CD. That really sucks, I hope some BTDT moms can offer some advice.

Pirincessamberjoy · February 2014

There are only 4 states that have strict regulations about cloth diapering. As far as I know, none of those four states ban cloth diapering. I am trying to remember which 4 states are the strict ones- I KNOW Michigan and Maine are two of them.

My suggestion would be to call several daycares and ask if they will cloth diaper if you prepare the diapers and provide a sealable wet bag. Some centers have policies that they will only accept pocket or all-in-ones due to safety precautions.

RachelCA29 · February 2014

I've heard some do not, or at least, the state has ridiculously strict regulations about using them. I'm in Canada so I don't have state specifics.

But I found this website: https://clothdiaperguru.blogspot.ca/2013/01/cloth-diaper-daycare-laws-for-50-states.html

Allibob · February 2014

That sucks they won't allow cloth at your daycare. I have a nanny that handles my CD, so I'm not much help. I hope you can find one that will use CD, but I don't think it would be a total waste to CD part time. The baby won't care. We use disposables from time to time on vacation, & DD has never cared either way.

Pirincessamberjoy · February 2014

You might have luck looking up the regulations by state using this site:

https://www.myblossombottom.com/pages/State-Regulations-on-Cloth-Diaper-in-Child-Care-.html

Also, sometimes in-home centers have looser regulations about things like that.

manderdoll · February 2014

While I don't have the same issue, my daycare allows cloth, we do still use disposables some times and I don't think DS finds it confusing at all. I often think we as adults way overthink things that babies and kids don't ever even notice.

motoLyn · February 2014

Thank you ladies for the links and advice. I'll double check with the next care center to see if they allow CD. If not it maybe a mix of cloth and disposables. I'm just so bummed that the first place I went to does not want to handle CD.

IBackBevo · February 2014

I wonder if the daycare is just telling you that because they don't want to mess with them or for some other silly reason...

megmegs · February 2014

I don't know what state you're in, but there are a few directories available online of cloth diaper-friendly daycares listed by state. Here's one: https://daycare.realdiaperindustry.org/cloth-friendly-daycare-list

danabsd · February 2014

I have heard that before. You may have to use an in-home daycare rather than a center if you are dedicated to cloth.

With that, I have heard of people doing cloth at home and disposables at daycare. I really don't know how it would confuse the baby.

IBackBevo · February 2014

As an aside, I had a similar situation with my son and his formula. He was originally on a special toddler formula instead of milk because of a milk protein issue. I was told by one daycare that they had to give my son milk (instead of toddler formula) unless I had a note from a doctor's office. When I questioned the lady about it, she made it sound to me like it was some governmental regulation. Bullshit. There is no such regulation. That is absurd. And every other daycare I went with didn't have any problem with my toddler formula. I could have gotten a doctor's note, but that experience was enough to tell me that I didn't want to screw with that daycare. I don't like stuff like that.

If I am in a mood, sometimes I will even respond with something along the lines of: "Really? Could you refer me to the statute that actually says that? Could you give me a cite? Because I've done my own research and never heard of such a thing."

sthomas1222 · February 2014

Usually it's them being uneducated & honestly lying. Look at the links. But a lot of day cares say they won't do it but when shown how easy it is (especially if you get AIOs or Pre-stuff pockets for them) then they will agree to it.

MissLadyTay · February 2014

I don't know anything about the state requirements but neither of the daycares we have used accept cloth diapers. It's the main reason we used disposables. I didn't want to invest in cloth for little use.

GracieLou Freebush · February 2014

Our center will not cloth diaper so we did disposables at daycare and cloth at home w/ DD1. I don't understand how this would confuse the baby...?

Anyway, as she got older and required fewer diaper changes, we weren't compiling enough dirty cloth diapers in the evenings to justify the lengthy wash cycle (and we couldn't let them sit for more than 2 days or so w/o washing) so we switched to all disposable. Just something to consider before investing in CDs.

MrsT2008 · February 2014

I don't cloth diaper (though I know my daycare allows it), I don't think you need to worry about "confusing" the baby if you switch between cloth and disposables. Babies are non-discriminatory when it comes to peeing/pooping in whatever is covering their bottom.

tjkdlhb · February 2014

You won't confuse your baby by using cloth at home. Most of the parents I know IRL who CD also use disposables for daycare, out and about, travel, etc.

My DCP has no issues with using cloth. She even started using prefolds since DD was having some rash issues!

I've heard of people getting a dr's note to give the daycare.

If you bring a pocket or AIO and a wetbag to show them how it works, they might be more receptive to the idea.

Arinias · February 2014

I have toured four daycares so far and none have had a problem with CD. But they were all in home, I know they are still state regulated though. Maybe you would have better luck with in home? Anyways I hope the next place you tour is more receptive!! But I don't think it would be an issue switching, we were going to do that if daycare said no.

motoLyn · February 2014

You ladies are right, there probably won't be any confusion for the baby. I just wasn't sure if a soiled disposable feels completely different from a soiled CD. DH and I will have to figure out what the game plan will be. Find a daycare center that handles CD or try to compromise.

Chellbell20 · February 2014

I has one that told me it was against state regs and I informed them no it wasn't. All others I called had no problem using CD and DD has been at an in home and now a center without issue. In fact, I get a lot of questions about them because people realize how easy newer CD are. I would call around to a few places and ask some basic questions, including about cloth and set up some more interviews.

Xath · February 2014

The state regs thing gets pulled a lot by a lot of centers that just don't want to deal with it. I don't understand why they don't just say it's the policy of their center and leave it at that. We use an in-home provider and she's great with our CDs. We just had to show her how they work and provided her a wet bag every day. She even plops solids for us now (even though we said we'd take care of that).

rainydayluck · February 2014

I agree with PPs about daycares making up the BS about state regulations. I heard that too and there is no regulation in MO. We were one of the first families in my daycare to bring in CDs and now they have like 50% of the kids in the infant room in CDs including the director.

When I was daycare searching (more than 3 years ago) there were some daycares who wanted to charge me an extra $50 a week to allow me to CD. It was such BS. I think because it is becoming more common to CD, more daycares are getting familiar with them. You should let the daycare know you passed on them because they didn't accept CDs and that they lied about the state reg thing.

Don't worry about the CD/disposable switching thing. We ended up eventually having to do disposables at daycare because they could not smell when she pooped when she was in CDs and she had such sensitive skin that if she sat in it for even 10-15 minutes she would get bleeding diaper rash. She never had issues with the switching. Eventually we had to use overnight disposable diapers because we couldn't find a good CD overnight. Again, no issues with us using CD at home.

deanna1313 · February 2014

At the daycare I worked at we were not allowed to use cloth diapers there. It was considered a health and safety issue. I can't remember if it was a corporation policy or a state rule. We also weren't allowed to wash anything soiled in our washer and any clothes had to be packed up full of poop and/or pee and be sent home in a bag.

bostongrl23 · February 2014

When I asked my daycare she at first said no, the health dept didn't allow it. When I went on to explain how similar they were to disposables she said they DO allow them. They just change them and put the diapers in the wetbag instead of trash so it was basically the same as changing a disposable. Maybe re-ask the daycare and make sure they understand what you are talking about?

mamagerman · February 2014

Though I don't have much experience, I don't think the switch would confuse the baby. When I worked at one daycare, we did not allow cloth diapers but we provided all of the disposable diapers at our center for the babies. I never heard of any issue with any of the parents during the time I was there.

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