Daycare - Riley,KS

I'm an insurance agent in AZ and I tell people all the time that want to have a day care in their home...LIABILITY ISSUE!!!! Most insurance companies will not insure a home with a day care. For this exact reason. So simply ask her for a copy of her insurance for the daycare (which she probably doesn't have because it's very expensive) and see what she says. Just say you are looking out for your child and want to make sure she is covered in the event of a serious accident. A side note...depending on what kind of dog, a lot of companies will not pay a libility claim on a dog bite. So literally, she could lose everything if someone were to sue her. This may be a little extreme but if she doesn't think this is serious, you may want to give her a reality check before something serious happens. Good luck.

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I think these things happen sometimes and I would hate to report a normally sweet family pet - some states have a one bite rule as in one bite and they euthanize. However, I think this woman is showing terribly poor judgment in allowing the dogs near the kids especially knowing one has bitten a child. I would tell her this is unacceptable and you are moving your child if the dogs come back with kids. And I would do it too. I would als think about threatening to talk to the day care licensing agency in your state, although I don't know if I would do it because I am a dog lover. Probably not a bad dog, but put in a bad situaion by its owner. I am shocked it is even in keeping with day care licensing to have dogs around. But then again, I interviewed a day care person with a gun safe in her living room which I thought was crazy.

I'd find another provider.

I would just tell her your concerns and ask her how she plans to keep them seperate. I am a huge dog lover, having two myself however they need to be constantly monitored around kids. I don't think it is ok to have them in a daycare setting. Another concern I would have is why this was not told to you before your son started daycare? That might make me question the integrity of the place. Good luck!!

A dog biting is something that NEEDS to be reported to the local licensor! Call the local court house and ask for the daycare licensing department if you don't have a direct number. (I did daycare for 5 years on MN and we, as providers, are supposed to report those incidents. I would make sure that she did!)

If a dog bites FOR ANY REASON, it should not be allowed by the kids! We have 2 dogs and if either one EVER bit, they would be gone. (Spitz/rat terrier mix and a german shorthair.) They are both "outside" dogs who spend time in the house as well.

Our kids can do ANYTHING to our German Shorthair and she does NOT bite. (Of course we do teach our kids to respect her space but when they are really young, they tend to crawl and pull on the dogs a little.) Our other dog is a little more temperamental as he was abused as a puppy before we got him, but he just chooses to distance himself when the kids are too long or too rough for him.

Just sit her down and say exactly whats on your mind. Tell her you would like animals to be kept in a separate room... for the safety of ALL the children.. Agreeing with the mama below.. make sure she understands that you trust her with your child... but there needs to be a few adjustments made. Im sure if you let her know how much it upset you, she would fix it. Sometimes people just dont understand, and you have to lay it all out for them. Good luck!

I am a childcare provider with animals. First off, this should have been an issue that was covered in your initial interview. Most of the time, parents ask this question, if they don't, I answer it for them. I NEVER allow any of my animals to come into contact with my daycare children. On occasion, one would sneak by but I would immediately remove the animal from the daycare and either put them outside, in in a kennel or simply close the door to the daycare. We had (recently put down our Newfoundland and our cat) two dogs and a cat. I asked the vet about having our animals around the children and his answer was very simple. He said that no matter how much an animal is a part of our family, they are STILL an animal and can/do bite at will. Our dog was almost 12 years old, never hurt a flea and still, we kept him away from my daycare children although my own son rolled on the floor with him, pulled on him, all the things children do with dogs. The point being, he was MY son, not a daycare child. As his mother, I get to make that choice. As a childcare provider, I am NOT allowed to make that choice. It is a liability issue.

Another posted suggested that you ask to see your providers insurance policy. If I had a parent who asked to see this, I would immediately look to replace that family. That in and of itself, begs for problems.

I would address this concern with your childcare provider immediately. Express your feelings confidently and kindly. Tell her you are not comfortable with her dog in your child's presence. If she does not agree to do this, I would report the incident to the Licensing Department and change daycares.

I love my animals, I truly do. But when it comes to making a choice between a child and an animal, the child will win EVERY time. It is our responsibility as providers to keep children safe and well-cared for. Your provider has a responsibility to do this. Don't back down.

I would just say, I understand that the dogs are inside due to the heat. How are you managing to keep the kids and the dogs separate? See what she says. If she is able to confidently (and immediately) give you an acceptable answer such as the dogs are secured in the basement and the door is latched so the kids cannot open it then I would probably be ok but if she looks surprised and struggles to answer or just says, oh I make sure the kids don't go near the dogs or something less specific then I would go to another provider.

Good luck,
K.

I would say it exactly as you wrote it on here. That you trust her with your child, but you are concerned for your own child's safety. You said you know that it is to hot for the dogs outside, but would appreciate it if they were kept in a room away from the children.
I have my daughter and babysit one other child. If my small dog (who couldn't do any damage even if she tried) even attempted to bite either child, we would be finding another home for the dog immediately. There is no way I would want the dog, accidental bite or not, around my child.

You need to simply say I am not comfortable with the dogs being around the children after what happened say you understand that these things can happen but you would rather the chances of it happening again are taken away and say I would appreciate it if you can keep them in another room, perhaps with a gate? You need to let her know that you might be looking else where for care unless this is remedied simply for your own sanity, how can you possibly go to work worrying about your child getting bit again.

First and foremost, dogs being in the house especially around the kids is something that should be disclosed prior to allowing a new child into a daycare. That way, the parent can make an educated decision. From what you desribed, this bite happened due to an accident...meaning the dog was just defending itself. However, that should be a real wake up call to the provider...apparently it wasn't.

I think you should arrange a few minutes to speak with her and explain that you understand the bit that occurred was an accident but think the dogs should not be around the kids anymore...to prevent the dogs need to protect and kids from getting hurt. If she bulks, tell her that you are not comfortable with the dogs being around you son. You may first want to check w/ licensing and ask a general question regarding pets interacting w/ children to see what the rules are...it will help you be informed when you have this discussion. If push comes to shove, you should pull your son under the rationale that she did not inform you in advance, your child was bit, and she is not doing anything to prevent it from happening again.

Unfortunatley there is no way to tiptoe around this - you are protecting your child and shouldn't worry if you come across in the wrong way. As your daycare provider she should be putting your child (other children) first above her dogs. It is very troubling that she did not mention that the dogs would be around the kids - or even ask permission before she did it. Is there anyway that you can find another daycare provider? If not, you just have to be straightforward and tell her that for the safety of your child - the dogs are not allowed in the same room w/ him/her. If she has a problem with this then you definitely need to find another place to take care of your child - someone that is more concerned about your child than her pets. GOod luck.