Is This Normal? - Forest Park,IL

Definitely OK for a licensed provider. I believe the birth certificate requirement came about in the last year or so, because we started having to provide them to preschool last year, whereas we never had to in the past.

No. It is neither okay nor is it normal. I have had my children both in home and at daycare facilities and have never been asked for a birth certificate. Day care facilities are required to have the health records but in home facilities are not and so if you don't feel comfortable, I wouldn't give out that information. I certainly wouldn't give a copy of the birth certificate. There is NO reason that she should/ would need your sons social security number.

Good luck. Sounds fishy.
N.

Hi J.,

Is she a licensed provider? If so, I believe she would be required by DCFS to have his immunization records and latest physical on file. I am not sure about the birth certificate. Perhaps you can ask her why the B.C. is required.

Why were these requested? This doesn't sound normal to me, but I've never used a daycare. I've never had a nanny ask for anything like that. I don't see how her having these documents could improve the care that he's receiving in any way. I think I'd question this. Especially the birth certificate.

i have used a licensed daycare and a nonlicensed in home and neither requested a Birth certif.
only immunizations.
sounds scarey to me.
you can always call DCFS and ask

This is normal. I have been a licensed home daycare provider for over 20 years. The health records have always been required and the birth certificate just started last year. I do not know why she did not require this information when she started watching your child. It is also required that your child has a TB test and lead screening. You can go on line and look at the DCFS standards for family and center daycares.

It is normal! I am a licensed in home daycare provider and DCFS has really been cracking down on providers. We are only able to have a certain number of kids and of that the kids need to be within certain ages. Well, many have ignored this fact and it is now causing problems, my licensing rep say many providers have faked b-days of children so they do not get in trouble. Now birth certificates are required to prove the age of all the children in their care. Do not be concerned about this there is nothing fishy going on. DCFS is just cracking down, and yes they come out every year to do an inspection and to make sure all the paperwork is in order.
I am sorry you have been getting conflicting answers on this from some that obviously do not know what they are talking about!
Maybe you could give her a copy and when her inspection is over she can give it back until next year if it really makes you uncomfortable, although there really is no information on the birth certificate...no S.S # or anything so I don't see what the big deal is.
DCFS also wants to know that all the children in her care regularly see a dr and have their shots up to date for the health and safety of the other kids in care and you have to update it annually with your provider until you child enters school.

Hi J.,
You should only be providing the immunization from what I recall when it comes to a home daycare. I just spoke with my friend who used to work for Chesterbrook and now runs her own home daycare. In the facility a birth record may be requested but she hasn't requested one from the kids in her home daycare.

If the person who's watching him is licensed by DCFS, it is their rule that she has to keep their birth record and immunizations on file - so yes, this is normal under those circumstances. Again, if she's licensed it's not her choice, it's their rule. Once a year DCFS comes in and reviews all of her records and they are extremely strict. She has to have all of her paperwork in order or she can be fined or even have her daycare temp shut down until she has everything up their code. I'm certain of this.

If you're uncomfortable with it, ask her about it. If she's licensed, she should be able to provide for you documents showing what she needs and why. If she's not licensed and this is just something she does, then I would really make sure to ask her about it. I'll tell you tho, I know many friends who do daycare. It may seem weird that she didn't make a big deal about it and then all of a sudden she brings it up but this is why. Usually if a client is a child whom they only sit on a very part-time or irregular basis, the providers tend to be more lax with getting everything in place. But every DCFS daycare provider is visited every year and usually visited in the same month every year. So they tend to all of a sudden want to get things in place that before were no big deal, because they know their visit is coming due.

But again, this is a regular practice for licensed providers. Just bring it up to her and don't be alarmed by anything anyone says here. There are viable reasons why she may want/need it.