Hi moms, next door to my work is a daycare. On breaks and lunch we go out back to sit in the sun and eat lunch. When we are out there, we can look over next door and see right into the daycare's outside play area. Its a fenced in large area with very large playground equipment. There are usually about 25 kids playing out there ranging in age from 18 months to 5 years old. There is one adult out with them, and that adult sits outside the fenced in area, usually talking on her cell phone. We have watched little tiny 18 months old climb to the top of the high equipment as we hold our breath hoping he doesn't fall because no one is supervising him. We have thought about reporting them because it seems so unsafe for these kids. I personally have an almost 3 year old, and while it would be super convenient to have her in the daycare next door, I take her somewhere else because I would never let these people watch my child. One time, the adults locked themselves out and came over to my work asking if they could borrow a screw driver to let themselves back in their building. So I guess all the kids were locked in the building by themselves? Should we report them? We have no idea how they treat the kids inside the daycare, all we can see is what happens outside. If we did reprt them, How do we do that? Who do we call? Thanks for any advice!
I called ODJFS today, and they transfered me to the Childcare department, where I sat on hold for 50 minutes and finally hung up. I will call again on Monday. You think they would make it easier to report this kind of thing!
Denise - we have yelled over the fence to the one worker out there many times! It does no good. They step it up until they see us go inside, then back to normal.
I will try to report them again on Monday. Thanks everyone!
Yes, report them. They're not supervising and it doesn't sound like their adult-to-child ratio is appropriate. It's not about treatment, it's about neglect through improper supervision.
Yes, report. But also document and take a photo or two if you can. In an emergency, call the police.
Yes, you can report it. I wonder why you haven't already?
I'm also wondering why you would be eating your lunch and watching a "little tiny 18 months old climb to the top of the high equipment" while you hold your breath hoping he doesn't fall. Why not speak up and call out the supervisor glued to her cell phone?
Report them. They should be licensed with the state. Google daycare licensing in Ohio or something and get a contact.
I'm pretty sure there are also rules about what age kids can be playing together in a daycare center as well (ie NOT one year olds and five year olds) but not positive about that.
I general, I am not the nosy neighbor type, but in this situation, DEFINITELY report them.
All daycare should be licensed by the state. Find out who is the license agency and notify them.
Good Luck
Report them to your local, county and state officials. Call the Department of Family and Protective Services. Call the Department of Health. If anything, call the police and see if they can help you themselves or direct you to the appropriate office.
But keep in mind you might be asked your full name and address before any official department can file anything. If you don't want to be "involved" ask them "what if I know of a daycare that isn't watching kids outside" or somethign like that.
gl and I hope those kids will be safe.
Take pictures...from your cell phone so it's not so obvious..
Call you state licensing agency for daycares.
Next time you see a small, helpless child teetering upon disaster, YELL out to the absent minded, cell-phone distracted daycare worker to get off her phone. Tell her, "we are watching you." I would also report the worker to the daycare director.
Personally, I think daycare workers should be banned from any personal calls during duty time. They can keep their cell phones for emergency purposes only.
OMG...that scares me! I don't like to have kids that age on that equipment with me there. I reach up, put my hands on them, and frankly HATE the feeling of needing to be hyper vigilent and what if they fall even with my outstretched arms and I don't catch them? Um yeah...report them! I can't believe no one has!
i sure would! how would you feel if the daycare you take your child to was was being as neglectful as they are? i think you should alert the state if they are licensed.( take some video so that you are not just making reports with no evidence) and if the state does nothing i would let the parents know. if they don't take heed then at least you know you did something. but realize this will open a huge can of worms being that you live next door. good luck
Sheesh. That's absolutely horrifying. Is it a "real" daycare center, or someone's home? I can't imagine ALL the staff being outside of a center to get locked out??? WOW.
I provided inhome childcare a couple years and everything you mentioned is unimaginable. Yes, I would call and make a report no matter what kind of childcare it is. Not sure what to do exactly for your city/state, but I would start with jfs.childcare.gov or daycare.com/ohio (someone from there would be able to point you to the right people if they aren't the ones to handle it).
REPORT THEM. And make your coworkers report them too.
What if a child dies? What if your child were somewhere unsafe.
Help the kids.
OMG YES! report them! DCF licensesthem and should be inspecting them - at least that is what they do here in florida..
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I have no clue who to call, but off the top of my head I would call CPS (they are CHILD protective services....) and ask them to look into it. If they are out of jurisdiction I would ask them for whom you should call instead.
(Also, i worked in a day care centers for YEARS before having children, and sadly what you describe is VERY typical. It is the reason I WILL NOT allow my child to go into one ever.)
Yes, report them. What if something happened to those kids? At least you tried to do something. The poor parents probably have no idea. Also, speak to the director of the daycare. Maybe they don't know that the employees are slacking.
Please, Please report them! You will feel responsible too knowing this information and not doing something about it if something happens.
Report them. Call the cops and start from there if you don't know the right department.
I would also write down (and have your lunch friends do so as well) these incidents. Day, time, event. If they have toddlers out there with only one adult, that is no way the right ratio. In my DD's 1s class, the ratio was, by law, 1-3 and in my sister's state it's 1-4. For the little kids alone they should have more people if they have more than 4 kids. That alone is WRONG.
CALL CPS right now and give them the info they can pass on to the right people. Don't wait....this is complete laziness and negligence.
M
Contact the State, that is who they have a license with.
I found this on a website for the State of Ohio. I would call them 1st, explain the situation and see if they can point you in the right direction...
To report Child Care Fraud
If you have knowledge that a recipient of child care has committed fraud in order to qualify for these benefits and you would like to report it, please contact the county department of job and family services in the county where the recipient is residing. The number can be found in the phone book under County Government.
If you are unable to locate the number, please call the ODJFS General Information Customer Service number at (877) 852-0010 and they will provide you the number of the county department of job and family services.
The number can also be found on the internet at http://jfs.ohio.gov/ On this page, scroll down the right side to For More Info and click on County Agency Directory then click on the county to obtain the phone number.
Why the hell wouldn't you report them? I don't see one good reason not to, and I don't see one good reason why you haven't already, quite honestly.
You should tell the director of the center, their corporate office (if they have one), & the health department (who does mandated inspections on the center to make sure they are in compliance with all policies).
I have a lot of years in child care and I can tell you that if I saw what you have said here I would be on the phone every time to the local child care licensing agency reporting them. They need to be monitored more closely by their licensing worker.
If they find nothing wrong then it may be within the regulations but I HIGHLY doubt it is.
http://jfs.ohio.gov/cdc/page2.stm
Here is a link to the state child care website. Perhaps you can find the local number and arrange to show them some pictures.
