Day # 10, 465 - Quality daycare – It’s not a privilege, it’s a right!

Earlier this afternoon, I had the pleasure (and I use that term loosely) to take our older kids to the movie to see Shreck 2. The last time I took them I vowed that I would never return, and now I remember why. My kids were great! They followed directions, they say quietly, they didn’t kick or rock chairs, and they even held their bodily functions to the end of the show (thanks Derek). However, another daycare, Johnson Child Care, made this experience pure hell.

Here’s what I learned about Johnson Daycare. They are located at 1935 Medary Avenue, 19141 operates out of what appears to be a church. They provide care (allegedly) to approximately 160 children. They also have a summer camp program.

On this particular day, 3 adults were charged with taking about 60 kids (ranging in age 6 -15) to the Pearl Movie Theater at Broad & Cecil B. More.

Pause: The ratio; as set by the Office of Child care Development (OCDEL) as well as the PA Department of Welfare (which licenses daycare providers), is 11 children to each staff member. You do the math!

Anyways, the kids were out of control and the staff (if that’s what you want to call them) were not equipped to deal with them. The staff were crude (and I’m being very nice) , they yelled at them , degraded them by calling them names and mocking them, I heard them tell at least 15 of the kids to Shut The Heck up, and one of them called two teen age boys N’s.

Once the movie started, children as young as 6 were allowed to go to the bathroom alone… completely alone!

Pause: I am 28 years old, and every time I go to a public restroom, I think of that scene out of Vanish when Sandra Bullocks got herself all kidnapped cause she had to pee. Zoë, who is 7 still pees with the bathroom door open... In our own House!!!

Okay, let me finish. During the movies the “Staff” were nowhere to be found. The kids were randomly walking around, and talking about all kinds of nonsense. There were 6 year old girls sitting in between 14 and 15 year old boys talking about stuff that would make Hugh Heffner blush. Close your Mouth…

By now I’m furious! All I can think about is how I would feel if I found out that my daughter was sitting in the middle of a conversation about D**ks and Boobies. I excuse myself from the madness, and I step out into the lobby. I see one of the “staff” smoking (in a theater!!)and , shooting the breeze with all the rest of the staff. I walk over to Ms. Thang; with her too short shorts and too small halter top, and I ask her if she’s the chaperone for JCC. After she looks me up and down like I stole her mink, she admits that she is. It’s real hard, but I’m trying to remain calm. I tell her that the kids are acting up, and being a little unruly, and she says “Oh, Okay” and smiles at me. She turns away, and continues her conversation. I go back into the theater after maybe a good two minutes have elapsed, and I check in on my four, and they’re all good. There’s about 5 minutes left to the movie and guess who decided to join the fun. The Staff from JCC. They come in, but never sit down. At the end of the show, on our ways out, one of them had the nerve to tell me (to my face) that they would call my boss to let them know how I was today. I laughed out loud at that notion, and gave her the telephone number. (she never called)

When I got home I did call to complain about what I saw, and how I felt. The director of the center seemed to express genuine concern, and she even apologized for her staff’s behavior. I told her that I intended to write a formal complaint, which I have already mailed out.

The point to this whole story is that you have to be extremely careful where you send your children. When you select a so called home away from home, you have to make sure that you know what kind of home the staff/owners/directors come from/live in. And where their principles lie. I don’t mean to make another daycare look bad, but it seems as though a lot of daycares are doing a good job on their own.

As a parent, (with alot of Old School values) I am extremely concerned with who my children’s friends are, and the type of care and education my own children receive. It hurts when I see children (especially little children) that are not properly cared for, and I really believe that misconception that economics and/or demographics have anything to do with the level of care you give your children.

As a daycare owner, who is still trying to find my way, I look at these poor examples as learning experiences (for myself, my staff, as well as the children I provide care for). On our way back, I discussed with the children appropriate and inappropriate behaviour.

And no matter how much “bling” I end up with in life, I will never loose focus of what got me started in this business to begin with.