Day Care Issues - what would you do?

Hi, we went thru a change about a year ago and luckily its been mainly smooth sailing! Do you know any of the other parents? Can you talk to them, if you don't maybe try and engage them outside and ask if they have noticed any changes to the staff mood, kids behaviour etc. Does the DC have a committee? Can you approach them with your concerns? If you really aren't happy then take Jackson out as its not fair on him if he is upset.

Wow thats horrible! :(

I wouldnt even send him back there Laurie, thats just not on. Its supposed to be a place you feel comfortable sending JJ.

I'd also write a letter as well

What centre is this? PM if you want I used to work in daycare.

Sorry just read it was a Kidicorp one. I know someone who used to work for them and unfortunately I don't think a letter will actually achieve anything at all - it all stems from the CEO who is all about money and not the care of the kids.. would be interested in which Kidicorp centre it is though

Edited by Renee & Lauren

Oh, and I am definately keen to engage some of the other parents. Any ideas how I would go about that though? There is no committee or anything that I know of.

I don't want it to look like a hate campaign of course, so I have to be careful how I go about it.

Am also going to check out some other local centres - though none are as small and personal, which is what I really liked about this one.

ETA: Sometimes you just don't realise how lucky you are until something happens. Grrrrrr for wrecking my perfect little world strange lady!

Edited by kiwilaurie

What about ABC in Redwood or Dress Mart (not sure how old your wee one is sorry). I have heard they are good.

Maybe you could talk to some of the mums in the carpark - give them your phone number and say you want to talk to them about some issues you have been having with the centre and see if you have had them too etc.

Hi - you've been given some great advice here. In a perfect world you could leave your son where he is, write a letter and management would make changes immediately when they realised how bad things have become. Unfortunately from some of the other responses (from people in the industry etc) it doesn't sound like this is likely to happen.

If it were me I would be reluctant to send my child back. I would e-mail a letter to management immediately and say that you have concerns, that they are significant to the extent that you are keeping your child home and that if you don't have a response within a couple of days you will be pulling him out altogether. That might wake them up?? If you can get other parents on board that would add a lot of weight as it will mean $$$$ at stake.

It's so difficult - you don't want to send your child to a place where he's clearly unhappy but on the other hand you don't want to take drastic action and disrupt his routine completely in case there is improvement...

Sorry that's no help at all but just wanted to sympathise!!

Good luck :):)

What I think is odd is that the careworker said can you write a letter...what are they doing about the sitution if they are so unhappy they are thinking of leaving? That would actually put me off sending my baby there because I want my baby looked after by people who will stand up for themselves and others.

I am sure they must have some kind of system in place where the workers can get in touch with someone if they have issues with the direct management.

Told DH about the sign thing, he said nutter - can't get over who would do that sounds pathetic, where did she come from has she got much experience in child care?

Hi,

I agree in pulling him out, usually signs don't show to the outside world until they are really bad IYKWIM so if you're noticing things it's probably worse than you think.

As hard as it is, I'd start looking at other centres and I don't necessarily think size matters. visited heaps around my area and settled on a kidicorp which has the most amazing carers EVER - love them to bits and they're a large centre. Even better is that my boys are together with just 18months - 2 year olds due to having such large numbers so their peer group are all the same age.

It can't hurt in looking around and once the letter is sent and see what sort of reponse you get you can decide from there. I understand the stress this would cause in changing J's routine but it may be better to move now than when new bubs arrives.

And that sign shows that management realise staff arn't putting on their smiley faces when parents are around so imagine their faces when parents arn't there!

Good luck with whatever you decide.