Why some Island parents want more oversight of unlicensed home daycares
'There has to be accountability... People have their back against the wall'
Some Island parents are pushing for more regulation and oversight of unlicensed home daycares on P.E.I.
With 2,000 families on the waitlist to get into a licensed centre, many are relying on unlicensed home operators to care for their children.
But beyond limits on how many children can be in the home, there are no rules those operators are required to follow. They're also not inspected or monitored in any way by P.E.I.'s Department of Education and Early Years — unless it receives a complaint.
"There has to be accountability to at least somebody," said Margaret Bond, who has been trying to help her teenage daughter find childcare for her baby. "It's a very, very important role these people play in our young children's lives. And you don't just leave your child with anybody…
"But people have their back against the wall because they need to go to work, they need to go to school, they need to go on with their lives, and they need childcare. A lot of people are in a position where they just need to find someone."
Full-time spot promised, gone
Bond says her 16-year-old daughter got on the province's child-care registry months before her baby was born this summer. With no hope of getting a space at a licensed centre, though, Bond reluctantly looked at unlicensed options for her granddaughter.
Last winter, she said an operator guaranteed her a full-time spot for this February, so Bond stopped the search. In November, the operator told her there was no spot for her granddaughter after all.
"I trusted the people that had given me this lady's name... It was not that it was somebody we did not know," said Bond.
"If there were some policies or rules or some sort of regulation by somebody, I don't think that would've happened, because then it's holding people accountable."
Raven Nichols would like to see more accountability too.
The mother of four spent years searching for childcare, and has gone the unlicensed route. She told CBC News that there are good operators out there, but it can be tough to know who to trust.
"You can't really verify somebody's skill set, or whether they're qualified or not," said Nichols. "You don't necessarily know who's going to be in the home and around your children, or if there are environmental factors in their home too.
"I've walked into private daycares where there's somebody smoking upstairs, or animals put away that you didn't know were there. It's a little nerve-wracking.
"So I think there does need to be a lot more oversight."
'No plans to change'
But in an email to CBC News, a spokesperson for P.E.I.'s Department of Education and Early Years said it won't provide any more oversight.
"As it relates to unlicensed home-based child care, just like a babysitter, there is no legal authority or requirement for monitoring," said the spokesperson. "Parents or guardian have the final decision on their child care, and we fully respect that the needs of every child and every family are unique.
"At this time there are no plans to change this legislation."
The department said its priority is encouraging more home-based operators to become licensed, so that there will be more regulation and oversight. In exchange, operators can access government grants and supports.
Jennifer Nangreaves, the head of P.E.I.'s Early Childhood Development Association, said she's focused on supporting the licensed sector too.
For parents looking at unlicensed options, she said it's important they do their due diligence.
"In unlicensed family home operations, there's not a whole lot of oversight. But families can be asking the operators questions. 'Is there a fence in the backyard? What is the menu you're serving?'… That can help make sure there's adequate safety happening and that families can feel comfortable leaving their child there."
The ECDA has a full guide for parents on its website.
Bond agrees that in the absence of better government oversight, parents need to do their homework.
"Talk to people, get references, see if there are people you know whose children have gone there in the past," she said. "And get something in writing. Do your due diligence.
"I thought I did, but apparently not."
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