DC trying to regulate playgroups

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was at the hearing. OSSE testified that any playgroup that involves more than 2 children requires a license. Even if nobody is paying any “dues.” Even if nobody is getting paid. Anytime you have more than 2 children getting together on a regular basis, unless their parents are there the whole time, you need a license, according to OSSE.

They are nuts.

Agree that both examples above should be regulated (Petworth and Hill) preschools AND that the description above is ludicrously over the line.

Do you understand what “regulated” means? OSSE wants playgroup parents to hire someone to supervise them while they watch their friends’ kids play. OSSE wants parents to take all the training courses that daycare workers are required to take. They want all the parents to comply with the daycare worker standards: drug testing, background checks, certifications. Unpaid parents. For a couple hours a week of free play in a church with their friends. Would you want to do that?

And this law will apply to all arrangements where not all the parents are there. Want to have an arrangement with a few of your neighbors where you switch off watching each other’s kids on Saturday mornings so you all can get some errands done? How about having your kids go to a friend’s house after school for a few hours? Hope there aren’t more than 2 kids involved. Otherwise, enjoy having to get background checks, filing paperwork and paying OSSE hundreds of dollars in licensing fees.

This is the problem when you start going down the road of regulating things that aren’t commercial in nature. Because the Hill parents aren’t getting paid, but OSSE wants to regulate them anyway, if OSSE has their way, any unpaid arrangement where you are switching off caring for your friends’ children will fall under OSSE’s jurisdiction.

[Anonymous]

These playgroups in question are just like Blue Igloo, Intown and Little Graces, all of which are licensed and regulated. It’s wonderful there are more playgroups in DC now, but these are super informal groups of friends getting together to play. Often they tent space from a church, need toys, art supplies, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:These playgroups in question are just like Blue Igloo, Intown and Little Graces, all of which are licensed and regulated. It’s wonderful there are more playgroups in DC now, but these are super informal groups of friends getting together to play. Often they tent space from a church, need toys, art supplies, etc.

Blue Igloo: employs 3 teachers.
Intown: employs 1 teacher.
Little Graces: employs 5 teachers.

Hill playgroup: 0 teachers. Nobody gets paid.

Yeah, that’s exactly the same.

[Anonymous]

I have been part of organized informal playgroups. These were not drop off and were held in our homes. The only drop off playgroups that I have heArd of have been Mother’s Day our programs. These are regulated in Montgomery county.

[Anonymous]

This is in line with DC calling you a business owner if you rent out a condo and they make you get a business license.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is in line with DC calling you a business owner if you rent out a condo and they make you get a business license.

Because you are making money, unlike these parents.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have been part of organized informal playgroups. These were not drop off and were held in our homes. The only drop off playgroups that I have heArd of have been Mother’s Day our programs. These are regulated in Montgomery county.

Mother’s Day Out programs are run by paid teachers, not unpaid parents.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I was at the hearing. OSSE testified that any playgroup that involves more than 2 children requires a license. Even if nobody is paying any “dues.” Even if nobody is getting paid. Anytime you have more than 2 children getting together on a regular basis, unless their parents are there the whole time, you need a license, according to OSSE.

They are nuts.

As the parent of three children this seems overly broad to me!

[Anonymous]

Meanwhile babysitters and nannies are completely unregulated.

So if my kids host a playdate while the nanny is watching them am I in violation?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Meanwhile babysitters and nannies are completely unregulated.

So if my kids host a playdate while the nanny is watching them am I in violation?

If it happens on a regular basis (even once a week), yes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Meanwhile babysitters and nannies are completely unregulated.

So if my kids host a playdate while the nanny is watching them am I in violation?

If it happens on a regular basis (even once a week), yes.

Three kid nanny shares are also illegal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was at the hearing. OSSE testified that any playgroup that involves more than 2 children requires a license. Even if nobody is paying any “dues.” Even if nobody is getting paid. Anytime you have more than 2 children getting together on a regular basis, unless their parents are there the whole time, you need a license, according to OSSE.

They are nuts.

Agree that both examples above should be regulated (Petworth and Hill) preschools AND that the description above is ludicrously over the line.

+1

A "playgroup" that's really a co-op daycare or co-op preschool should be regulated, but those regulations need to make sense.

[Anonymous]

What about carpools? Does this mean OSSE gets to regulate carpools now too? I have one kid in addition to my two. What if we get in a car accident? Will my insurance deny me coverage because under OSSE rules I’m really running an unlicensed daycare?

[Anonymous]

The coops are 1, 2 or 3 mornings a week for parents to take turns watching each other kids for 3 hours in the morning. * kids 2 parents in a church space with toys. The dues are to buy things like paper towels, crayons, and to rent the space. It's ABSURD that people (David Grosso and his ass hat staff) think this requires regulation.

[Anonymous]

I know many people have said this, but these playgroups sound very similar to co-op preschools, which absolutely have to follow these regulations. I don’t see why it’s any different to have a paid teacher and parent volunteers or just parent volunteers. Co-ops are still run 100% by parent boards.