How bad is unlicensed childcare really?

[Anonymous]

We met a woman in our new neighborhood that offered childcare for our two year old.

She came highly recommended by another neighbor.

She's not licensed.

How bad is that really?

[Anonymous]

How many children does she care for at one time?

[Anonymous]

What's your gut say? Does she have basic CPR and similar trainings? It's a new neighborhood for you, how well do you know you neighbors at this point? What's the general feel about this woman? Does she do this regularly? How many years of experience does she have? What are your expectations for daycare?

[Anonymous]

Why risk it? There are plenty of licensed care givers -- either in-home or at a larger center.

[Anonymous]

If it is a family friend/sibling/someone we have known for years, no worries.

I would not be comfortable with essentially a stranger. Did she bring up offering childcare or did you? If she brought it up the first time you met that would also make me uncomfortable. Another neighbor highly recommending her doesn't mean much to me, people are prone to confirmation bias, of course she wants to think where she sent her kid is great. And you don't know their relationship beyond childcare or the motives.

[Anonymous]

Are you nuts? You don't know her at all.

[Anonymous]

The big differences are the provider has done background checks - you can do them on your own - some for free through the court system by typing in her name and she's had a home inspection and a few other things. You can get a good provider who is not licensed and a bad one who is. I would be concerned about any home care provider as there are far fewer check and balances with few kids and a yearly home visit at best. Its no different from hiring a babysitter or nanny and its something you need to decide.

[Anonymous]

First, it's illegal. Second this person isn't following the rules. Why would u want to use someone trying to skirt the system. Not very responsible for her or u!

[Anonymous]

Maybe just wonderful. Maybe the worst choice of your life. I don't think parents avoid it because it can't be good, but because there's too much uncertainty over such an important issue.

[Anonymous]

It's bad. Really. For just one metric, see The Wash Post series from last year that documented the significantly higher rate of deaths in unlicensed daycares in VA as compared with licensed ones.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/nine-va-children-died-in-unregulated-day-care-in-2014-the-deadliest-year-in-a-decade/2014/12/30/bf302040-8161-11e4-81fd-8c4814dfa9d7_story.html

[Anonymous]

Illegal, and can be your-child-shaken-to-death or silently abused bad. You want to find out the hard way?

[Anonymous]

It's actually not illegal - it depends on the state, but typically there is a minimum number of children you have to take care of in order to be required to be licensed (I feel like it's five children minimum in Virginia, but I have no idea). That said, I wouldn't trust anyone that wasn't vetted and regularly checked on by an outside party.

[Anonymous]

It could be great, it could be awful. Seriously. Some will just stick the kids in front of the tv, make sure they're fed and changed, and that's about it. Others have some sort of schedule, but it's nothing like licensed homes. I wouldn't send my child to anywhere that wasn't licensed.

[shalurana]

A licensed one will be more liable and accountable for their services. That in itself is a relief and peace of mind.

[Anonymous]

Undocumented workers can be wonderful, hard working and loving caregivers. Especially women who had to leave their children behind to come here- it can comfort them and inspire sweetness and devotion. However, sometimes it can bring people dealing with poverty drama- watching a bunch of relatives kids- some who never see their parents because they are too busy working to survive, people with criminal backgrounds they left behind at home, TV being on all day,etc.