Hi Moms,
wanted to know your opinion on something.
2 months ago my 15month old daughter started daycare twice a week. We were very happy with our daycare choice, (Sue) the teacher in the room was with daycare for 13 years specializing in toddler care, older woman with grown up children of her own.
Part of my decision to that particular daycare was that I liked Sue and was confortable with leaving my daughter with her being in charge of toddler room. The other teacher in the room is also several years of experience and mother with 3 kids. I received a phone call today from the director of daycare that they let Sue go due to performance issues. That her class plans did not fullfill the requirements. Now the new teacher is about 21,
may be 20, does not have children of her own, worked at the previous daycare for 4 months and left - or let go - dont know, because she did not like it there, she has worked at my daughter's daycare for 1 month now mostly floating from room to room. She takes classes at night going for her associates degree. I am concerned with this change, I find it very weird about "performance issues" and I am uncomfortable with the fact that she is so young
and unexperienced. I do not know any other parents since we started daycare a couple of months ago so I do not know how other parents feel.
So, what would you think moms?
Dear Irena,
I agree with the other moms give the new caretaker a chance. My son was in Day care since he was 3 months old. I found the young providers were energetic, willing to get down on the floor and be interactive with the kids more easily and very loving. Kids adjust, it's the parents that take time :) Check in when you feel the need and of course talk to the director if concerns come up. Good Luck. A. B.
I understand your concerns completely. You have every right in the world to question what is going on here, and so don;t hesitate to voice your concerns if something comes up. In the meantime, allow the new person some time. Many young caretakers are frequently given the responsibility of being the "assist" and so their positions are tenuous, and maybe that may have contributed to why she left the last place she was at. They also may not have been given a chance to prove themselves to anyone. You may be pleasantly surprised and find that she is a wonderful provider. It would have been nice, however, to have the day care inform the parents that the old provider would be leaving.
I. - my son has been in daycare since March of this year (he's now 16 months old). He has been in the infant room with kids ranging from 6 weeks to 18 months the entire time. Not one of his teachers has been over the age of 24 and I don't believe any of them have kids. He is doing wonderfully in his daycare. I have dropped by at different times throughout the day and have always found my son to be smiling and content. There has been turn over, mostly because some of the caregivers have moved on to other centers or have decided to go back to school and each time a new teacher is introduced it takes my son some time to adjust and learn to trust that person. But eventually he warms up to the new person. He's very well cared for at his center. All the teachers are affectionate and are always willing to answer my questions and follow any specific instructions I have. Don't worry about the fact that the new person is young and not a parent as this has nothing to do with ones ability to care for children. Pay attention to your child's behavior when you drop her off and pick her up. Does she seem happy? Stop by unannounced at different times of the day. Call frequently to check in on your daughter. They should be more than willing to talk to you and answer any questions you have.
Dear I.,
I am an owner of a daycare center myself and unfortunately staff turnover does happen. I have owned my center for two years now and have been fortunate to have only lost one teacher and a few aides due to them going away to college. Even in that situation I felt horrible when I had to tell parents about the changes. When children bond with a teacher it is difficult when they are let go or choose to leave. I must tell you I do not think this director is telling the entire story and it is probably because she cannot. If it were for the reasons she stated I would have thought she would take time to find a replacement. If it is not urgent I don't think she would just fire Sue and give the class to a floater. There has to be more to the story. So maybe Sue really wasn't what she appeared. That being said, age, experience, and having children does not always make a good child caretaker. I have some college students who have worked for me since high school that I trust completely. They are loving, energetic, wonderful girls. I think you should see how your daughter does with this new girl and try to be positive yourself. Your daughter will pick up on your anxiety. Your concern is genuine, however if you trust the center, the director, and the remaining staff then give it a few days. If your gut tells you it is not okay and this is no longer a good fit then go with your gut and find a new center. Good luck I hope it all works out for you. Also, pop in unannounced you may be happy to find your daughter is doing just fine.
I. - uggh - so sorry. losing a trusted daycare provider is so stressful. I'm not sure if I read it correctly, but it seems strange that the daycare would let a person go after 13 years due to not making plans according to their standards. (usually they would want to train a person who has been there that long). My guess is that they cannot tell you the full story due to privacy issues with HR.
The new person may or may not be good. It really depends on her personality, not so much age or parent status. My daughter had older women caregivers who seemed clinically depressed. I'd want to find out their retention rate for staff (how long people stay) and I'd also suggest that you visit during program hours and watch this new person interact with the children.
best of luck!
