Should I Use Unlicensed In-home Daycare?

S.,
I run a home daycare and I am not licensed. In the State of NJ it is only required if you have 5 or more children. The care giver'e children are not included in the count. When I started the home daycare I weighed getting licensed or not and I found that it did not change the care I gave the kids, I make sure my home is safe for the kids, but I found that the one thing you really have to look for the the extra home owners insurance. My insurance company allows me to add extra coverage in case a child was hurt while in my care. Some insurance companies require the state daycare license to add this. No one wants to wants to think about this, but I like knowing that god forbid a child gets hurt, I am covered. This might be the one thing you look into. As long as you are comfortable with her and her home and family, I would go for it. One more thing to check is whether or not she claims the income on her taxes. If she does not claim it then you can't and it is nice to get that little extra back tax time. good Lukc and let me know if you have any other questions.

S.,

When making the decision on who will care for your child is a tough one. I currently have a sitter I could not be happier with and she is not licensed either. I want to make a comment and I hope this does not sound judgmental or rude, I do not mean it to be, and you do not need a license to be a parent. Yes there are some parents that should not be, but how adjusted are her children? Are they happy outgoing children or are they shy reserved? If they are outgoing and happy chances she is a great Mom, therefore she would be a great sitter. I have had 8 Sitters and of which 2 were not good. One was just differences in opinions, the other we will not get into. With the 1 and only that I would never recommend to anyone I notices changes in my son almost immediately. You child will tell you, even an infant will tell you. Just be observant of your baby and she will tell you.

Good luck

I use to do home daycare and I was never licensed because I had an unused wood stove insert in my living room that could not be removed without extensive work on the house and didn't have 6' of free space between the unused wood stove and the furnature.

I provided everything a licensed home would have and watched mostly the children of teachers. My suggestion would be to check out the home, check out the person, and then make your decission.

I also struggled with the same issue....my sitter is the grandmother of one of my husband's patients...I knew that the home and care our daughter would be given was excellent, I was just so afraid to make that move.....finally after 6 months of being "scared" I did it...and it was THE BEST decision I ever made....my daughter has the best care ever...My sitter only has 3 children that she takes care of so she also doesnt have to be licensed....I know that larger daycares are also good, but I just feel that my daughter really gets alot of one on one care, not to mention that she is learning Spanish everyday...she gets 3 meals a day and a bath everyday...I know not all sitters do this but I just wanted to share how truly blessed I am and greatful for the decision that I made....Hope this helps!!
Meg

As long as she's only watching your child and her own, she doesn't need to be licensed! If she's warm, responsible, and your little one likes her- go for it! Trust your gut completely, here. Many nannies and au pairs are not licensed. I would make sure she was (or help her to become) certified in infant CPR, however.

I think of larger groups, when I think of a license. My neighbor runs an actual daycare out of her home. She has 10 kids, and 2 other staff members. She is licensed.

I used a lady that was registered with the state and than later decided she wasnt going to do that because she had more kids than the state would allow. I thought she took good care of my daughter, there were a variety of aged children from infants to 5 6 years old some where older that came after school that enjoyed helping her. Mind you my daughter was with her since she was 2 months old. My daughter is now 15 months old. When she told me that she was no longer going to be licensed with the state I was skeptical and she wanted us to sign a waiver saying that if anything happened to my daughter she was not responsible. I thought that was a little weird. Well not to mention she herself is pregnant and I know how it is being pregnant and having to take care of 1 child much less 5 or 6 so now Im home on maternity leave and watching my daughter. If I had no other option, or in the meantime of finding another daycare situation I would keep her there, bc Im like you I only need 2 or 3 days a week. But like I said Im skeptical about the waiver and her being pregnant.

So as long as your comfortable with the situation and she will pay amble attention to your child I dont think you have anything to worry about (you met her I didnt). But you should also consider will she stimulate your child and teach them? As long as the home is safe, your free to do your own background check on her. And even if she did have a waiver like mine asked for, although it states that shes not responsible for injuries on her property yada yada bc shes uninsured, there is a threshold of responsibility. She is supposed to be watching my child and if anything happens in the neglect of doing so, I would still attempt to take her to court and hold her responsible. Hope I helped any.

In the state of NJ you only need to be licensed when caring for more then 5 children in your home. She isn't required to have a license for the amount of children she is caring for. I now own and operate a nursery school/daycare and prior to that I did care for children in my home. I would ask for parent references from the children already in her care and just go with your gut. You said a friend recommended her so that in itself should give you some sense of security. If the home looks clean, organized, and the children in her care seem happy and well cared for then I would say it should be fine. Is there a reason you have not looked into a licensed daycare center? Having someone care for your most prized possession is one of the most difficult choices you will have to make. I would say just go with your instincts and observe, that should help to make your decision. Good luck!!