Notes from Early Childhood Center Directors Meeting
May 10th - 10:00 AM - noon
Think Small, West Office - 2021 E. Hennepin Ave., Mpls
May 10th - 10:00 AM - noon
Think Small, West Office - 2021 E. Hennepin Ave., Mpls
Meeting Notes
Speaker: Tom Copeland, J.D., licensed attorney specializing in legal and business issues for early childhood programs. A national trainer, advocate and author of nine books published by Redleaf Press, Tom worked at Resources for Child Caring (now Think Small) for 28 years and served on the board of directors of First Children's Finance. Tom’s forthcoming book, Preventing Legal Flare-Ups in Early Childhood Programs for child care centers with co-author Holly Elissa Bruno will be available Fall 2012.
Tom provided scenarios highlighting legal dilemmas that arise in child care centers:
- Reducing Conflicts with Parents: Using Contracts and Policies Effectively
- Building Partnerships with Families: Preventing Sticky Situations and Promoting Clear Expectations
- Balancing Minority and Majority Needs in Our Programs
- Privacy and Confidentiality in the Age of the Internet
1) Prospective parent asks center not to celebrate Christmas or children’s birthdays because they are Jehovah’s Witnesses. What do you do?
Federal law prohibits discrimination based on religion. You can’t say “No” to enrolling their child but you can still enforce your program’s rules.
Suggestion to consult NAEYC’s Code of Ethics for welcoming and seeking to accommodate all children and families.
2) You turn to the center director sitting next to you and ask, “Will you be raising your rates this year?” Have you broken the law? If so, how can you collect rate information?
It is illegal to discuss rates or any component of your rates with another competitor. It is legal to check other programs’ website or even to call a program and ask what their rates are as long as you don’t identify that you are from “X” center.
The Child Care Resource and Referral Network and local CCR&Rs, including Think Small, publish annual rate survey results on their websites.
3) Your contract says that parent’s must pay the last two weeks of tuition at the time of enrollment. A prospective parent, who is a Muslim, asks if you will accept one week’s tuition instead. She also says her son has certain food requirements. What do you do?
There are no federal or state restrictions on the fees you charge. However, if you are flexible with one family, you need to be flexible with other families.
If the child’s food requirement is allergen related or if the child has a disability, you must do whatever you can to meet their needs unless it would require an “undue burden” such as significant expense.
4) One of the parents in your program doesn’t want the father to pick up their child because: a) the father lost his drivers license, b) she’s afraid the father will kidnap the child as they are in the middle of divorce proceedings, c) she doesn’t feel that the father is a safe driver. What do you do?
In your policies, you can require that parents who are picking up a child have a valid drivers license. You can not restrict the rights of a biological parent. The mother must have a court order showing that she has sole physical and legal custody to bar the father from picking up the child.
5) Father shows up to pick up his child and the teacher smells alcohol on his breath. When the teacher mentions that she thinks he has been drinking, he replies, “Are you accusing me of being drunk? I’m not. Don’t argue with me about taking my child or I will sue you for slander.” What do you do?
The teacher has a duty as a mandated reporter to protect the child’s safety. The teacher can say to the father: You can wait for a cab, take the bus, or I will call 911.
6) A parent wants the addresses of the other parents in your program so she can invite them to a church sale. What do you do?
You can not share personal information of parents or children. You can suggest that she invite them personally.
7) A teacher tells you that another staff member has taken a picture on her cell phone of a child and sent it to the child’s parent. What do you do?
You must have prior written permission from parents to take pictures of children. Develop a media policy and educate staff and parents on how to protect children’s privacy in the age of social media. List the family events where you will encourage picture taking and get prior permission from parents. If you want to put children’s drawings up in hallways where the public can see them, don’t put children’s names on them. The safest policy is to bar personal cell phones from the classroom and only allow photos for name tags, assessment documentation, etc., using a camera owned by the program so that you can control who can see the pictures.
2. Discussion Topic: What Do Teachers Need From Their Director re: Orientation?
Directors’ shared suggestions with each other for orienting new staff and refreshing current staff’s knowledge of center values, policies and procedures:
- Takes 3-4 hours to orient new staff
- Checklists of Center Handbook and Rule 3 requirements, staff have to sign off on each item
- Short “pop” quizzes
- Scavenger hunt to learn where everything is kept
- Staff Retreat Day paid for by the program to revisit the vision and mission of the center and teachers to set individual goals
- Show and discuss ECERS DVDs at staff meetings
- Relate what teachers do to your program’s Business Plan and the opportunities to contribute
3. Legislative Update
Mary Nienow, Child Care WORKS - 25 Absent Day Rule was only restored for teen moms receiving CCAP subsidies. 10 day maximum Absent Day Rule goes into effect January, 2013. CCW reports study that found private pay parents use 23 – 24 absences/year.
Next Early Childhood Directors group Meeting is June 14th, 2012
NEWS YOU CAN USE
New Marketing Tools Available Onlinehttp://www.tomcopelandblog.com/2012/05/new-marketing-tools-available-from-first-childrens-finance.html
T.E.A.C.H. Scholarship Applications Due July 1st
T.E.A.C.H. offers scholarships and support for child care providers and educators pursuing a higher education degree or National Child Development Associate Credential. Fall applications are due by July 1.
For eligibility information or to apply today, please call (866) 807-6021 or visit www.mnchildcare.org.
Directors Webinars for In-service Hours
Eager-to- Learn offers live, interactive webinars that allow you the opportunity to learn from and engage with experts in the field. Our experts come to you with a wealth of relevant experience. Eager-to-Learn has selected topics that support the work of child care center directors, administrators and child care business owners.
To register visit Upcoming Courses and Registration or contact brianw@mnchildcare.org
~To view full course descriptions and register, visit http://eagertolearn.org
~For more information: Contact Cory Woosley at coryw@mnchildcare.org
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