"I think it has to do with the comfort level, for sure," said Robin Rick, director of Epworth Preschool and Daycare. "Children need consistency. They need a consistent situation."
"With some, I think it's a personal choice," said Donatta Evans, a private, in-home provider. "Basically it boils down to more direct, individualized attention."
While there are pros and cons for both, Ohio lawmakers are aiming to make sure your child is in a safe, secure environment regardless. A recently introduced bill plans to hold private, in-home providers to the same standards as day care centers, which are licensed and monitored by the state.
Ohio is one of the few remaining states that does not monitor the small-sized, in-home baby-sitters, according to the National Child Care Information Center.
"My thought is there needs to be sufficient limits on who can and who cannot provide care," said Eric Bush, director of Marion County Children Services. "We certainly are supportive of legislation that would provide greater oversight."
Under the current law, day-care providers who watch more than six children are required to be licensed through the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services. Licensed providers undergo criminal background checks, receive educational training and must be registered in CPR and basic first aid. In addition, providers are inspected by the state to ensure the children are in a safe environment, are being properly nourished and are being provided with educational activities.
Private, in-home day care providers with fewer than six children, however, are not required to be licensed and are not monitored in any way in Ohio. Only four states have looser day care regulations, according to the National Child Care Information Center. South Dakota begins licensing home day care facilities that care for 13 children, while Idaho, Louisiana and New Jersey don't require home daycares to be licensed at all.
The bill, which would apply to all private, in-home providers caring for three or more children, would bring them in line with the same standards as day-care centers. It would not apply to baby-sitters under the age of 18, family members caring for relatives, and providers who come to a child's home. Those who provide less than 10 hours of care a week less than four weeks a year would also be exempt.
Rick said that the introduction of the bill coincides with the growing understanding of early childhood development and preparing children for school.
"I think kindergarten is a completely different experience. It used to be you heard as parents, 'you send them to us and we'll be ready for them,'" she said, explaining that now children are expected to enter kindergarten with basic skills in literacy and math. Ensuring that caregivers are able to teach these basic concepts is key to a child's educational future. "These are the experiences that children should have had."
Evans, who watches six children in her home, said that she can see both positives and negatives to the bill. A former licensed provider with ODJFS, Evans said that home visits tend to be disruptive to the children's schedules.
"It seems like before when they were coming in, it wasn't always the best time," she said. "I've got nothing to hide. The kids just turn into wild little beasts when somebody else is there."
Overall, however, Evans said that if the bill would help weed out those providers who really shouldn't be watching children, she supports it.