View Single Post
Josiegirl 11:36 AM 04-29-2014
Well gee, maybe if dcproviders didn't get dirt cheap pay for their services their profit margin might be high enough to save a little bit towards a vacation or just a week off. I don't get sick pay, or vacation pay, I get about 5 paid holidays, I have to be here for the 1st child to arrive until the last child leaves. I don't get to 'duck out' of work for a few minutes for a dental appt., dr. appt., to drop my car off at the mechanic, etc., etc. Most of us work 10-11 hr. days, plus plan dc meals, shop for dc meals, clean dc area, keep up with dc paperwork, attend dc workshops, conferences, are part of local dc networks. We have to abide by certain regulations the state expects; certain ways of cleaning, running our dcs a certain way, keeping up with loads of paperwork paperwork paperwork, tolerating parents and inspectors in our homes all the time, having dc insurance, keeping our homes safe, trying to please parents without compromising everything else we're trying to do....all while trying to earn minimum wage or if we're lucky a little bit more. In fact, out of my meager earnings comes toys, equipment, craft supplies, repairs(usually because of damage done by dcks). Oh wait, I could've taken a week's vacation last summer but that would've meant I couldn't have afforded the mulch on my playground to protect the dcks. Thinking about it all, maybe we should have the state regulate our vacations, I'll bet they'd agree we need them and should get them paid!!

The general person has no clue whatsoever, what we spend to stay in business. Tax write-off? Oh sure, but damn, we still have to find that $500 for mulch. So where does it come from? Either the little magic dc fairy or wait, that's right, I didn't get a vacation last year. Now that I think about it, nor did I get one the year before. And the year before that? I did take 2 days when my dad died. Not paid.

Don't ever talk to me about the injustice of paying your cherished provider, the carer of your beloved children a week's pay because s/he needs a break. Care-giving is a hard job, a draining exhausting job. A prime job where burn-out can easily happen. Do you want someone caring for your child, who is burnt to a crisp? Or fresh and fun, their morale has returned because the dcf's have helped them enjoy a measly week off out of 52 of them.

Even with state paid kids, we get to have 10 paid days off a year. I don't take them all. I don't need to because I'm not closed that many.

Most(I'm certainly not saying all) families see more importance in giving their 1 yo a huge birthday party costing easily a couple hundred bucks, buying baby Reeboks, or eating out a couple nights a week, or having the most expensive iphone, car, boat, fill in the damn blank, rather than paying 1 week for their provider to take a breather??

And then yeh, there's always reading the contract before you sign it.
Reply