Long time listener ..
Let me tell you a day care experience. My daughter, a single mom, lives in a northern state Her children were in a large day care - one of those in a shopping center the front looks pretty good on the surface. On a visit, I went to the day care to pick up my grandchildren. It was summer and about 90' ..I found the children about twenty of them out back in an area about 18ft by 18ft. There was a plastic slide and other toys so not much room for activity.. They were sweltering. A young woman sat with a spray bottle of water spraying her face and occasionally a tiny red sweaty face. She asked one of the children to go ask the more senior person inside if they could come inside the answer was " not yet".. One of the little girls put her arms around my legs and asked if I could be her mommy. It was very sad...
My relationship with my daughter is occasionally rocky I keep reminding myself to not as you say pick fights or I my loose contact with my grandchildren ...That evening my daughter told me it was the closest day care to her and it was not that bad....
I returned in the winter and again went to the day care this time there had been a frost it was just above freezing. Again the children were out back in this small area two young girls about 16 yrs sitting huddled and shivering, these were the children's caretakers - children taking care of children... I saw a child with just a hoodie sitting in an inch of freezing water on the woodchips ...That was my precious granddaughter less than 2yrs old .....No one could explain why she did not have her coat on.....
That night I told my daughter what I had found and it was not acceptable. I had to do something about this. I had seen something that was the disrespect and neglect of children...I am a mandated reporter ...Everyone should be mandated to report abuse and neglect...The next day I called the licensing agency and child protective agency... I did not discuss it with my daughter again. I kept the children home as much as I could. I was told by the licensing agency they had several complaints and were looking into it . I gave them my name and told them they could use it anytime and that I would stand up and report to anyone the conditions of this day care....I called every day sometimes two ...demanded to speak with the supervisor and the person who had licensed this day care ..asked how many surprise visits had been done and let them know I was not going away. In fact I was going above their heads. I had also found out by talking to my older grandchild other violations. By the end of the second week the notice came the day care in question was to be closed ...The owners were not to be allowed to operate a day care in that state again. My daughter did not ask me if I had done it and I did not say. She found a small learning academy ....My daughter is working less hours. Where did the owners of the day care go? Last I heard they went to the next state over to open a day care.
I.
