By Pamela Filler
Once a person becomes registered by the State of Montana, all of Montana's day care rules and regulations should be followed. Therefore, it is not up to the provider to dismiss any rule or regulation that a parent disagrees with, such as not being able to prop infants' bottles, assist in toilet-training before the age of 18-months, discipline by spanking etc. This response by the provider to insist on following the regulation is correct and should be respected.
If you, as a parent, disagree with a day care regulation which is being enforced at the facility that your child attends, I encourage you to contact me for clearer explanation as to why the regulation exists. If I cannot provide you with the information you want, I can refer you to my supervisor. All current regulations have a purpose in protecting all children's health and safety while in the care of registered/licensed facilities. My hope is that respect of Montana's day care regulations is gained through understanding and acceptance of them.
I do have information available regarding current state day care regulations. If you are interested in these materials, please call me at 265-1233 and I can provide you with this information or you may ask your provider as he/she has a regulation booklet that applies to the type of facility that he/she operates.
I would like to stress that "Childcare Matters" is intended to benefit parents, providers and the general public. If anyone has ideas as to what information should be covered in upcoming articles he/she is encouraged to call me. I welcome all ideas and suggestions!
Helping you make smart and healthy childcare choices...
Pamela Filler is the child care licensor for Hill, Blaine, Phillips, Valley, Roosevelt, Daniels and Sheridan counties.
