[NicoleP80]

I live in Washington State and we have adopted a child privately 7 months ago and he is the joy of our lives!!! My husband and I have also always wanted to adopt through the foster care system. We have a great income, loving home, we are stable and a nice home with room for a growing family!

We decided to go about the foster to adopt way only to hit a HUGE and I mean HUGE road block. We can't get licensed for foster care...and it is because I am a licensed daycare provider and in Washington State you cannot be dual licensed to do both foster care and daycare! Why you ask?! B/c I am licensed for 12 children in my daycare and if the state were to license me for ONE foster child I could "technically" say "Well I am licensed for 13"...we would NEVER do that! We know we'd just have to give notice to a daycare child!

I just am so upset! What gets me most of all is I can take care of a foster child in my DAYCARE for 10 to 12 hours a day from early morning to evening, feed them 3 meals and 2 snacks, be there for nap time to kiss their boo's boo's, see them grow and more but I can't have a foster child here for the other 12 hours a day of bedtime?! Seriously?! I have three foster care kids (two about to be adopted) and two of them are with me Monday through Friday for 10hours a day! The other is here 5 days a week for 9 hours a day! I just don't get it...we want to do fostercare but my income doing the daycare is 95% of what pays our bills and I GET TO BE HOME WITH OUR KIDS!!!

Just had to vent!

[chevyjewel]

That's really strange.

I'm a hair away from being dual licensed. Been doing foster care for a few years now and will be opening a home daycare soon (Class A I'll be licensed up to 10 but have to leave two spots vacant for my biological children). I asked my licensing worker if I should keep an additional spot or two open for any potential fosters and she said no I don't have to. Even if I have my 8 daycare kiddos (along with my own 2) if I want to accept a placement of a foster or two on top of them they'll simply write up a variance.

I'm not planning on having 8 but it's an option if I want to.

[Kat-L]

In my county in Maryland, you can't be licensed if you're running a home daycare. I do not see the sense in it.

[stevenstwin]

Yes, other people here have had the same problem and have had to choose between fostering and daycare. It must vary by state - it is not a problem where I live. But I certainly understand your disappointment over this, because I think it really is a ridiculous ruling. I always thought, though, that it was more of a safety and security thing - since it is possible a daycare child might harm a foster child, and it means more adults in and out of your home, etc.

[NicoleP80]

Originally Posted by stevenstwin

I always thought, though, that it was more of a safety and security thing - since it is possible a daycare child might harm a foster child, and it means more adults in and out of your home, etc.

I guess that does not make sense to me ?!

Foster children go to daycare, I have three in my daycare. A daycare kid could hard another daycare kid (or foster kid) at anytime. Just as a child at a playground could do that to a foster child or anyone else.

I don't see where the more adults come into play? Maybe with home visits? But those are state workers, cleared.

I dunno i just think the whole thing about being dual licensed is just plain silly to be honest! I am so sad about it and we can't choose to just STOP doing daycare as we make GOOD money doing it. My income doing daycare pays 95% if not 98% of the bills.

Owell...just had to rant. I am so so sad about it. I just don't get it and no one can give me a straight reason as to WHY they don't allow it in WA state. There are various opinions/reasons and none of them make a lick of sense. I always say "then why can I do daycare for foster kiddos for 10 to 12 hours a day but not have them here for the other 12 of sleeping time?!"

Blah!

[SweetyBaby]

I'm sorry that you've run into this road block. Here in PA you can have a Group day care (up to 12 kids) but your own kids count in the space ratio. I don't see why they can't just ask you to keep spots open for any future foster kids. I have a home day care for up to 6 kids and my own kids don't even count in that. Foster children are also the same. I can have 6 foster kids here on top of the 6 day care kids and it doesn't matter (not that I'd be crazy enough to do this). It doesn't make any sense.

[DTmama1]

I'm sorry. I'm in Indiana and have both a home daycare license and a foster care license. At one point I actually had two home daycares and a foster care license til we decided to close the house we live in to daycare.

[stevenstwin]

Originally Posted by NicoleP80

I don't see where the more adults come into play? Maybe with home visits? But those are state workers, cleared.

What I meant is that you have more adults coming in to your house (parents coming to pick up daycare kids) and since they aren't "cleared" maybe THAT is the reason to not allow foster children in the same house. Just guessing, as I know some districts but restrictions on foster children (for their safety) that are really extreme.