Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Mom Can't Watch Neighbors Kids in MI? Seriously, people.


As a mother finding out that a parent who was helping out some neighbor moms by making sure their children got onto the bus safely was threatened with jail time floored me. They had to be kidding, right? But no, they weren't.

She was doing this as a good parent to ensure that kids were safe. She took no money, but her reward was another neighbor complaining that for less than an hour this woman was watching children without a license. It's insane. What is up with this tattle-telling neighbor and what kind of archaic law do they have on the books.

According to the law:

A home can qualify as a child care operation if one to seven minor children -- all unrelated to the caregivers -- receive care and supervision there for less than 24 hours a day and for more than four weeks in a year.


In my humble opinion, the neighbor complaining must not have kids. It could even be a pedophile wanting to make sure they have easier access to the kids. Regardless, for the state to try and threaten a woman doing an act of kindness is ridiculous.

The law, which is so poorly written and which should have never been allowed on the books to begin with, could prohibit parents from having sleep overs or even having kids playing with each other in private homes. Parents would not be able to have friends watch their children for a night out.

I'm not the only one that found this situation bizarre, MI State Rep. Brian Calley, , said "agency officials, in his view, were interpreting a 36-year-old statute regulating day care centers more broadly than necessary." When trying to help out the parent in question he was told that this was a "legal matter." The state of Michigan has officially decided that the law and the proposed punishment of the mother was over the top. They are planning on working on amending the law.

I say, leave the parents alone here. I would be grateful to have someone that would look out for the safety of my children if I had to work. Them threatening a woman for keeping children safe is ludicrous.

No comments: