I wrote a blog concerning the chain daycare center, I actually worked for one and know first hand what happens behind those walls. I have gotten few looks either because parents are stuck there, parents want 'any port in a storm' regardless of how shabby that port is, or they simply do not care.
I have a problem with complacency in America. I tell you that your child is probably not safe and yet you don't seem to get it. Why is this? Whatever the reasons, I'm continuing with my look behind chain daycare walls.
Some problems I encountered with 'teachers', I use that term loosely, were: One day a 'teacher' showed up wearing sheer white pants, minus underwear. Her excuse? "I didn't have a chance to do laundry yet." Um, OK. Underpants are light, can't wash some out in a bathroom sink and dry them over night? Wow, rocket science solved. I sent her ass home, Not exactly the scenery her class of 4 and 5 year old kids need to be staring at all day. Of course that 'teacher' had taken to flirting with a good looking dad each day. I told her to snag dates on her own time, not on my time. Of course, she called the overseer and complained I was being 'unfair.'
Another day, one of my 'teachers' didn't like her time slot for her lunch break. They were supposed to take turns on lunch breaks each day so all classes were covered when one was out to lunch. Her big, bad boyfriend decided to enter our lobby and at the top of his voice says: "Well why don't you tell that Bitch you want to leave now for lunch? If you don't tell her, I will." I went to the lobby and told him to leave, wait outside or I was calling the cops if he started something with me. Nice guy, I'd sure want him as my baby daddy. LOL NOT!
Another incident was when I caught a 'teacher' yanking on a little kid's arm to drag him back to circle and story time. I called her to my office and said I ever wanted to see that again and I sent her home and wrote her up. What happened? I got written up for being too harsh. Well, Kindercare, get your ass sued and see how ya like it then!
When I took the job, our kitchen person was there early to do food prep and let the parents and kids in the door, with a helper each day, the 'teachers' took turns coming early and leaving early (heaven forbid Kindercare paid anyone over time) to help with the kids. Well, the kitchen person decided to whine about helping let kids in early. I got to work by 7:30 daily, so they both were there without me for possibly one hour each day max. Well, kitchen loser quit, so now I had to put in over 12 hours daily to cook food and be there early with another person to let kids and parents in. Mind you, that kitchen person had been always doing that morning routine for years. New director, and she freaked, apparently.
The former director, come to find out, was buddy, buddy with traveling overseer. I mean they went to each other's houses, had cookouts, went vacationing together, etc. Former director decided she wanted to take te free trip to Vegas her husband had earned selling cars. She had used up all her vacation, sick days and personal time. She decided to 'resign' to go to Vegas. When she returned she took to visiting the daycare center. If you resigned, what in hell was she doing there twice a week? So eventually, the overseer found reasons to let me go so former director could have her job back. Planned all along? Probably.
I would go to overseer with parent complaints only to be told: "Those people always complain. You know how single, poor parents are." I said, frankly, no I guess I didn't know how they are. I used to be one, before and during college.
I had a weeks worth of training from former director before she split for Vegas. I will never forget one particular incident during training. She was showing me something on the computer (how to save Kindercare money of course) when a dad came in to get his kids. Apparently he owed some money, one week I think, and former director went out and started to yell at him over money. I mean she Yelled! Next thing I know she said: "You drunken piece of shit, you better pay up or your damned kids are out of here." Just the kind of language I would want my kids in daycare to hear.
The daycare would stoop to serving 2% milk to growing babies, not good, they need whole milk. But saying so got me in trouble. I know of a friend of mine who noticed her small child was being served 2% instead of whole and she went to the director of her daycare too. I'm glad her daycare listened. Not so of mine.
So drop in, unannounced, see how the classes are run and pay attention.
