Daycare providers blindsided by licence losses

Many home daycare providers were shocked to be told last week they had lost their childcare licences, however, the province says it started working with them immediately to get their licences back.

The suspension of licences, affecting 27 home-care providers from Yarmouth to Windsor, occurred because the Yarmouth daycare provider agency they were licensed through had its licence revoked – not because of wrongdoing at the provider location itself, but because of what the province said was lack of oversight over a home-based centre located elsewhere.

Oversight responsibility of agencies licensed by the province – which this provider was – includes home approval, and management and monitoring of family home-care providers.

“The province licenses 14 family home daycare agencies who have the responsibility for monitoring individual childcare providers who come under the agency. We were alerted about a serious health and safety concern that involved a family home daycare provider,” the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development said in a statement.

It did not name the home daycare providers.

“An investigation of the agency responsible for the family home daycare provider revealed that they were not meeting their oversight responsibility under the Nova Scotia Day Care Act and Regulations. As a result, we revoked the agency’s licence.”

This meant some home daycare providers learned Nov. 28 that their licences were also revoked.

“While preparing lunch … for the children I had a knock at my door. I found two women with name badges holding an envelope and telling me that my friends, my strength and confidants, had lost their childcare licence and that meant that I, too, being licensed through them, had lost mine,” wrote a daycare provider in a letter. The person, who has been providing homebased daycare for 16 years, did not want her name used. “They informed me that I had to tell all my parents that I was no longer licensed and that meant that any parents that I had that were subsidized by Nova Scotia would now no longer be, starting immediately.”

The woman said she and other providers were blindsided and she added she has always been fully supported and assisted by the agency provider she was licensed through.

“I was told that I can go with another licensed business, but I don’t want to. I have learned to depend on, love and respect these ladies and I have no desire to look anywhere else. I can’t imagine a more dedicated and loving set of women to work with,” she said about her agency provider.

But over the weekend the woman said she was able to be licensed under a new agency so she can continue to offer the same services.

“We understand the challenge this presents the family home daycares, children and families under their supervision and care. We have a comprehensive plan in place to seamlessly transition the family home daycares to a different agency. And, we are helping impacted families,” department spokeswoman Pam Menchento said as part of the department’s statement. “(As of Dec. 2) 25 of the 27 family home daycares have been connected to other agencies, allowing them the option to continue as a licensed family home daycare provider. We are continuing to follow up and support providers and families they serve to ensure a smooth transition.”