ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Wednesday, May 29, 1996 TAG: 9605290097
SECTION: EDITORIAL PAGE: A6 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DONALD R. SAWYER
IN READING Penny S. Clyburn's letter to the editor (May 14, ``Flexible day-care programs needed''), it appears that she has picked one service industry to bear the brunt of her wrath. Do the phone company, electric company, cable company and others take into consideration her wages when they set their basic rates or do they not charge her the basic rates if she chooses not to use their services on any given day? Do they open early to accommodate her because her schedule conflicts with their operation hours?
As to not keeping children when they're ill, would she leave her child in good health in a place with sick children spreading germs? Does any school system keep ill children while their parents work?
The day-care industry in Virginia is regulated by state law as to how many children each type of facility may keep, how many workers are required per child, under what conditions the child may be kept, training hours for workers, types of food fed to children, etc. The operators must pay their costs for labor, utilities, etc., whether Clyburn's child is there or not. Another child cannot be put in that "space" at the last minute. And all too often when a child is "sick," it's an excuse to leave the child with a grandmother or another relative.
The people in the day-care business are here because, first and foremost, they love children and desire to see them have the best possible care. There have been reports lately about the low pay in the day-care field. We try to provide for our own needs and, at the same time, provide a service for parents. We must be open and have our employees present to care for the children, even if the children are not brought.
As to transporting children, we pay at our facility $2,000 a year in basic insurance. If we transported children, our insurance rates would double and we would have to charge higher rates to compensate.
Does Clyburn take into consideration the hours of training we must have each year in our "off-duty" time or the amount of time spent compiling records, preparing activities, etc., each day after the children leave? Does she think of the money spent for food, toys, bedding, etc., that are purchased so her child may be properly cared for?
If she wants day care to charge according to her pay, then she needs to look to the federal and state governments that have cut back funding on programs that subsidized day care and allowed centers to adjust their rates according to income. If she feels she's being treated unfairly or overcharged, then she should look for another facility that's better suited to her needs.
There are numerous grocery stores, service stations and department stores that she can choose to use. Similarly, there are various types of day-care facilities that provide different services in respect to hours of operation, transportation, etc. She should find the one that provides what she needs at a rate she can afford.
Donald R. Sawyer, whose wife owns a day-care facility in Galax, is a Baptist pastor.
LENGTH: Medium: 58 linesby CNB