The standards are not clearly written nor are they easy to understand. Many educated people have a hard time finding the regulations easily accessible for each age group. If I want to know about standards for infants I should be able to access an infant manual. The regulations should be categorized according to age and there should be some consistency for interpretation. Violations are given as "a need to find a violation" as opposed to what is clearly the best practice for our children. Most of us want to do the best for our children but are so worried about misinterpreting a standard that ultimately the focus is removed from our client- these wonderful kids- and more focus is given to interpreting the legal-ese standard.

I am an advocate of consistency and best practice for all Centers. I do not believe we have to make rules confusing in order to be consistent. Let's work together to develop a "dos and don'ts list" to avoid confusion and encourage real family advocates to undertake the real life job of caregiver.

Mary Posey

The Learning Center   Kilmarnock, VA 804-435-6221

To Whom it May Concern:

The regulations are not clearly written or organized.  For instance there are different regulations for Monessori, residential, preschool, religious entities, etc.  However, to find all the information that pertains to a certain type of facility it is necessary to search throughout the standards.  It is very difficult for new staff to read over the standards and understand what is perfinent and what is not.  I have resorted to going through the standards and highlight what they must know.  One should be able to go to a separate sections in the standards, each covering regulations for that type of facility.

Many of the standards are difficult to put in to practice.  While they are all understandable, they are not practical.  An example being the changing table mats.  Of course they need to be cleaned and sanitized after each use, but air dry them?  When you have a room full of two year olds needing to be changed, air drying is not really reasonable.  Should a clothes line be installed in the classroom so that the staff  can hang 10 mats?

I agree with most of the standards, but at times I feel that the standards are created by people who do not spend a great deal of time in a classroom.  I also feel that some of the standards are put in place because some foolish person has jeapordized the children in her care. 

One of the most outlandish of the standards is the requirement to keep activated charcoal.  EMT's no longer administer it,  it is administered when the individual arrives at the hospital.  Still, I am required to spend over $20.00 on a bottle of medicine that I am not allowed to use is ridiculous.  I will be written up if I don't comply with an outdated standard!  How long will I have to wait until something this ridiculous is removed from the stardards?

Overall I think the standards are good and reasonable, but I feel some are so difficult that it becomes nearly impossible to avoid being written up. 

Sincerely,

Kimberly P Nolte