Michigan threatens mom with fines - AND JAIL - for watching friends' kids

[jodifla]

This is completely nuts! No wonder so many people are fleeing Michigan with poor decision making like this in Lansing.

A mom watches 3 friends kids in the a.m. before their bus comes so the parents (silly them!) can go to work and support themselves.

And, she's doing it for FREE, but Michigan still wants to stick its nose in the matter. They've sent her a letter threatening fines.

The woman from the state who told the mom that the kids should just get umbrellas and wait outside in the rain or snowstorm should be FIRED IMMEDIATELY!



http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090929/NEWS06/90929012&s=d&page=12#pluckcomments

 

[luvmy3]

*** Unbelievable.

Watching someone more than 4 hours a week requires a license. Whats next requiring someone to obtain a license if their kid's friends are over your house playing for more than 4 hours a week.

 

[JEmaryland]

I saw them on the Today Show this morning. I hope the neighbor who "ratted them out" feels real proud of themselves.

 

[MushyMushy]

Insanity!

 

[jodifla]

http://www.wwj.com/pages/5324865.php?


State Tells Mom To Stop Babysitting Neighbors' Kids

Middleville, MI (WWJ) -- A Grand Rapids-area woman is being threatened with fines and possible jail time for babysitting her neighbor's children. Lisa Snyder's house is at a bus stop and she lets the children come into her home to wait for the bus on school mornings.

In an interview with WWJ, West Michigan State Representative Brian Calley couldn't believe the Department of Human Services was serious about calling this organized day care.

"I called the department because I assumed it was just a misunderstanding of some sort, and when I talked to the department it was explained to me that it was no misunderstanding and this was the way that they were interpreting the law," Calley said.

Snyder, who also spoke with WWJ, said that she doesn't accept money from her friends for the brief child-watching. She feels the DHS is playing hardball.

"If another complaint came in...they would actually be in my driveway and want to come into my house," she said, adding that possible jail time followed a third complaint.




Snyder says she baby sits for free and has known the children and their families for years. One of the children no longer comes over each morning, while another now waits on the front porch.

Calley is seeking to change state law to make state day-care law exceptions for people who watch their friends' children.

Copyright 2009 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

 

[Ciao Mickey]

This is completely nuts! No wonder so many people are fleeing Michigan with poor decision making like this in Lansing.

A mom watches 3 friends kids in the a.m. before their bus comes so the parents (silly them!) can go to work and support themselves.

And, she's doing it for FREE, but Michigan still wants to stick its nose in the matter. They've sent her a letter threatening fines.

The woman from the state who told the mom that the kids should just get umbrellas and wait outside in the rain or snowstorm should be FIRED IMMEDIATELY!



http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090929/NEWS06/90929012&s=d&page=12#pluckcomments

I heard about this today on the radio.

Are you really that surprised? By golly, doesn't Big Brother know best? It takes a village and all of that.

This is the road that alot of people in this country want to run down. The trouble is they don't realize what's at the end of it...

 

[jodifla]

I heard about this today on the radio.

Are you really that surprised? By golly, doesn't Big Brother know best? It takes a village and all of that.

This is the road that alot of people in this country want to run down. The trouble is they don't realize what's at the end of it...

The reason it surprises me is that there's no money involved. No money, nothing for the state to regulate.

It seems blatantly unconstitutional to me....we can assemble with whomever we choose!

 

[crz4mm2]

I guess "admitting" she was Babysitting is what did it??? jeez.

I know there are "rules" for everything including child care, but maybe they are just "playing" at her house That would be my story

 

[luvmy3]

The reason it surprises me is that there's no money involved. No money, nothing for the state to regulate.

It seems blatantly unconstitutional to me....we can assemble with whomever we choose!

This is the scariest part. What happens when you watch a friends child for the weekend, while they go away, or god forbid are incapacitated for some reason? This State has pushed its boundries way too far.

 

[Briarmom]

What if you have playdates?

 

[LittleBlue22]

What if you have playdates?

"...Snyder's predicament has led to a debate in Michigan about whether a law that says no one may care for unrelated children in their home for more than four weeks each calendar year unless they are licensed day-care providers needs to be changed. It also has irked parents who say they depend on such friendly offers to help them balance work and family...." (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090929/ap_on_re_us/us_baby_sitter_backlash_mich)

Bmom, according to the law, you better choose your four weeks of play dates carefully. This story makes me boil. It does make me wonder if my state has similar legislation What is this MI law called so I can look for it in my state? Have any of you found a name/title for it yet?

Possible Jail! - wow, sad.

 

[disneybound2010]

I guess "admitting" she was Babysitting is what did it??? jeez.

I know there are "rules" for everything including child care, but maybe they are just "playing" at her house That would be my story

According to what was said on the Today show, the woman asked this question and was told that IF the children's parents were home, the kids were visiting, but if the parents went to work or to run errands it became babysitting...made no sense to me. Either way, the woman has the children in her home so she would be watching them to ensure their safety, which is all she was trying to do in the first place by not making them stand at the bus stop.

I love that Big Brother is now telling us who we can associate with in our own homes

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

How interesting since we were discussing support systems to help with jury duty on the other thread.

This was just for a few hours before waiting for the bus. I can't imagine what the state would do if the mom needing help had jury duty.

I guess weekly slumber parties are out of the question.

What a crappy neighbor for reporting and what an insane overstepping of boundaries by the state.

 

[bookgirl]

How much you wanna bet the reporting parent has a child who was not invited to wait for an hour inside the house?

 

[lillygator]

wow, definitely not the kind of neighbor I would like.

 

[redlight]

That's insane.

 

[monkeybug]

How much you wanna bet the reporting parent has a child who was not invited to wait for an hour inside the house?

My first thought was that maybe it was someone who runs a daycare and was irked that some potential customers were getting before school care for free.
I think this law is ridiculous!! I swap with a few moms for preschool, we each take turns hosting classes at our house while the other moms run errands or whatever. It saves us from paying for preschool with out the hassle of having to teach everyday like a traditional home school. I guess in Michigan that would be against the law!

 

[DisneyBamaFan]

My wife does this for a friend. She said, if they do something like this in NJ, they will have to arrest me.

No way this law would stand up under a suit. It is clearly unconstitutional...

 

[Stacerita]

I guess there isn't enough real cases for DHS to look into that they have to been involved in this woman's kindness.

 

[java]

I would be in the same trouble. I used to watch my friends son after school for free. I watched him for a little over an hour every day after school. My friend was going back to school herself and wasn't getting home in time. And didn't want to stress it. And I didn't mind.

Really that is insanity.