Kindercare Learning Center Director allowed a person to take my two children when she didn't know if she was allowed Chesapeake Virginia

Wednesday, April 02, 2008


Statement by a mother of a Kindercare worker and two young child care recipients:


My daughter worked for Kindercare on Mt Pleasant for a year. I also have two young children in the center. The centers new director had a meeting with the employees before beginning work to let them know her new rules. She had stated some rules, which I did not agree with (including not allowing the babies to hold their own bottles or to fall asleep in swings). I called early this morning to let them know that they were not to follow these rules with my 10 month old child. She could, and would hold her own bottle and she was to be left alone if she fell asleep in a place other then her crib. A few hours later my daughter called to say she had been dismissed because the director had told her that she was not allowed to have my baby drink her bottle in the swing. They disagreed about it and the director told her to leave. While my daughter was gathering the younger children and their supplies she called me and explained what had happened. After hanging up with her, I called the director and asked her side of the story. In the middle of talking she cut herself off and stated Just for your information, your daughter is walking out of here right now with two children. You do have two children here, dont you? I confirmed this and she went on to state, Well, shes walking out of here with two kids, and I dont even know if she has the authority to take them but Im going to check the paperwork on that in a minute. And shes putting them in the car without car seats. I stated that my daughter did have car seats when she left with the kids this morning so I was sure she still had them. The director insisted, Im standing here watching her put them in the car and she doesnt have any car seats. Im going to go ahead and let her go though since you said they were yours.

This situation brings up a number of problems. The first is that as the person overall responsible for young children in a Kindercare, she decided she could make decisions regarding my child and override my own decisions. I did confirm with licensing that her rules were not correct and not following the law so I had the right to choose how my child was cared for. The two more serious concerns of course, are that she stated to me that she was watching a worker whom she did not know, and had just finished arguing with, leave the building with two children whom she was unsure of whether the worker had right or authority to. She also stated that she was going to allow her to take the children without car seats. This is not just wrong, it is illegal. Be reassured that my daughter did have car seats, and in actuality my daughter did not put the children in the car, another worker did. The director was lying about the whole thing. She said that she was going to go ahead and let my daughter take them this way because I said they were mine. There is a number of problems with this: first, I am just a person who called, shes never even met me let alone know me so what authority does a voice over the phone have over two children being taken from their care? Second, I was not there and therefore had no idea of what children were being taken so it could have been any of the numerous children in that center. Third, even if she was one hundred percent convinced that I had the authority, and My daughter had the children she was allowed to have, it is still ILLEGAL to let her drive away without the kids being in car seats.

On a final note, at the end of the conversation the director stated that she thought it better if I talked with her supervisor and said she would pass my information on to him. When I said that was fine and did not give further information, she said I was going to have to give her my name and number as Im not even sure whom I am talking to. She told all this personal information to someone whom she wasnt sure who they were in the situation, not to mention the above-mentioned authority of a person to take the children, from a person she wasnt even sure of their name?

This is the person who just fired my daughter for stating that she had to do what I wanted with my children. Rational?

Thank you for your help in this situation, I'm very concerned The director is responsible for the lives of children when she obviously has no sense of responsibility or know the difference between right and wrong.

Thank you for your time and consideration,

Julees
Chesapeake, Virginia
U.S.A.