Yearly Inspection

It's over for another year, which is good.  It seems like I run around trying to get everything in order for a month or so before they arrive, and STILL always forget something.

We got a new licensing rep this year- the last one was around for five or six years and they like to move them around to different areas every now and then.  The last gentleman would offer me pointed advice like, "you know, my clients who are organized do things *this* way...."  I will say in my defense that I've gotten much better with the paperwork over the years, and that they never have to get on to me for health or safety or ratio issues.  The paperwork system does elude me from time to time though...

I told the new lady that he used to tell me that, and she said, "Oh, so what you're saying is that I should go back to the office and tell him you didn't listen to a thing he said?"  Smiling, but still.  Oh well.  It's hard for me to not get flustered when you're not sure what they're going to ask for and every new person inspects in just a little different way.

In any case, we made it through.  There were a couple things they talked to us about- she doesn't like the food-grade disinfectant we use to clean the toys and diaper changing station.  (This is one of those things that I'm not sure if it's due to having a new rep, or if the codes have changed, but in twelve years everyone else has been okay with what I use.)  She wants me to use bleach water.  Honestly I'm not comfortable doing that.  You have to mix a new bottle every 24 hours because it breaks down and becomes worthless, and it's toxic.  If I ever mixed it too strongly it could cause more of a health issue than not disinfecting at all.  I want to be more natural and healthy here than just spraying bleach on things.  I'm going to look into some other options.  I definitely want to follow the rules AND also disinfect the way that is best for the kids.

O'Malley had a playdate that day and she wanted to see the paperwork for the friend.  I can totally see why- I am a licensed business and am supposed to have records for every child in residence.  However, as a mom, it's a little awkward to ask for shot records before my kid can have somebody over to play for an hour after school.  I always make sure that we're not full and that playdates don't mess with our ratios, but my kids have to give up so much by having this daycare in their home.  I hate to deny them the occasional social time bc of paperwork.  Anyway, she didn't write me up for that, which made me happy.  He's not somebody who's here regularly, and if he was, then I would get all his papers in order.  :)

Anna and I worked really hard to make sure that we got all our training hours accounted for and were ready with our paperwork for that.  However, I totally forgot that there's an online training course that we are supposed to retake every year.  She did say she was going to mark that as a violation, although I haven't seen it pop up in our file yet.  If she does, it will likely say that we haven't had SIDS and shaken baby training.  That doesn't look so good for the file, but I've taken it eleven times and just forgot to do it this year.  Hopefully that makes it a little better- it's an oversight in renewal, not that we don't have knowledge on the topic.

Anyway, I just like to be honest and upfront with the things going on around here, so there you have it.  Much better to explain everything than have people surprised by it.