Is special care needed with "new management?

Daycare issue advice needed?

• My then 2 year old boy got terminated by the daycare at the end of last year. My child had been there for a whole year before the termination happened. I tried to resolve the termination issue with the daycare but was not successful. Let me tell some facts. In the contract I signed with them, it says either party can terminate the contract by giving one month notice. In the parents handbook, there is a termination policy "...has the right to refuse admission or terminate the enrolment of a child or parent with any severe behaviours has the right to refuse admission or terminate the enrolment of a child or parent with any severe behaviours that could in any way effect the well-being of the other children in the program. Termination can only happen when all resources have been accessed and behaviour continues, and only if the parent is uncooperative with any attempts to help the child." If the termination policy in the handbook takes priority, it doesn’t apply to my kid because all the caregivers love him. In the termination meeting I had with executive director, she was so angry and didn't allow me to say a single word. She didn't give the reason about why it was terminated. I recently found out from the license holder it was because they can't meet my family’s needs. I believe there was some misunderstanding. In Sept. last year, I called licensing dept. about whether outside food can be brought into the daycare. Since my boy started at the daycare, I supplemented my boy’s breakfast with some homemade porridge and fresh fruit. He doesn’t drink milk and eat eggs. He doesn’t eat cereal s and doesn’t much breakfast at the daycare. But when he moved to toddler’s room, the at that time new daycare manager told me I could not bring food from home anymore and after one week, she stopped giving the food I brought in to my child and she says the daycare has a policy of no outside food is allowed (but she didn’t tell me about the exception clause when a special diet is needed parents can bring their own food). I called licensing dept. about the food policy to daycare but they insisted to have an investigation of the daycare even though I told them I don’t want an investigation because I will have a meeting with the daycare about this in a week. The reason I called is because I want to have some idea about the food policy before I talk to daycare and I was also frustrated as well. In the licensing investigation report posted at the daycare, it wrote the complaint was unfounded(they believe the daycare did a good job of meeting children’s nutrition needs). The issue about bringing food to daycare was later resolved very well with daycare manager’s boss. But the licensing dept’s investigation and their wording in the report certainly seeded problem about my relationship with the daycare. Later I had issue with the daycare manager about her carrying out the policy differently in different age room and lied about a health dept policy and she also lied about me filling out a survey but I didn’t. I reported the two dishonest behaviours to her boss in Sept. 2008 because I think as a leader of the daycare, her role model is not only important to staff but also is an example for children. But I never heard back anything about dishonest issue and two months later I got the termination notice. At the same time, there was a staff resigning from the daycare and she told me she could not stand the management style from the new daycare manager and it made her feel very stressful. This lady is very passionate about child care. My kid was in her room and every parent loves her. She moved out of her parents’ house to a place closer to the daycare in order to get to work early. I believe the daycare manager reported me as a bad person to her executive director and made her treated me like an enemy. My child really likes the daycare and he still often says I like this teacher and that kid… Every time it just breaks my heart. The daycare had no communication with me before the termination and afterwards. Recently I wrote email to the executive director that I would like to find out what I can do on my side to make it work for the daycare. She came back with an email saying they will not provide child care for my family now or in the future. I felt extremely upset and discriminated. They are in the business of taking care of children. It doesn’t make me feel they put kids’ benefits in the first place when they make a decision. I don’t know legally if I can say it’s a wrongful termination. I hope there is some lawyer can help me answer this question. I tried BBB but they couldn’t help. Anything else I can do to bring my child back to the daycare he loves?!! I feel I failed badly as a parent. Thanks so much for any help!

• Answer:

  Don't worry, you didn't fail as a parent. The daycare is at fault. You could argue the legality until the cows come home, maybe even get them to take your child back. But as the first answer stated, why would you want your son back at this place anyway? You're being a good mom in providing your child with homemade food that he'll want to eat and they're upset about this, lieing, etc.? I mean, really, they're supposed to be the grown-ups right. At my daughter's preschool, there are children in her class with dietary restriction due to allergies or religious beliefs. The school tries to be accomodating in their menu but if a parent prefers to provide a different meal, they are more than welcome to. Heck, sometimes my daughter just doesn't want to eat their lunch because she feels like something different and they let her bring in another lunch anyway.