Aries
Taurus
Gemini
Cancer
Leo
Virgo
Libra
Scorpio
Sagittarius
Capricorn
Aquarius
PiscesMom Ordered to Stop Babysitting Friends' Kids
Matt Lauer talks to Lisa Snyder, three of her friends, and Michigan state Rep. Brian Calley.
Authorities say Michigan mom Lisa Snyder could face misdemeanor charges for caring for her neighbors' kids for free.
When school started on September 8, Lisa Snyder told her friends they could drop their kids off at her house on their way to work, and their kids could wait for the bus there. The kids would be at Lisa's house less than an hour each morning. She didn't ask for payment -- she was just helping out her friends.
Three days later, on September 11, Snyder got a letter from the Michigan Department of Human Services telling her that someone -- presumably another neighbor -- had complained that she was running an illegal day care center. Snyder was told that she had to either get a license to run such a service, or face fines and up to 90 days in jail.
Hear Snyder's unbelievable story here:
Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy
"It takes a village, but I guess in Michigan we're saying it takes a licensed village," Michigan state Rep. Brian Calley told Lauer, referring to the title of Hillary Clinton's book about raising children. He is trying to change the law, which dates back to 1973, and says that anyone who watches an unrelated person's child for a period of 28 days a year is running a day care center and has to have a license. It doesn't matter if the child is being watched for five minutes a day or five hours.
Snyder told "Today" that she called DHS to try to find out why she needed a license when she was just watching her friends' children and wasn't being paid.
"I said that the children should be able to come into my house if it's raining or there's a snowstorm," Snyder explained. "The lady said to me, plain and simple, 'Tell the parents to buy an umbrella.' She was serious."
Snyder says she also asked if the kids could come to her house for playdates. She was told that if the children's parents were at home during the playtime, it was OK, but if they dropped the kids off to play and then went to the store or out to dinner, it was no longer a playdate -- it was day care.
As mothers, we are just outraged by this! Now we're not allowed to help each other out? Sometimes it feels like the whole world is against us moms ... and this is one of those times.
What do you think about this archaic law? Comment below.
- share:
-
-
-
more:
- |
- 56 Comments
So…what your saying is that if grandparents have their grandchildren come over and visit/stay overnight or a few days and the parents leave…then it’s a daycare? Give me a break.
She shouldn’t have to worry about the whole 28 day thing though, because of weekends.
But this is just ridiculous.
this is exactly the kind of thing I do all the time for my family and friends. I am always the backup for babysitting, if a summer program ends and they need 2 days to regroup, or if a child is forced to stay home sick but a parent simply can not take another day off work, or if my sister and her hubby want to go on a rare yet deserved date night and my nieces come by for a sleepover! So now its mandatory that when a sleepover is occurring that ALL parents be found sitting at home by their phones??
I think that person she spoke to is over thinking this issue. The dept is embarrassed and seem to now be scrambling to make sense of an illegitimate claim when they should simply be backing off once they investigated and proved she is not attempting to run a daycare facility!
Here are some other crazy laws on the books in Michigan…
It is illegal to kill a dog using a decompression chamber.
No man may seduce and corrupt an unmarried girl, or else he risks five years in prison.
A woman isn’t allowed to cut her own hair without her husband’s permission.
You may not swear in front of women and children.
Wow, that is totally ridiculous. They should find the neighbor who reported her and let the kids hang out on their lawn in the morning to wait for the bus. Then we will see how much the neighbor appreciates the fact that she watches the kids in the morning.
It’s a slippery slope when you choose to apply your own discretion to laws… if you don’t agree with it, change it. But you still have to adhere to the laws while they apply.
i think whoever said something needs something better to do than watch someone else’s house everyday for 28 days.
P.S. - its “unrelated” children. And the law is crap; I’ve written to my reps to do something about it.
Geee…what a great place to relocate your business. Michigan - Get the Upper Hand…yea, across your face. So much for those commercials.
I’m not usually the type to fight. But she needs to fight this tooth and nail this is ludicris. As for the neighbor that complained they are morons and seriously need to get a life. In most states laws like this have to do with home many children are in your home she can’t have that many kids waiting for the bus. This has got to be one of the dumbest things I’ve ever heard. But now that it’s getting national attention maybe they will change the law. I’m sure there are hundreds of people that are breaking this law. Are they going to go door to door looking for childcare liscenses? Apparently, Michigain is not a child friendly state they would rather have our kids abducted waiting for the bus alone. HOW STUPID!
This is the most stupid idiotic law I have ever heard of. The woman was only trying to be a good neighbor. There should be more people like her.
lot about you
If I were a judge, I’d throw this out in a heartbeat. It’s ridiculous.
….and….
The law has been amended and is expected to be signed today. Votes were 37-0 in the MI Senate, no idea on the House.
You know something is redingediculousness when you can get all the Michigan Senators to agree on changing it.
This is the welcome page for the dentaldoctor.us Association web site.
This is the welcome page for the dietguidance.us Association web site.
You gave me some fantastic suggestions for my own internet site.
Excellent site. Thanks, have a good day!
Useful site. Great post, very informative and easy to understand.
thats crazy! if more people did this, maybe less kids would be stolen from the bus stop or on their way to or from it! this woman is a great person to do all this. michigan SUCKS!