Given the amount of child abuse that apparently goes on. I’ve been reading comments on Yahoo! from daycare workers, and it seems that abuse is rampant throughout the system. Same thing goes for elder care, too.
3 kids and 2 went to nursery/preschool here with no issues.
Rampant is a loaded word and, while I am not going to say there isn’t abuse here, because I am sure it exists in every country, I also try not to feed into the idea that if 20 people comment on an online post/video/etc, then “everyone is xxx” where xxx can be whatever the topic is.
Do your own research on the preschools in your area, get to know parents in the neighborhood who used the schools before, get to know the staff at the school you choose, and talk to your kids/monitor their mood/etc…. If something doesn’t seem right, follow your gut.
If you read the crime section on a news site often, you’ll feel you’re next.
Pay attention to your kid and choose their daycare carefully. At my daughter daycare they tell me even about tiny spot from a fall. Despite that I always talk with my daughter to ask about her day.
I have an inside viewpoint too, because I worked for two places (private, many parents have no other options) where I was hired on the spot, without background or credential checks. One of those places never even asked for my last name! They just asked me how soon I could start: “Tomorrow okay?” The turnover rate was incredibly high – some carers quit within a week, because they couldn’t handle the workload – and we were always desperately short staffed.
I was not offered any form of disaster or safety training. Not even basic first aid.
I must say that I never witnessed any form of abuse, or even raised voices, at either of those places. The kids were treated like gold. We did hide certain things from the parents, though.
I never took a lunch break. I was too busy. Sometimes I went from changing a diaper to spoon feeding a kid without washing my hands. There was never enough time for it.
I was paid ¥1,000 yen an hour. I lasted less than six months at each place. One of the bosses actually cried when I handed in my notice.
3 comments
3 kids and 2 went to nursery/preschool here with no issues.
Rampant is a loaded word and, while I am not going to say there isn’t abuse here, because I am sure it exists in every country, I also try not to feed into the idea that if 20 people comment on an online post/video/etc, then “everyone is xxx” where xxx can be whatever the topic is.
Do your own research on the preschools in your area, get to know parents in the neighborhood who used the schools before, get to know the staff at the school you choose, and talk to your kids/monitor their mood/etc…. If something doesn’t seem right, follow your gut.
If you read the crime section on a news site often, you’ll feel you’re next.
Pay attention to your kid and choose their daycare carefully. At my daughter daycare they tell me even about tiny spot from a fall. Despite that I always talk with my daughter to ask about her day.
I have an inside viewpoint too, because I worked for two places (private, many parents have no other options) where I was hired on the spot, without background or credential checks. One of those places never even asked for my last name! They just asked me how soon I could start: “Tomorrow okay?” The turnover rate was incredibly high – some carers quit within a week, because they couldn’t handle the workload – and we were always desperately short staffed.
I was not offered any form of disaster or safety training. Not even basic first aid.
I must say that I never witnessed any form of abuse, or even raised voices, at either of those places. The kids were treated like gold. We did hide certain things from the parents, though.
I never took a lunch break. I was too busy. Sometimes I went from changing a diaper to spoon feeding a kid without washing my hands. There was never enough time for it.
I was paid ¥1,000 yen an hour. I lasted less than six months at each place. One of the bosses actually cried when I handed in my notice.