Can you believe this?

[Blazin]

IRVING TOWNSHIP, Mich. – Each day before the school bus comes to pick up the neighborhood's children, Lisa Snyder did a favor for three of her fellow moms, welcoming their children into her home for about an hour before they left for school.

Regulators who oversee child care, however, don't see it as charity. Days after the start of the new school year, Snyder received a letter from the Michigan Department of Human Services warning her that if she continued, she'd be violating a law aimed at the operators of unlicensed day care centers.

"I was freaked out. I was blown away," she said. "I got on the phone immediately, called my husband, then I called all the girls" — that is, the mothers whose kids she watches — "every one of them."

Snyder's predicament has led to a debate in Michigan about whether a law that says no one may care for unrelated children in their home for more than four weeks each calendar year unless they are licensed day-care providers needs to be changed. It also has irked parents who say they depend on such friendly offers to help them balance work and family.

On Tuesday, agency Director Ismael Ahmed said good neighbors should be allowed to help each other ensure their children are safe. Gov. Jennifer Granholm instructed Ahmed to work with the state Legislature to change the law, he said.

"Being a good neighbor means helping your neighbors who are in need," Ahmed said in a written statement. "This could be as simple as providing a cup of sugar, monitoring their house while they're on vacation or making sure their children are safe while they wait for the school bus."

Snyder learned that the agency was responding to a neighbor's complaint.

Granholm spokeswoman Liz Boyd said the agency was following standard procedure in its response. "But we feel this (law) really gets in the way of common sense," Boyd said.

"We want to protect kids, but the law needs to be reasonable," she said. "When the governor learned of this, she acted quickly and called the director personally to ask him to intervene."

State Rep. Brian Calley, R-Portland, said he was working to draft legislation that would exempt situations like Snyder's from coverage under Michigan's current day care regulations.

The bill will make it clear that people who aren't in business as day care providers don't need to be licensed, Calley said.

"These are just kids that wait for the bus every morning," he said. "This is not a day care."

Snyder, 35, lives in a rural subdivision in Barry County's Irving Township about 25 miles southeast of Grand Rapids. Her tidy, comfortable three-bedroom home is a designated school bus stop. The three neighbor children she watched — plus Snyder's first-grader, Grace — attend school about six miles away in Middleville.

Snyder said she started watching the other children this school year to help her friends; they often baby-sit for each other during evenings and weekends.

After receiving the state agency's letter, she said she called the agency and tried to explain that she wasn't running a day care center or accepting money from her friends.

Under state law, no one may care for unrelated children in their home for more than four weeks each calendar year unless they are licensed day-care providers. Snyder said she stopped watching the other children immediately after receiving the letter, which was well within the four-week period.

"I've lived in this community for 35 years and everyone I know has done some form of this," said Francie Brummel, 42, who would drop off her second-grade son, Colson, before heading to her job as deputy treasurer of the nearby city of Hastings.

Other moms say they regularly deal with similar situations.

Amy Cowan, 34, of Grosse Pointe Farms, a Detroit suburb, said she often takes turns with her sister, neighbor and friend watching each other's children.

"The worst part of this whole thing, with the state of the economy ... two parents have to work," said Cowan, a corporate sales representative with a 5-year-old son and 11-month-old daughter. "When you throw in the fact that the state is getting involved, it gives women a hard time for going back to work.

"I applaud the lady who takes in her neighbors' kids while they're waiting for the bus. She's enabling her peers to go to work and get a paycheck. The state should be thankful for that."

Amy Maciaszek, 42, of McHenry, Ill., who works in direct sales, said she believes the state agency was "trying to be overprotective."

"I think it does take a village and that's the best way," said Maciaszek, who has a 6-year-old boy and twin 3-year-old daughters. "Unfortunately you do have to be careful about that. These mothers are trying to do the right thing."


I think I would be banging on doors to figure out which nieghbor tattled on me! Then the state would have a legitimate reason to mess with me!

[Lt.Del]

i saw that on the Today show.  A neighbor, who doesn't like her life and wants others to be as miserable as she, reported this to social services.  Of course, the county is not going to investigate it BEFORE they threaten via letter to lock the person up and fine them for everything they have and ensure the parents have a tough time and feel guilty working.  Afterall Obama is making it so no one should work. That's all part of the plan it seems.

I love the fact that a state representative is on the friendly, caring mother's side.  She is, afterall, just trying to help out since the parents of the other children leave for work before the school bus gets there.  What's the alternative, one quit their job so they'd be there for an hour more for the bus?

I think this mother, for helping out her neighbors deserves a 'mother of the year' award, not threats of prison.

And, for someone to watch a kid or two, the state requires a license.  That's bull malarcky.  The state has to have their hand in everything because it is a business?  more taxes, more fees.  Do you know what it takes to convert a home to a day care business?  Exit signs, a certain square footage per person, a kitchen as big as a hotel's, 20 fire extinguishers, sprinklers, a playground the size of a city block, 15 bathrooms, heck, probably even needs an elevator. 

I took my kid to a neighborhood lady who watched him the first two years of his life.  She wasn't licensed.  I saw no need in it.  I am glad I live in Va. instead of some liberal nanny state.

[Donut]

Unfortunately, I do believe it.  In today's society, it's almost to be expected.  Forget party affiliation, it's just ALL parties trying to legislate common sense.
Just some p.o.'d neighbor using a bureaucrat (that is trying to justify their job) to get payback.  The one who turned them in probably runs a licensed day-care 2 doors down, and is losing business.

Years ago, someone tried turn my wife in for running an un-licensed day care.  When the city "goons" showed up and realized 2 out of the 3 kids were grandchildren, it stopped.

[oldredtruck]

 another fine example of "If the Government doesn't control it - it must be harmful"

 Uncle Sam is just supposed to defend us and create and maintain infrastructure - all this other stuff we can handle, and do quite well if they'd just stay out of it.

[Lt.Del]

Forget party affiliation

I beg to differ there.  Gov't is too big.  And, if one is not blind to current events, one would see one party is always trying to make gov't bigger, and bigger and bigger 'til it's just overwhelming.  Gov't controlling health care?  Why?  We've been doin pretty darn good for centuries in our capitalistic society. If you don't work, then yes, it's a problem.  There's a simple cure for that.

[smitty77]

I beg to differ there.  Gov't is too big.  And, if one is not blind to current events, one would see one party is always trying to make gov't bigger, and bigger and bigger 'til it's just overwhelming.  Gov't controlling health care?  Why?  We've been doin pretty darn good for centuries in our capitalistic society. If you don't work, then yes, it's a problem.  There's a simple cure for that.

Righton SgtDel!  I saw a news report on tv the other night that said a majority of Americans support the idea of a government run health care system similar to Medicare, but applying to all Americans.  What?  Are these people living in a cave?  Medicare is so "great" that a substantial portion of the elderly go out and pay for supplemental insurance, and I'm not talking just drug coverage but total health insurance, to cover the gaping holes in Medicare coverage.  The American public better wake up.  The way this is going, I'm going to have half of the coverage I do now, wait 3x longer to see a doctor, and get more sucked out of my paycheck for the privilege.

Back on topic.....

I'm with Blazin, I'd be banging on doors once I found the scumbag who snitched.

[Donut]

Forget party affiliation

I beg to differ there.  Gov't is too big.  And, if one is not blind to current events, one would see one party is always trying to make gov't bigger, and bigger and bigger 'til it's just overwhelming.  Gov't controlling health care?  Why?  We've been doin pretty darn good for centuries in our capitalistic society. If you don't work, then yes, it's a problem.  There's a simple cure for that.

I agree, govt. IS to big.  I said forget party affiliation because this stretches to the local level.  From what I've seen, and I'm from a state that has had R,D and other in power, NONE of them want to shrink govt.  They'll all talk about it, but nothing becomes of it.  They might lay off 50, but when nobody's paying attention, they'll hire 100.  Cut a program or jobs, they lose votes.  IMO, politicians should wear patches, like a NASCAR driver, to show off their sponsors.

Govt. controlled health care, meh, could care less one way or the other.  When I had insurance, the insurance company would tell me who I could see and what prescriptions I could take.  My choice, pay cash.  As of right now, I'm not working (not by choice) and I don't see myself returning to work soon.  I've been dealing with an insurance co jerking me around for a couple of years now.

Enough of my rant.  Personally I'd love to buy an island off the coast and become my own sovereign nation.

As far as the original post, the woman that was reported should have a pretty good idea who it was.  Some sort of payback should be in order. 

[oldredtruck]

vote all the freaks out...not many of them are worth their weight in manure anyhow....and with this record "Recession" - THEY HAVE THE AUDACITY TO VOTE FOR A PAY RAISE? - I don"t see how 535 politicians or whatever number is in DC can hold themselves so un responsible and basically think themselves omnipotent to rules and regulations we all abide by ---I didn't serve my 8 years active duty Marines without accountability and being held to a standard...and I was taught to respect history and Honor sacrifice - those freaks could care less... makes me pretty sad...they all live in some parallel universe with jacked up ideologies...I think I'll go volunteer at a crosswalk so they can flag me @ whitehouse.gov...pretty lame