Posted on 09/27/2009 10:17:39 AM PDT by Saije
State bureaucrats threaten to fine, jail a Michigan woman for watching her neighbors' kids.
Lisa Snyder of Middleville says her neighborhood school bus stop is right in front of her home. It arrives after her neighbors need to be at work, so she watches three of their children for 15-40 minutes until the bus comes.
The Department of Human Services received a complaint that Snyder was operating an illegal child care home. DHS contacted Snyder and told her to get licensed, stop watching her neighbors' kids, or face the consequences.
"It's ridiculous." says Snyder. "We are friends helping friends!" She added that she accepts no money for babysitting...
A DHS spokesperson would not comment on the specifics of the case but says they have no choice but to comply with state law, which is designed...
...wait for it...
...to protect Michigan children.
(Excerpt) Read more at reason.com ...
Friends helping friends only when of serves the state! When a bully pushes you, first you avoid them at all cost until you’ve had enough. Have you had enough?
Government completely out of control.
I’ll respect the law when the law becomes respectable. O/W they can kiss my A$$!!
Will the last person to leave Michigan please remember to turn out the lights?
It’s not child care if she’s not taking money.
If she is not receiving any financial compensation for this, the state’s claim that it is a day care is without merit.
While I do blame the government drones, I’d like to hear from all the morons who voted in this law, and the governor who signed it. What? Another case of reading being not fundamental to being a legislator?
Sounds like Zero Tolerance policy at work yet again. No room for discretion or common sense, just make sure everyone is 100% complicit with Article 79, Section 134, Sub-section 19, Paragraph 37, Sub-Paragraph 15 3/4, Line 179.
Yeesh.
As for the neighbor who called this in...hopefully someone will throw a bucket of water on her.
If kids were dropped off at the house for a birthday party would this person have to get a daycare license?
I can envision a not-too-distant future where you can have a party, but you have to install “DCFS Eye”...a Skype-like device whereby the government can benevolently monitor your event, for the sake of the children. At only a $50/hr charge to you.
Any state in their condition would do the same - the collective government is fighting for its very life and existence and they - will not go quietly into the good night.
The more relevant question is, really — “What if I DON’T?” As in, what is the state going to do to me if I don’t get a Child Care License and continue to watch my neighbor’s kid? Or have children for a birthday party?
It will make a nice headline and a great test case in the courts.
A graphic illustration that the state is an idiot.
First guess — a licensed day-care provider.
Second guess — a neighbor who thinks the kids are too noisy.
I didn’t think you needed a day care license to babysit a single family, no matter how many children are in the family.
The Law says cannot have kids for more than 4-wks annually.
If you take it LITERALLY, 4-wks = 672hrs annually
An hour and a half a day is only 547hrs.
/amateur-lawyering
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