We are not allowed to babysit?

I used to babysit and back then you could have 5 or 6 and it depended on their ages. It was less if there were infants. If you are taking care of more than 5 or 6 then odds are you are running a day care and I get why you need to be licensed. Two children? You are probably doing it for your friend or a family member to help them out. and earn a little cash on the side. It's all about money. If you have a license then the government can keep track of your earnings and you'll have to pay taxes on them which means you'll have to charge higher rates to make it worth your while to babysit. Right now, most daycares are charging 10.00 per hour and my daughter only earbs 7,80 per hour so what is the point in her working? there'd be no point in her working. I take the baby on my nights off so she can work and a friend takes him for really cheap on the other nites. This is illegal now? The government is literally controlling us but ya know what, we allow it. I'd be curious as to just what the point is in such a law. So they can tax the sitter's earnings?

I believe we can still babysit for family members. This has been the law as long as I can remember, and I don't think it has anything to do with taking away our privileges, but more of a protective measure for the children that are being watched. I use to run a licensed child care in my home, and the license doesn't cost any money. The government needs to keep track of who is watching our children, for safety's sake.

Wow!! This is getting unreal. Anymore it seems like almost anything you try to do you have to have a license, or permit or something, and then they have people watching you like a Hawk. They say it is the Tax Dollars they are protecting? But with kids... makes you wonder. Do they actually screen the people watching our kids? When you continue to hear of so many places being busted for Child Abuse, neglect, or failure to keep the place clean, etc. it makes you wonder.

Here in Australia, you can't really babysit unless you have a blue card whixh is like a police clearance to say you can work with kids...some people even have to have them if they are building something on a school property because of being in the same grounds as the kids. I guess it keeps most (unfortunately not the ones under the radar) of the sickos away from the kids which is a good thing.

wow. this is terrible. i didnt know about it. is it everywhere in the USA? or just your state? or maybe i should look to see where you are but thought your in usa.

Unfortunately ,yes. I am aware that we can't babysit anymore with out a license. Part of it is due to liabilities. If something happens to the child we are taking care of then the parents will sue us. Unless we are taking care of family's children then it is a different matter. What I know is we got to go to classes for babysitting and then pay and get the license for daycare. And I think there is a minimum age limit for a person to be able to babysit. But I also think that if you are taking care of family or friends kids and they know that you don't have a license but still they want you to take care of their kids then I don't think you'll get a call from Child Protective Services.It is only when you take care of other people's kids outside of your family and friends that you get a call. Because somebody has to inform the Child Protective Services that you don't have a license and most of the time it is the parent outside of your family or friends circle. Also I think the government thinks babysitting is a business so when you get a license you will pay taxes on your earnings. And you are right, that is crazy.

The laws vary from state to state. I do not know the rules now. I am sure it is more complicated than when I was licensed. I am sure there are background checks,, etc. The problem is that there are not very many standards home daycares have to follow and unfortunately children have been seriously injured and even killed in unregulated home day care situations. I do not like it that things have gone this way, but I feel that they are trying to protect children.

I did not know that. That is crazy. They just want to be able to collect taxes form people who do home day care now. It is good for the parents because they can put it on their taxes, but is stinks for the sitter because now they have to claim those earnings. Those earnings are usually not enough with just a couple kids to have to pay taxes on them,rediculous. I can see for 5 kids that is a lot but 2 or even 3 so not necessary. Does that count for relatives who watch their grand kids or nieces or nephews too?

I didn't know they changed it either. That is ridiculous, every way one can earn a bit extra to pay these bills that keep going up and up, the government is getting there piece of it.

I never heard of this before. I babysat my granddaughter for almost 3 years in my home without a license. I never heard of such a thing. No one ever said anything to me and this was when I was living in New Mexico. Its very scary that the government would be doing this to us and making us pay yet for another thing, such as a license to watch a child in our home. Give me a break. Oh maybe its ok for me because it was my grandchild not a strangers child? Do I have that right?

Hi Mac!. OMG your country has so many rules . Its make me wonder even a baby siting need a license. I think thats were to much and only give much more benefit to that expensive day care. I mean most parent will only put their child with someone they believe. At here most parent who work put their child in their parent house to ensure their safety.

It's all about they money, licence isn't free for sure, governments are just looking for new methods to take the money from people. Or have there been any accidents that now the licence is just required that there would be someone who would be guilty?

oh, my god! seems everything is going to be formal; but second thought is is the government making money from that? yes, of course! my god!