Baby Care, Beware
Asian women prosecuted for running baby care centre Thursday, 19 August 2010 04:43
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DOHA: A group of Asian women have been prosecuted for running baby care facilities at their homes without a valid licence and in unhygienic conditions.
The Public Prosecution has referred the case to the court, according to Al Sharq. The women have been accused of putting the health of children at risk by not meeting even the basic standards of safety and security.
The incident has drawn attention to an illegal practice that has started among some expatriate communities in the recent past. The number of unlicensed “baby sitters” is on the rise with many housewives finding this an easy way to make money, the paper noted.
A number of working couples opt to leave their children in the custody of these women throughout the day without thinking much about the harm they could cause to their health and safety. They tend to avoid the authorised baby care facilities probably due to the high charges or because their location is not suitable for them.
There are strict regulations regarding the operation of such facilities. First of all, a licence is a must to run a baby care facility. Such facilities should be located in a quite place away from the bustle of the city, and the facility should provide enough space for the children and strictly meet health, hygiene and safety requirements. Most of these unauthorised facilities do not do so, as manifested by the said incident, said the paper.
http://www.thepeninsulaqatar.com/qatar/123875-asian-women-prosecuted-for...
The number of ads appearing on QL for this kind of service now disturbs me!
leaving children to be babysitted if you will go to work or just plain going to pleasure meet-ups, what justifies babysitting?
The articles said something about babysitting or day care (maybe in volume) that's why considered illegal. But if it is one-on-one, will it be considered illegal?
LOL jack!
Good move by the authorities. It's funny how we can trust our most valuable possessions to complete strangers...
somwerNdmiddle they are called DINKs...
yanni family with no kids are called DINKs....
yani...Double Income No Kids :)
andeee, what is a family without having kids?! wow!!!!
I will be facing this kind of dilemma soon as my mom will be leaving, her visit visa is expiring soon. in fact, i have been searching for a baby sitter. i would agree when we say that we are compromising or risking the safety of our children if we will send them to these kind of nurseries but we also need to understand that some parents are left with no other choice because as parents, they still prefer to keep their kids with them rather than sending them back home because at the end of the day after work, there's a time to bond during the evenings at bed time or during the weekends and public holidays. What matters is that their children will grow up with them and will live with them under one roof where there is an assurance of parental guidance and supervison plus peace of mind because you see your kidseveryday. I just hope that the government authorities who is scrutinizing this kind of practices (baby sitting services at their own home) will not put an end to this but rather find ways and means of developing/improving it to help the working parents, these children as well as these sitters whom I believe are not doing this just to earn but I'm sure they wish to help too!
Even some of the nurserys leave a lot to be desired. you really think that they employ qualified child care specialists in these places here...no they dont.. they are the same housewives that would otherwise be sittin at home... same thing different scenario...
I always say if you cannot afford to stay at home to look after your kids - then quite simply dont have any kids !!!!
s_isale,
for example if you and your spouse work at the same time and cannot make compromises about your work schedule, what would you do? would you rather send your kid back home to your country and live with the fact that your kid will grow up without you by their side? or leave your kid all alone at your house while you're at work?
this is a very broad topic to discuss but at the end no matter how a parent decides about the welfare of his kid or kids, we have to respect that because being a parent is tough when it comes to making delicate decisions. i have been through that part before, bringing my kid to a "stranger" for 8 hours 5 days a week, lucky for me my son was well taken cared of except the occasional cough and cold which is inevitable for a kid to go through.
lucky for those whose old folks are here who can take care of your kid when you go to work. having a family here in qatar is difficult at times especially when it comes to the welfare and safety of our kids.
people running these illegal baby care services normally get kids through references. So more often than not, they are not total strangers to the parents. It is just that they are in many cases, not correctly equipped, keeping in mind the safety norms.
What i was trying to tell you was that, it's NOT about being a stranger that you need to worry about, everyone is a stranger. It's just that people should send their kids to a legal baby-care because they are properly equipped.
take care of your kids at your own home. Is money that important at the expense of your kid?
Now we understand each other.
I am AGAINST THESE whatever they are called 'wrong places to take care of people'. I am happy they caught them and are closed.
I have a friend that keeps her daughter with her neighbour and pays her. In her house. I mean, and she has 3 other kids, he own, and 2 children to take care off plus my friend's baby. What the heck? this lady most probably will clean the house, cook, etc. WTF?
what are u talking about?
School doesnt have strangers too? then why do we send our kids there? to learn.
My son is 20 months old and he has no one to see other than our maid, he needs friends, and he needs to learn and socialize, and I know it isnt the best place, but to me it comes the 2nd place after our house. If the place is clean and teachers seem friendly then why not? At the end of the day everyone is a stranger, my husband was a stranger to me and now I am married to him, we have to go near something and look at it deeply and that is when it stops being a stranger, I think this is how the relationship should start.
I encourage nurseries, good ones, because at 20 months told, my son can sing English songs, and is learning to share and communicate. I love it.
People working in nurseries are strangers too, it's just that they nurseries are better equipped for such.
Leaving your kid with a stranger, and in their house? WTF? get a nursery
parents should be extra careful and vigilant.. it's the child's safety and welfare that's at stake after all...
so concerned government agency should step up their campaign to get rid of this malpractice. They could start at the QL classified!
The problem is Flor, it isn't just one. Take a look in QL classifieds. there are literally dozens of them springing up every day.
Sure, some might turn out to be OK, but I'll be willing to bet that the kind of person to try and earn an extra Riyal isn't living in the immaculate surroundings laid down by the law!
it can not be a facility? MAybe a parent complain about such facilities which is really should be monitored by concerned government agency!
thanks for the heads up.. I wouldn't trust my child with a total stranger...