User:Catsma33

Tracy’s Family Daycare Home, Elizabethtown Borough--Elizabethtown, PA

I have been a family daycare provider for the past almost 18 years. Ten of those were in Londonderry Township, Middletown, PA. I moved once while living there right after I left my husband and had no problems transferring my daycare license. Then 8 years ago I purchased a home in Elizabethtown Borough and once again moved my family daycare home without a glitch or problem at all. My boyfriend and I were looking for a home that would be perfect for our blended family and also for my daycare home. He wanted to move back to Londonderry Township, buy a house there and start anew. But he could see that the thought of leaving all of the kids that I loved was paining me to no end and decided that it would be best for our family and my business to stay in Elizabethtown Borough and continue my business here so that I wouldn’t have to lose the kids I love so much. We found the perfect home, 2400 sq ft above ground and 1054 sq ft basement that’s finished with a kitchen in it and an extra room and we can later finish as a craft room. When I contacted the Office of Child Development and Learning they told me that new procedures for moving a daycare were a little different from before. I would have to have everyone 18 and over fingerprinted which we did, we had to have State Police clearance for my boyfriend and my 19 year old son, and clearance from the Department of Welfare for our whole family. Also, we would have to fill out a new application and I would no longer contact Labor and Industry, but the local municipality. I thought “no problem”. Well, I contacted Elizabethtown Borough and was informed that I would have to attend a Zoning Hearing Board to be allowed to keep my child care in my home. A week later I got a call telling me now I also had to attend a Planning Commission meeting before going to the Zoning Hearing Board. A week later I got a call telling me now I also had to attend a Planning commission meeting before going to the Zoning Hearing Board. Also, that there would be notices posted in the newspaper and outside of our new home letting neighbors know about it. I then walked around and knocked on doors of the families that lived the closest to the new home we were going to purchase and explained the situation to them. That I was a reputable daycare provider for the past 18 years, that I am a Keystone Stars 1, working on my Star 2 level and currently working on my CDA. That the children that I care for are all well behaved and that I love my job and don’t consider it a job--just a way of life. I also gave them a copy of my business card and told them if they had any concerns or questions that they should feel free to call me anytime. In my discussion with each of them they seemed truly unconcerned with my having a daycare and voiced their opinion that it should not cause any issues. On Monday, March 1st, I attended my Zoning Hearing Board, was totally shocked to see many of the neighbors I had talked to about my daycare sitting in the audience waiting to oppose it. The home we purchased is located in a quiet development in Elizabethtown Borough, but NOT in a retirement community. Their biggest concerns were that their retirement peace was going to be disturbed by 6 kids being in their neighborhood. They didn’t want a few extra cars on their street or their car doors slamming shut. And flat out opposed it--even though they were given the opportunity to bring their concerns to me personally before we purchased and settled on our new home. Ultimately it was determined that I not be allowed to continue my daycare business because I didn’t measure my yard before the hearing and there had to be 100 square feet per child including my own 3 teenagers. Honestly it was quite obvious by looking at the satellite pictures of the house that the deck alone had almost enough square footage to meet the criteria. Not only that but the house that I lived in for the past 8 years is about 1/3 the size of our new home and the yard is probably 3 times the size of the old one. So, as of March 1st I have had to stop doing daycare and am missing the children I love so much because these people just didn’t want children around their neighborhood. Not only that but I have been stripped of my daycare license, my star rating, and my food program all of the things I have worked so hard to attain and keep. The parents of the children I keep had to scramble to get other people to watch their children at the last minute. Unfortunately, for one of my families they had to send their daughter to a friend at the last minute and she has to walk to the bus stop past a sex offenders house. They had no choice because of the abruptness of this happening. All of these parents have stressed to me their feeling of helplessness of what to do when no one cares about what their child needs, but can’t have. I also wanted to let you know that I was the only Registered Family Daycare Provider in Elizabethtown Borough--anyone else operating babysitting or daycare in the borough is operating without a license and not following the state requirements for daycare homes. Honestly, Daycare approval went way better when it was left up to Labor and Industry to determine occupancy and it seems that local government is acting ridiculous in determining whether someone can operate in a town based upon their land--these are children’s  lives that they are messing with over the size of a yard and the fact that a bunch of older people want to be living in a retirement community and aren’t so they are trying to make it into one by keeping family oriented people out. Please help us---me and all of my daycare children and their families.

As of April 23, the Elizabethtown Borough sent me a letter stating that I was no longer allowed to even babysit 3 kids in my home and that no one can do so unless the child resides in that residence and is a relative of the resident, so they not only have to live there but also be related. No more teenage babysitters, and grandma’s. This is going beyond our constitutional rights, please help by standing up to Elizabethtown Borough.

Thank you for all of your help,

Tracy L Adams Family Daycare Provider Elizabethtown Borough 717-571-3501 717-361-4427

You can get a copy of the petition by emailing Catsma33@aol.com

Thanks for everyone's help