childcare and MCN's

[Nadine]

hi am new to this site and cloth nappies. i have just had no 4 and really wish i had looked into this sooner. I only have flats at the moment but want to make and/or but some all i one,s etc but my main issue is i will be going back to work sooner or later and wanted to know if any body else had any experiences with childcare centres and cloth nappies - do they allow it or will i have to do disposables while they are there?
any help would be greatly appreciated

[Snoozie]

I never asked about the CCC using MCN ... I just buy a cheap packet of sposies, put one on S when she's going to daycare and they provide the rest. Sposies are included in the daily rate so I took that as an indication they wouldn't be too open to MCN!

[MichelleP]

If you do a search you will find previous discussions on childcare and references to regulations and accreditation. Cloth in childcares is actually one of my bugbears so am happy to point people in the direction of information if they need it.
Some centres are fine with cloth but there are some people that have had centres refuse. \My suggestion when you look at centres is to NOT ASK if you can use cloth but TELL them, this is what we use and show them an example. It is also a good idea if you choose "easy" cloth for them such as prestuffed pockets or AIO's as they are more likely to to feel comfortable with them because they are just as simple to use as disposables.

[mummygeorgie]

The centre I have chosen for my DS (to start next week) was fine with it, once I assured them it wasn't flats & pins - it's a good idea to take along an example (I think AIOs or pre-stuffed pockets with velcro are easiest/most like disposables) to show them. As it turned out some of the carers at this centre were familiar with MCN since a fellow NCer started her son there a few weeks ago

[Dee]

Milly is in for 2 days a week and we send pre folded terry squares with her with a PUL cover. There are a number of families here with babies in cloth and childcare.

When I was looking I found some centers that welcomed cloth, the older more experienced workers wanted the younger ones to learn cloth since most had never used it before.
Other centres said that they had never been asked the question before and would have to get back to me after they had found out what their policy was, and still others said flat out no.

It was interesting, I found that the ones that said no invariably were the ones that had very little yard or nature around, where the children were surrounded by plastic etc... - with one exception. I also found at least one centre that said they would use cloth, but said it so reluctantly I was sure that Milly would end up in spossies most days - or wouldn't be changed often enough.

Don't dispare(sp) if you get told no by one centre - they are out there and ours (after some initial issues) has turned out to be fantastic.

Some parents swear by pokets or AIO's as they are the easiest for the centres - only one thing to put on the bottom but it is up to you and the centre.

Good luck.

[MichelleP]

Heres two previous posts
Daycare said NO to cloth...
Cloth and day care - opinons needed

Also if you are in Perth I often tell people that I am happy to go to a centre that says no or is reluctant to "educate" them in MCN.

[AJ-]

I use family daycare and my daughter's carer is happy to use cloth. DD reacts to disposables if she is in them too often, so I asked if the carer minded cloth, she's fine about it but prefers terry flats to MCN's because she is used to them. I give her a basket full of folded terrys with flushable liners, cloth wipes, a few wool soakers and an empty bucket.

I'm ashamed to say I used disposables at daycare for my first 2 children and the first year of DD#3's life because I didn't ask if our carer would use cloth

[mum2miya]

I have taken the telling stance when my kids have started with family day care and now in a centre. That way I can explain the nappies and their ease of use. I don't ask. Toby goes to care one day a week and the carers there thing his nappies are cool

Donna

[~Mel~]

I was like Donna, when I went to enrol him in care, I told them that he uses cloth, took him in a nappy that I was prepared to send (all prestuffed velcro pockets) and took in a bucket. They were fine with it, although they bag his soiled nappies and stick them in the bucket. No dramas from any of the girls in his room

[Nadine]

thanks for all your help I feel much more confident now in telling my centre that we use cloth - hey I may not be the only one i had no idea how popular it is.