On Fri, Aug 10, 2012 at 4:05 PM, Margaret Hughes
<[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> I'm not offering a solution to the question at hand (i.e., what age is ok), but I am advocating for us to think about how we can be more inclusive to more people, more regularly--not just the kids themselves, but also their families. If it seems like parents are looking for "free daycare," is there a way to offer low- or no-cost programs that could benefit the children of parents who have to work?

I think museums would like to do this but you have to be very careful
else your city might consider your facility a day care. That would
mean a whole new level of certifications, regulations, inspections,
and training. You most likely will have to make a dedicated area for
children away from the general public as well as limit the number of
kids allowed depending on the size of your space. Plus you have to
have the staff to cover these programs in the first place as there are
strict staff to child ratios. I really sympathize with the plight of
working parents but museums should not be drop-off facilities and not
have those responsibilities.

There might be some creative ways to do a "Mom's Day Out" program and
many museums do camp programs or school  break programs as well. But
those programs take time and money and I doubt many museums could
offer them for free or low cost for parents who just need to drop
their kids off.

Deb Fuller

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