Child Care

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Just wondering... the above quote states your child care provider is only licensed to 5y 11mo. Is this age limit self-imposed or state imposed? I quickly checked Virginia's child care website (minimum standards) out of curiosity and while it seems they have specific ratios for children's age groups, I didn't see a regulation that indicated the need for licensing for specific age groups above age 5.11. Maybe I just missed that? Anyway, if it's state imposed, would it be possible/woud she be willing to request a waiver that would allow her to take your son for snow days, etc? If it's self-imposed, maybe you could ask if she'd consider doing drop-in care for your son. I'm a child care provider who often takes school age children on snow days and during the summer if I have the room for them. Holidays may be too much to ask her to do since I'm sure she appreciates the holidays just as much as the next person but if you can at least work out snow days and school vacations with her, it's less time you miss from work.

Is there a college nearby that offers Special Education as a major? There may be students there willing to watch your son for the added experience of caring for a special needs child. Hopefully, since they're working toward a degree in that field, they'd be more understanding and patient than someone who has no interest in working with special needs kids. There might be a cost associated with it but maybe you could pay the student with the money you'd be saving not paying your current child care provider.
Good luck! I know it's hard. As the mother of a child with AS, I opened my child care business so I could avoid the child care problems many parents have to deal with. (That might also be a solution for you to consider!)