Barbara Sadler: Choosing Day Care Because of Divorce

For parents who have just gone through a divorce or currently going through a divorce, it can be a challenge trying to figure out what they will do to care for their young children, especially if they work long hours. Many divorced parents opt to send their young children to day care. However, when you begin looking into day care facilities, it’s important that you do your due diligence in analyzing them so you can find the best fit for your children.

Some things to look for in any day care include the following:

Licensing. Day care centers should be licensed by or registered with a state agency. Look for facilities that are regularly inspected by state officials for health and safety and that have workers that have specialized education and training. These are all good indicators of the kind of quality you’re getting out of a day care center.
Staff to child ratio. How many children are watched by caregivers at once? Will your child get the individual attention that he or she needs? Good guidelines are that there should be one adult for every three to four infants, for every four to six children under three, for every 10 children between three and five and for every 12 children five and older.
Policies. You should look for day care centers that fall in line with your views regarding discipline. Also investigate how the center handles sick children, and if members are trained in first aid.
Safety. Day care centers should be in good neighborhoods, have fire alarms and smoke detectors, perform regular fire drills, have safe playgrounds and equipment and have clean, disinfected toys. Doors should be locked at all times to prevent unwanted visitors.
Staff. Do the people who work at the day care center seem like people that you would trust your children with? Sometimes, this gut instinct can tell you a lot about a facility.

Divorce Papers Served Through Facebook

For years, Facebook has been used as a way to connect people, but recently it became the vehicle to sever the bonds of marriage.

While admittedly a nontraditional approach, a Brooklyn judge recently approved the use of Facebook to serve divorce summons. The summons was sent via a private message from a 26-year-old nurse’s Facebook account to the defendant who apparently does not want a divorce.

In this case, the defendant communicated with the plaintiff almost exclusively via Facebook and cell phone. He appears to have no fixed address or place of employment and was unresponsive to other attempts to contact him. According to the ruling, he used a prepaid cell phone with no address. Even the Department of Motor Vehicles had no record of the man. A private detective also unsuccessfully attempted to locate him.

The ruling underscores a sea of change in the way people communicate, with many people almost exclusively communicating through social media sites and cell phones. Allowing service process via the Internet is likely to become more common, according to legal experts. In his opinion, the judge called this type of delivery “the next frontier” and that while it’s a new approach, it accomplishes the goal of ensuring that the defendant is made aware of the fact that he is being sued.

Although this case is unusual, a precedent may already exist for serving legal documents via Facebook. A Utah family court recently approved the delivery of a child support order to an ex-spouse through social media. Before this, notices were left at the last known address or published in a newspaper with no guarantee the defendant would see them.

Free Consultation with Divorce Lawyer in Utah

If you have a question about divorce law or if you need to start or defend against a divorce case in Utah call Ascent Law at (801) 676-5506. We will fight for you.