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HALIFAX - About 50 daycares around Nova Scotia have been cited for violations of the Day Care Act.

The violations range from lack of first aid training to not checking whether staff and volunteers are in the child abuse registry.

But some daycares say the government's child-care directory website, which lists violations, makes the situation look worse than it actually is.

As of June 25, the Fox and the Hare daycare in Lockeport had the highest number of violations with 16.

Jane MacKenzie, director of the Fox and Hare, said her daycare got one violation because some name checks from the child abuse registry had not come back in time for inspection.

Community Services launched the website in April to allow parents to check if a licensed daycare is following the act and its regulations.

Shelley Thompson, a spokeswoman with community services, said the website is meant as a starting point for parents, who should also speak to a centre's director or operator.

Jacky Miller, owner and director of the Tottle Inn Children's Centre, said the website is a wonderful idea but is incomplete and a bit misleading.

The Hantsport daycare that she's run for 14 years had eight violations listed, but she said most of them are clerical in nature.

Miller said the paperwork detailing one staff member's clearance through the child abuse registry and proof of first aid training was at her home, rather than the Hantsport office, for security reasons.

On the website, it appears as if the staffer didn't have first aid training or a child abuse registry check done.

Miller said the website should have some clarification to let people know exactly why the violations were handed out.