Childcare Pick-up Authorization: Each parent or guardian must complete and sign a childcare authorization form for each child in your care. This form lists the names of all persons authorized to pick up the child. It details the name of the adult(s), their date of birth, their relationship to the child, and their contact information (address and home, work, and cell phone number). The form should also include a statement that says “Under no circumstances will my child be released to anyone other than the individuals named above, without prior written authorization”.

Field Trip or Activity Permission Slips: The field trip or activity authorization form, gives the children in your care permission to leave the facility or participate in a special activity that is outside of the normal daily routine. The field trip consent form should contain the location of the activity, the date and time of the activity, the mode of transportation involved (walking, car, bus etc.).  The field trip consent form should be signed by the daycare provider and the parent or guardian. It should also include a statement similar to: “I understand that the center will take every precaution and care to insure my child’s safety. Adults who will provide proper supervision and will exercise every precaution to avoid accidents, in accordance with the state licensing regulations will accompany visiting groups”.

Emergency Medical Authorization: The emergency medical authorization form gives you permission for a child to be treated by a licensed physician in the event of a medical emergency. Along with specifics of the care the parent’s will authorize,  the form should include the child’s physician, the physician’s contact information, the preferred hospital, the hospital address and phone number, the medical insurance information, the date of the child’s last tetanus (or DPT), and any allergies.

Permission to Administer Medication: Before administering prescription medication to the children in your care, you must have parents complete and sign a permission to administer medication form. This form  should detail the name of the caregiver authorized to give medication, the prescribing physician,  the name of the medication, the dosage, the dosage times, the date to discontinue administration of the medication, the route (oral, through the nose, etc.), storage conditions, and any special instructions. It should also include a space to note the disposition of the leftover medication (returned to parent or discarded), and the date discarded or returned.

Permission to Photo: Photography of the children in your childcare center requires parental permission. The permission to photo authorization form should include the different types of use and the option for the parent to approve or deny each type. The types of photography use include still photography to be given to current clients, photographs in bulletin boards or scrapbooks to be shown to prospective clients, photographs to be used on your daycare business’ website, or still photos in promotional materials. The permission to photo authorization should also include the statement: “I understand that it is my responsibility to update this form in the event that I no longer wish to authorize one or more of the above uses. I agree that this form will remain in effect during the term of my child’s enrollment”.

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While this study doesn’t apply to preschool aged children, as a daycare provider it is still important to know the hazards of using food as a reward and how using non-food rewards.

Hazards of food rewards

When you reward or bribe a child with food, these same children may continue to reward themselves with food later in life. When children are rewarded with treats, they unfortunately associate these treats with happiness or being good. Studies show that associating food with with good behavior or bad behavior has long-lasting effects on children’s food preferences and their eating styles. It also may contribute to overweight and obesity.

“Rewarding children with unhealthy foods in school undermines our efforts to teach them about good nutrition. It’s like teaching children a lesson on the importance of not smoking, and then handing out ashtrays and lighters to the kids who did the best job listening.” Marlene Schwartz, PhD, Co-Director, Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity, Yale University

There are many significant advantages of giving children Non food rewards.  Non food rewards set a foundation for healthy attitudes toward food. Non food rewards do not impede a child’s development of natural hunger cues. Recognizing kids with respect and verbal appreciation are superior motivators than rewards of food.  Non-food rewards (like praise and privileges) can also be less expensive than food rewards. In addition studies show that children actually prefer non-food treats! Just ask.

Enforcing policies

Did you know that in some states (Alabama and the District of Columbia) where food rewards for children are prohibited?  There are also many states that discourage rewarding good behavior or performance with food. If you firmly believe in prohibiting food rewards in your daycare or childcare business, be sure to communicate this with staff and parents. Make sure your policies are clear and well documented in your child contract and reiterate your stance when clients sign the contract.

Types of nonfood rewards

Privileges as Rewards: Choosing an activity, going first, sitting next to friends, selecting a book or record, helping the teacher, free time, extra time with a toy or in dramatic play

Group rewards: Extra time outside (recess), field trips, playing special games or watching a special movie, free choice of activity at the end of the day, special theme days

Social Rewards: Acknowledgment for a job well done like words of thanks, praise, and special attention or ceremonies

Gifts: Stamps, stickers, bookmarks, books, balls,  playing cards, magnets, shoelaces, bubbles, modeling clay, bracelets, rings, necklaces, coloring pencils, markers, stencils, erasers, pencil cases, coloring books

Recognition: Trophies, rewards, plaques, ribbons, special letters home.

It is also wise to use a points system in order to provide larger rewards like gift certificates, games, toys, and larger outings like sporting events. Points can be accumulated individually or as a group and may later be redeemed for prizes. Ask children in your child care center about the types of non-food rewards they prefer. Also remember that positive reinforcement goes a long way in reinforcing good behavior.

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Types of Daycare Businesses Eligible for Daycare Food Programs

Who may participate in CACFP?

• Eligible public or private nonprofit child care centers
• Infant centers
• Care centers that provide care outside of school hours
• Head Start programs
• Other institutions which are licensed or approved to provide day care services may participate in CACFP.

What if your child care business is for-profit? If your child care business is for-profit, the business must receive title XX funds for at least 25 percent of the children enrolled or licensed capacity (whichever is less).  Your for-profit child care center may also be eligible if at least 25 percent of the children in care are eligible for free and reduced price meals.

Qualifying organizations receive cash reimbursement for serving meals to enrolled children and adults that meet Federal nutritional guidelines. The CACFP can assist with State and federal meal reimbursement for the number of breakfasts, lunches, dinners, and supplements served to enrolled children. Meals must meet the USDA minimum meal requirements. These meals are then reimbursed at rates based on the child’s eligibility for free, reduced price, or paid meals.

Daycare Food Programs Benefit Daycare Businesses

Participating in the CACFP helps enhance the diets of children up to the age of 12 by providing them with nutritious, well-balanced meals. According to studies, the CACFP develop s good eating habits in children that will last through later years. Studies also show that children who participate in the CACFP program have higher intakes of vital nutrients and fewer servings of fats and sweets than children in non-participating care.

Other benefits of participating in the CACFP are that your daycare business may receive:

• Food donations
• Technical assistance for food service operation program management, and recordkeeping
• One time start-up funds for your daycare home in some cases

Daycare food program Record Keeping

The CACFP requires the following records in order receive benefits:

• Facility license
• Enrollment form signed by a parent
• Daily menus including quantity served
• Daily attendance
• Number of meals by type served to enrolled children each day
• Verification of children’s eligibility category
• Civil rights data.

As a daycare provider, it is wise to invest in childcare software in order to keep track of the records necessary to receive food program benefits.

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Hours of Operation: List the days and hours your child care center will be open for business.  Also detail any holidays you will be closed or any other days that the child day care center will be closed, if applicable.

Fees and Payments:  State the fees per week or month. Be explicit about whether or not sick days, holidays and vacation days are paid days. Some things to consider and disclose: When are weekly and month fees due? What are the consequences if fees are unpaid? (Termination? Suspension? ) How much will you charge for returned checks? How many returned checks will you allow before the client must pay in cash?

Arrival and Pick-Up Policies:  State your cut-off times for pick-up. Establish your late fees for late pickups. Also explain that only pre-authorized persons may pick up a child and that verbal and written permission must be received before a child may be picked up by an unauthorized person.

Illness Policies: Your contract should include a statement that explains when a child is too sick to attend daycare and how long the child must be symptom free before returning to daycare. Also detail your procedures for your course of action when a child becomes sick in daycare. You will also need to have a separate medical consent form in place. Also note what by time the parents must notify you if their child will not be attending daycare due to illness.

Withdrawal and Termination: What are the grounds for termination? What type and length of notice do you require for withdrawal from your daycare center? List that information in this section.

Damages: Sometimes children purposely break household items, toys, and other child care equipment. Who will pay for damages beyond the normal everyday wear and tear (when a child purposes to cause damages)? Your contract should be explicit about who will shoulder the burden of damages and repairs.

Toy Policies: Are children allowed to bring their own toys to your daycare center? What about other personal items of comfort like pillows or stuffed animals? State your policy here.

Potty Training and Diapering Policies:  In this section, detail whether or not you potty train and what your potty training philosophy might be. Do you supply diapers or pull-ups? Is there an extra fees associated with potty training? Do you allow cloth diapers?

Subsidies:  Does your childcare center participate in federal government programs that offer daycare subsidies? If so, state that any fees that are not covered by the subsidy are the parents’ responsibility and that fees are payable in advance on the first of day of the month.

The client (parent or guardian) and the childcare provider must sign and date the form.  Give a copy to the client and keep copy for yourself.

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Liability Insurance: Liability insurance will protect you in the event you are sued for damages. These damages could include child injuries, pet injuries, accidents, personal injury (libel, slander), damage to your own property, and damage to the property of others. The amount of coverage depends on the particular policy you select. There are other types of liability insurance to consider such as sexual abuse and liability insurance, child abduction liability, special events liability (fieldtrips, fundraisers, etc.) and corporal punishment. Daycare liability can be stand alone or an endorsement on your homeowner’s insurance.

Accident Medical Insurance:  Accident medical insurance is insurance that pays children’s medical bills if they are injured at your facility or during activities you sponsor and the child has no insurance coverage of their own, or their bills exceeds their current medical insurance coverage. Markel Insurance Company contends, “You can think of Accident Medical insurance as a goodwill gesture—by paying a child’s medical bills now, you may be able to avoid a lawsuit later”.

Health Insurance: You may want to provide health insurance for your employees. Many of the basic health insurance plans for employees are those in which your employees directly reimbursed a fixed amount for the services they use most frequently like doctor’s office visits, urgent care, diagnostic tests, hospitalization, and emergency room treatment.

Worker’s Compensation: Many states require that you purchase worker’s compensation insurance if your daycare center has employees.  If you do not have worker’s compensation insurance you may be punished with fines or imprisonment. The good news is that workers compensation premiums are tax deductible as a business expense.

Daycare Business Insurance Resources:

Daycare Insurance Agency Websites

Day Care Insurance Services, Inc.

Morgan & Associates, Inc.

Nationwide Mutual Insurance

Castle Rock Agency, Inc.

Markel Insurance Company

Daycare Insurance Guides

Family Child Care Legal and Insurance Guide: How to Reduce the Risks of Running Your Business by Tom Copeland, JD and Mari Miller [Redleaf, 2004]. This guide is specifically for child care providers to help them with insurance planning and strategies to reduce their daycare business’ risks.

The Business of Childcare: Management of Financial Strategies by Gail H Jack [Delmar Cenage Learning, 2004].  This guide covers a wide variety of financial strategies including how to comparison shop for different types of daycare business insurance.

Consult with the local licensing, regulations, and laws by state to find the insurance requirements for childcare centers.

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First off, one needs to get a business license and each state, county and locality have differing rules on its requirements. Find out from your local office’s small business administration department as to the requirements in obtaining a license. And the special needs of a day care needs to be addressed. With one’s compliance with the set guidelines under the law, one not only protects the business, but more importantly the children under one’s care and management. Failure to comply makes one liable administratively and criminally and be blacklisted for future operations.

Background checks are also imperative. All the personnel must have no criminal records and their qualifications must make them experts in the field of child care. Some other states require formal first aid training and CPR certification. The Red Cross can provide these for a minimal fee. In running a day care, one needs these specialized trainings to be better prepared against an accident if and when it occurs. Also, one needs to be certified by a nutritionist as to the food being prepared and the health safety inspector to determine that there are no hazards to the children while at the facility.

One needs to pass the inspection of the facilities. This is to ensure the safety, adequacy and environmental soundness of the facility. Medications need to be at arms reach, fire extinguishers that are ready, and the safe handling and storage of harmful chemicals need to be observed. The inspection will look at every nook and cranny of the facility in order to be assured that the day care center is a safe place where children can play and learn. Once all the minimum requirements have been met, a certificate for operation would be issued. This is the stamp of approval which allows the facility to receive children and operate as a business. So to make this happen, one needs to prepare to facilities to comply with the requirements of the laws on day care facilities.

See: How to start a daycare

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By reaching out to the Better Business Bureau of one’s locality, one can be better appraised as to the different agencies which require certifications in order to be allowed to operate as a day care facility. The Board would also advise one would be day care facility operator as to the lacking requirements and provide noteworthy information as to how to complete the requirements. The local Board would also provide one with the requirements for operation to be allowed under state supervision. These include actual measurements and materials which are allowed to be used in the facility.

Employees of the day care facility should also be provided with background checks to ascertain their fitness to be part of the complement in operating the facility. Without criminal records for all employees would be able to gain the trust of the parents and keep the children safe and within an environment which helps them develop into better people. Nutritionists are also hired to ensure that the facility feeds the children healthy and nourishing food. There are even guidelines as to the recommended daily allowances for certain types of food allowed near children.

As one can plainly see, opening a day care is not an easy task. One needs to learn about all the laws and guidelines to operate a facility for children. Before operation, one needs to pass the inspection of the facility to be certified to operate. But this is not yet through; one also has to conduct background checks on personnel. Due registration of all the personnel may also become a requirement for the business. Even the food in the daycare needs to be monitored. One may also need insurance to cover risks for the children and for one’s personnel. Equipment and play areas need to be within the legal requirements. A lot of work and one has not yet been in operation. But when one complies with all these, one would be able to run a day care facility smoothly and efficiently for a better and learned experience for the child.

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