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Illness in daycare is of great concern for parents and daycare providers. Your health and medication regulations can help prevent the spread of illness in daycare. The sick child policy sets forth the rules and expectations. Here are some things to include in your daycare’s sick child policy.

Health Requirements: In this section you will include a general overview of what your daycare will or will not except with regard to health issues or any specific health requests or guidelines particular to your daycare.  For example, if all children are required to have current shots or well check before enrollment, state this here.

Exclusion Policy: In this section you must list the illnesses or symptoms of illness that will exclude children from  your daycare.  It is important to point out that any child with a communicable disease such as chicken pox, pink eye and lice will not be allowed in daycare and a doctor’s referral form must be filled out in order for the child to return.

Some sample wording “If your child shows any of the symptoms below, he/she is required to remain out of daycare until fully recovered.

• Fever greater than or equal to 100.5 degrees F.
• Moderate drainage (clear or discolored) from the mouth, nose, eyes, or ears.
• Red discoloration to the whites of the eye(s).
• Skin rashes as they are difficult to diagnose unless since by a physician.
• Severe abdominal pain, vomiting or diarrhea.
• As always, anytime in doubt or if the child appears uncomfortable it is best to error on the side of caution and avoid daycare/preschool”.

If a child has symptoms of illness that excludes him from daycare, must a parent call in by a certain time the night before to inform the daycare provider? Really be very clear about your rules and expectations.

Medications

This section will address how you handle children that require prescription and over the counter medication. When may children that require prescription medication be allowed to return to daycare? If a child is allowed back in daycare and still requires medication, most likely this will require a consent form.

Here is some sample wording: “Any child requiring prescription medication will need to be kept at home for a period of at least 24 hours or until no longer contagious, unless accompanied by a signed note from the child’s medical practitioner.  Medications should be dispensed at home whenever possible. For times when this is not possible, a Medicine Consent Form must be filled out in order for me to dispense any medications. All prescription and over-the-counter medications must be kept in their original container(s), and prescriptions must display the pharmacist’s label with the child’s name and the doctor’s name. In addition please have in writing when the child’s medication was last taken”.

A free printable sick child policy form can be printed out at Supportingproviders.com

Parents and child care provider signs the form, then make a copy and provide the parent with the copy.

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Financial notices are essential to daycare businesses whether you’re just starting a daycare or have been in the business for years. Financial notices helps daycare business owners get paid on time, collect late fees, and notify clients in any changes in fees. Here are a few essential daycare financial forms.

Notice of Late Payment
This form lets the parent know that a payment is late and indicates that there is a late fee also due. The notice of late payment also lets parents know that there is a deadline for all fees to be paid or else child care services will be terminated. This form should include:

• The current date
• The amount outstanding
• A statement indicating that the payment is late. Sample wording: Your payment for child care services is late. In order for me to continue to care for your child, it is important that you pay the amount outstanding plus late payment fees immediately.
• The amount of the late fee.
• Signature of child care provider or daycare business owner

Sample wording: $25 per day fee applies to the above outstanding amount and continues daily until the above amount is paid. Termination of child care will take place on April 5 if these fees are not paid.

Notice of Returned Check
This notice informs parents that their payment check has bounced. It also lets parents returned check charges are due and if the client can continue to pay with checks. This form should include:

• Date and amount of tuition payment check
• Amount of Returned check fees
• Method for repayment of original amount of check and fees
• Bounced check policy
• Due date for repayment
• Provider’s signature

Sample wording for notice of returned check: To the parents of Billy Smith: Your January 10 tuition payment of $225 was returned for non-sufficient funds. Per our agreement, there is a $25 fee for any returned checks. This fee is to be paid in cash on Jan 30. At ABC Daycare we allow 2 bounced checks before we insist on another form of payment. This is your 2nd returned check. You MAY NOT continue to pay your tuition with a check. Please make your payment in any of the following forms: Cash or Credit Card. Thank you.

Notice of Rate Increase
The notice of rate increase provides notice to clients that your daycare rates will increase by month, day, week, or hour. This form should include:

• Date of the rate increase goes into effect
• Amount of the increase (per month, week, day, or hour)
• The reason for the increase
• Signature of daycare provider

Sample wording for daycare rate increase: Dear Parents: As of May1, 2011, my childcare charges will be increased to $ per week. It has been 3 year since I have changed my rates and this new rate will enable me to continue providing the best of care for your children. Would you kindly initial and date one copy of this letter, and return it to me for my records. The other is for your reference. Thank you for sharing your children with me! Sincerely, Daycare Provider X.

Samples of all of these daycare forms and more can be found at supportingproviders.com

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If you’re not sure whether or not you need a daycare license or why it is advantageous to have a daycare license, read on:

Do you need a Daycare License?

In some situations and in some states a daycare license may not be required. These might include recreational programs operated for less than four consecutive months in a year like summer camp, or specialized activities/programs or instruction such as athletics, dance, art, music lessons, horseback riding, gymnastics, or organized clubs for children, such as Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, 4-H groups, or boys and girls clubs. Drop-in or short-term care provided while parents participate in activities that are not employment relate may not require a license. Daycare situations where the parents are on the premises or otherwise easily accessible, such as drop-in or short-term care provided in shopping malls, resort hotels, or churches, may not require a license.

Can you just register your daycare business?

In some states, your daycare business does not require licensing. Instead your state laws may only require that you register your in-home family daycare. Some states have no regulations or licensing requirements for in-home daycare facilities. These include Arizona, Idaho, Louisiana, New Jersey, Ohio, South Dakota and Virginia. In some parts of Florida, licensing a daycare is optional but you are required to register your daycare business annually with the state. The exception is if the licensure is required under a specific county ordinance or resolution. Check with daycareforms.org for information and forms for getting your  daycare licensed.

The Benefits of having a Daycare license

Even if your situation does not require a daycare license there are many benefits of having your daycare business licensed:

• Increase and retain clients: Parents feel more secure knowing they are sending their child to a licensed daycare.
• Daycare grant benefits: many daycare grant opportunities are strictly for licensed daycare businesses.
• Insurance benefits: You may not be eligible for insurance coverage necessary to protect your daycare business if it is not licensed.
• Tax breaks: Some daycare owners don’t get license in order to avoid taxes but consider that the deductions may offset the taxes you will pay.

Retaining the Daycare License

In order to keep your daycare license you must comply with state in-home daycare standards and regulations. This include complying with standards for things like supervision of children, the condition of equipment and materials, child discipline, child to staff ratios, sanitation practices, etc. These regulations will vary from state to state, but in order to keep the license, in home daycares must maintain a certain level of compliance history for a certain length of time. Most licensing agencies will record your compliance history and perform annual unannounced site visits to evaluate compliance.

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Daycare forms, Photo by nerdcoregirl

Each daycare business has its own individual enrollment procedures. All daycare providers , however, should require standard childcare enrollment forms in order to protect the children in their care as well as their daycare employees. There are a few simple enrollment daycare forms that all daycare businesses must implement:

Registration Form
The registration should contain the following information:

• Child and parents’ names
• Emergency contact information
• Adults authorized to pick up the child
• Immunization information
• Injuries, allergies, and medications
• Concerns about the child’s development
• Authorization to obtain a Public Health Nurse, Physician and or Ambulance in the event of an emergency for the child

Social Resume:
A social resume should detail specific personal information about the infant that is probably not included in the enrollment form.

Infant Resume
The infant social resume should include:

• Infant’s nicknames
• Names of  the infant’s brothers and sisters and their birthdates
• Languages spoken in the home
• Pets in the home
• Breast feeding information, solid food preferences,  feeding schedules, and food sensitivities
• Infant’s sleep routine
• Diapering details such as types of diapers used and diapering routines
• Information about social and emotional development to include the infant’s temperament, fears,  and favorite activities

Toddler and Preschooler Resume
The toddler and preschooler resume should include:

• Child’s nicknames
• Names of  the child’s brothers and sisters and their birthdates
• Languages spoken in the home
• Pets in the home
• Feeding facts such as the child’s appetite, favorite foods, food sensitivities, and typical feeding schedule
• Self care information: Is the child potty trained? Can the child dress himself?
• The child’s sleep routine
• Information about social and emotional development to include the child’s temperament, fears, favorite activities, how he or she plays with others, how the child shows feelings, and how the child is normal disciplined.

Health Information Forms
The health information form should never take the place of immunization records. The health information form should include statements about:

• The child’s general state of health
• Any allergies or medical conditions
• Immunization status (Are the child’s immunizations up to date?)
• Common childhood diseases the child has had
• Ailments to which the child is prone
• Any speech, hearing, or visual problems
• Any surgeries or prosthetic limbs
• Anything about the health of the child that the provider should be aware of.

All of these daycare forms can be downloaded and printed for free at supportingproviders.com

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Each daycare business has its own individual policies and procedures. However, all daycare providers must issue standard childcare authorization forms in order to protect the children in their care as well as their daycare employees.  Daycare authorization forms keep the children in your care safe and limit your liability as a daycare provider. There are a few simple authorization forms that all daycares must implement:

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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Home daycare providers can cut costs by finding daycare forms online. Contracts, policies, authorization forms, permission slips, daily reports, and other forms are critical to daycare business administration. Rather than creating forms from scratch, owners of child day care centers can print out important forms and customize them.

Consider the following resources for free and for cost daycare and preschool forms:

Free Daycare Forms

Supporting Providers:  Free forms, pintables, articles, and much more for your daycare business. Forms include business forms, registration forms, contracts, policies, reports, logs, health and medical forms, and authorization forms.

Step By Step Childcare: Step by Step Childcare provides free accident reports, accounting reports, sample brochures and flyers, business cards, contracts, daily reports, and daily schedules.

The Daycare Lady:   A wealth of free daycare business forms in Microsoft Word or PDF format, organized alphabetically.

Tiny Treasures Child Care: Here you will find a free financial contract, illness policy, discipline policy, daily schedule, notice of animals on premises, and character analysis record form.

Child Fun: Provides field trip permission slips, daily reports, medical forms, application form, and a sample contract.

Brown Bear Educare:  parent registration forms, medical forms, accident/incident reports, illness reports, baby and toddler daily reports, health care policy and disaster plan.

Child Care Lounge:  Great sample forms for daycare businesses such as permission to photograph, parent survey,” welcome to preschool” and  “please donate” letter, late payment notice, accident report, termination notice, and daily report sheets.

For Fee Daycare Forms

OwnADaycare: When you purchase Pro Package the you receive 40 custom daycare business forms that match the included website templates along with 10 additional commonly used daycare forms.

Child Care Village: With membership, you will receive access to 20 different customizable business forms. This includes introduction to new parents, enrollment forms, attendance forms, health and safety records, permission slips, and financial record keeping forms.

Daycare Hotline: For one low fee, you can purchase 34 important daycare forms including Attendance Forms, expense and income ledgers, mileage logs, statements, permission forms, daycare contracts, interview checklist, authorization forms, accident reports, announcement form letter, calendar template, daily schedule, meal planner, mission statement, and emergency authorization forms.

Child Care Paperwork: offers a survival package which includes daycare forms. When you purchase the package you will receive a Day Care Forms, Contracts and Policies Package. You will also receive five videos that show you how to fill in 12 forms that could be complicated. The package also includes a daycare business plan template.

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A child care contract assures that there are no misunderstandings between you and your clients. It also protects you and your business from potential litigation. The contract states requirements and policies that both you and your clients must follow. A daycare contract form should include at least the following:

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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A large part of managing a successful daycare business involves keeping and maintaining records. One of the most important daycare forms or daycare records is the Accident Report Form.

The accident report form documents and helps keep track of injuries that happen while a child is in your care. It is a simple practice and a vital communication tool. It that helps keep parents informed of even simple injuries and accidents and helps protect your daycare business in the case of potential lawsuits.

Common Daycare Injuries

Children can get injured while performing simple, everyday tasks – even while just walking or running. The most common types of injuries in daycare are:

Accidents involving toys and equipment: Even though you have selected toys and equipment that is age appropriate and safe, accidents still naturally occur when children play with toys and playground equipment. Children can fall off of or get hit by swings and sometimes toys can be defective. Studies show that most injuries occur on the play-ground and that about more than half of fractures and concussions are due to falls from climbing equipment.

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