Some parents can be very inconsiderate and could also become very much demanding when it comes to taking care of their children that’s why most daycare centers end up in great problems because they do not have their own parent handbook that parents can check out and use as reference as well. It is important for your daycare center to come up with a concrete list of limitations and restrictions for parents, that parents should follow as well of course. Doing this could make your relationship with the parents much more transparent and a whole lot better as well.

When you create your own parent handbook, of course it would definitely be necessary for you to make sure that you give the parents their own copy and have them sign that they received it and that it is also their responsibility to read it. This will surely cut down the misunderstandings between the parents and your staff.

Some of the most important policies that you have to come up with should include a sick policy. Make sure that you come up with a guideline on what parents should do when their child is sick. Make sure that the parents provide you with their contact numbers so that in case their child gets sick while in the daycare center, it wouldn’ be very difficult for you to contact them. If you notice that one of the children in your daycare center has a rash, of course you wouldn’t want to be reported of abuse right so make sure that you also hire a resident nurse who can check common childhood illnesses. Have a list of possible sicknesses that children acquire so that you wouldn’t have to panic at the sight of sickness or any other symptom.

Have a record of relative of a child, this will identify on who is authorized in picking up the child. You should let the parent know about the policy of picking up the child, be strict on this kind of policy. For security purposes, don’t let someone who is not authorized to pick a child even if he or she is a closed relative of the child. Set standards on how and who will pick a child. Be strict to it, because you don’t want to be blamed when a child got kidnapped. There are some cases that parent are not allowed to pick their own child, have legal documents filed stating the agreement by court.

Make an understanding between you and the parent with regard to payment or tuition fee. Also, include on the understanding on how many days will the child be in a daycare. Explain all of the extra charges if there is any when a child is under your care or even the child is not attending your daycare.

There are also instances that you need to anticipate wherein for some reasons your daycare is closing, make sure you have this kind of policy on your handbook. Include holidays on when will your daycare is close.

Lastly, it would also be very important for you to come up with set rules and regulations on how you can or if you are allowed to punish children with faulty and obscene behaviour. set some rules and regulation in punishing kids with uncontrollable behaviour. This way, there would not be any problems between you and their parents.

Transparency is the Key to the Success of your Daycare Center
If you are an owner of a daycare center, you are probably aware of the fact that some children can be very hard to control when it comes to their behaviour. It is therefore very much important for you to know how you can actually control and prevent a child from causing problems to your daycare center without necessarily having oto end up in conflict with the child’s parents.

If some of the kids in your daycare center are giving your problems, you have to set the record and know for a fact how best to handle them. You can control them in two very different ways. One is by talking to them with so much love and never ending patience but if this does not end to be very successful, then you should definitely consider of thinking of other ways like being more stern and setting your own firm hand.

A lot of things can be the cause of children’s misbehaviour like hunger, frustration, tiredness and other causes. If few kids in your facility are causing problems, you need to determine what are causing to do such. Of course, you need to give your best to solve the problem. You need to try and determine a way on how to make the kids sweet and loving ones.

You need to do things that can make kids do better things than causing problems. You need to deal with the kids eye to eye, face to face. Requesting or talking to kids from a distance can most likely just ignore you. Yes, kids not are not complying with the things you say can cause stress on both of you. Instead of getting down to the child’s level, you need to look the child in the eye and make a clear requests, this can help the kid catch his attention.

Instead of telling the kids the things that you do not want them to do, it is best to tell the things that you want them to do. You need to give them instructions. If the kid has a problem, you have to let the kid feel that you understand, this can help the kid to calm down.

If some of the kids in your daycare center are causing problems and you are doing things to correct these, you need to tell this to their parents. Yes, you need to speak to the parents of the kids and tell them the things that you are doing in order to handle the problems in order for the parents would know. You can politely them the parents that it would be best if they do the same in order to easily teach the kids.

See: How to start a daycare center

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I. The Parent’s Handbook

One of the most important things you have to have when you own or operate your day care is a parent handbook. This handbook will serve not only as a binding contract between you as the owner and the parents of the children enrolled in your daycare center but would also serve as the parents ultimate guide when it comes to your background, curricula, activities, rules and regulations and several other things they need to take note of.

As the owner of the daycare center, it is one of your responsibilities to have the parents of the children signs a form in which they acknowledge that they have received, read, and agree to abide by the principles outlined in the handbook.

Below is a list of possible items you may wish to include in your daycare center’s parent’s handbook. Remember this is only an example and is not meant to be exhaustive. You may wish to add, delete, or rearrange the list of subjects. Depending on the state you live in, you may be required to have different policies.

If unsure, first speak with a person from the agency which licenses your program and ask them what you should include in your handbook. As always, make sure any written forms or other materials in your day care center have been checked by a lawyer who can make sure they are legally sound and adhere to any applicable state or federal laws.

1. Name, address, and phone number of your day care center.
2. The day care business owner, director, and the names and contact details of managers or operations heads.
3. Hours/Days of operation
4. Days when the day care center is closed
5. Ages of children the day care accepts
6. Fees/Payment policies and payment procedures
7. Termination of child day care (what reasons does the day car center have for refusing to continue caring for children)
8. Philosophy of care (mission/vision))
9. the day care center code of discipline (dos and donts)
10. Items that cannot be brought in to your day care center/home
11. Items that are needed for the different age groups
12. Program summaries (brief description of your different classrooms/programs/age groups) – you may want to have a separate sheet or booklet for each parent as their child/children progresses from one classroom or age group.
13. Required forms needed before the child can begin attending your day care center
14. Table of contents and/or index

II. The Day Care Center Staff Handbook

A staff handbook for your day care business is as equally important as the parent handbook that you need to have when you start your own daycare center.

Most states require various daycare centers to provide both these two types of handbooks to ensure that business can and will run smoothly. These handbooks basically lays out the different rules and regulations to make your child care center run more smoothly.

When expectations and policies are laid out ahead of time, your day care center staff should know what to expect. Make sure though that the policies in your day care staff handbook adheres to all government regulations (such as hiring practices, etc.)

Again, it would be best to have a lawyer look over your day care employee handbook and make sure it is legally sound. It is also advisable to consult with the agency that licenses your child care center/home to see what policies they suggest you include.

Below is a list of items you may want to include in your day care center employee handbook:

1. Your Child Care Center name, address, and phone number.

2. Hours/Days of operation, holidays

3. Hiring procedures/policies
Aides must be at least 16 years of age
All other staff members must be at least 18 years of age

4. Orientation procedures/Required Forms/Employee Training
Once an individual has been hired, they must complete a twenty hour orientation in which they will be trained on the Center’s policies through written material, observation, and direct interaction with the staff, parents, and children. All new staff members must complete all forms provided to them before their first day of orientation.

5. Salary Guidelines/Performance Reviews/Benefits
Salaries are based on experience, education, job description, and performance.

6. Sick pay/vacation pay/holiday pay
All staff will receive five unpaid sick days. Staff will not receive any holiday pay. After the first 30 days, all staff members receive 5 paid vacation/personal days. After the first 6 months, all staff members will receive an additional ten vacation/personal days. Vacation days are paid based on the number of hours worked by an employee in an average week.

7. Attendance/Asking for time off/Calling in sick
Excellent staff attendance is crucial to maintaining these state-mandated ratios. Therefore, it is critical that staff do their part to inform the director or assistant director of any planned vacation or personal days they wish to receive off.

8. Causes for termination
You may be terminated for several reasons including, but not limited to, the following: providing inaccurate or false information during the hiring process or thereafter, threatening to harm or harming a child in any way, failing to provide children with appropriate supervision, habitual lateness, excessive use of sick days, failing to do something required by the state agency

9. Dress Code
Staff members are expected to act and dress like child care professionals. Clothing should be neat and fit properly.

10. Grievance Procedures
If you have a complaint, you should submit it in writing to the director. Your complaint will be addressed in 30 days or sooner.

11. Cell phones/Phone Use
The day care center’s phone is not for personal use. Cell phones should be left at home or in the car and may only be used on breaks.

12. Breaks
Staff working 6 or more hours will be given a thirty minute unpaid lunch break. For every four hours worked, staff will receive a paid 15 minute break.

13. Smoking
Smoking is not permitted inside the child care center

See: How to start a daycare business

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