This Is for the Home Daycare Providers

HI V.,

I think I googles home daycare contract and altered it to what I wanted and needed. It made it much easier to make sure I covered all of the bases because it's just so hard to think of everything when you're drafting your own. I'd be happy to send you a copy of my Parent Info Handbook.

As far as other forms, if you are planning to be a licensed daycare, you should make sure that you have all of your forms in order that are required. You should be able to look that up online as well. I'm pretty sure that California will have different regs that MN, but there should be a resource there for you.

Let me know if I can help.

To be honest a contract really isn't binding unless it's notarized and filed. you can take someone to small claims court but it costs you more the\an them int he long run.

If you think they are being dishonest then don't watch their kids anymore. Otherwise you need them to sign a paper at the local hospital, in their business office, that states you have their permission to bring heir child in for emergency treatment and it is notarized by a staff person and filed in their file, you should also get a copy.

This is the only way a hospital will let you bring a child other than yours in to the ER for treatment. If they truly need emergency treatment they will call a judge and get legal permission for treatment.

I went through this when I was a nanny. They were going to his family's home out of state for several days due to his sister being about to die and I had all 7 kids at their home. She is a Professor of Nursing and everyone at the hospital knew her but still they made us go to the business office and sign these papers so it would be legal. If the kids needed treatment during the night it was on the computer and easily looked up. She also signed one for the pediatrician's office.

As for your home you need to make sure your insurance will cover any injury to this child. If they decide you are running an unlicensed business they may not cover any injury they get at your home. If that happens you may have to pay out of pocket if you are sued for negligence or injuries.

I also carried personal liability insurance, even when I was president of any Board of Directors of community agencies, if that agency is sued the Board can be named too.

As for a home child care setting, we have to have insurance to be licensed, we have to have liability plus some other stuff to to our home owners in case of injuries or if we have staff that substitutes for us or works even part time.

I think it is fine for you to watch this little guy in your home, just be careful and make sure you are covered in the event he gets hurt and needs medical care.

Sherry's answer to go to Redleaf's site is great, Tom Copeland's advice is the gold standard for child care business questions, especially here in MN. You can look at other providers' policies - just Google child care in different cities, my friend Angela's site here in Eagan is very comprehensive. Good luck!

contact your local countys health and human services dept. there is usually training involved, and they will help you figure out what to write up in a contract. also, this will give the parents the ability to apply for county assistence if they need it; that will pay their child care, or a portion of it. you dont HAVE to accept assistance by the way, but its an option that i liked.

otherwise, a contract should have the important information: hours and days you are open, your rate, holidays/whether you have paid holidays, man, its been so long, i cant remember what all i had in there. (i quit this year).

you should/could also have a "policy" which would include simple things like whether its ok to send food, or drink, your activities/schedule for the day, whether you are involved with a food program (for licensed only)... etc.

but anyway, it doesnt sound like you've taken any training or anything or you wouldnt ask this question i dont think. so contact your county's health and human services and they will get you in touch with the right people.

if you just want to keep babysitting this one kid, you can write out something breif for her, but im going to warn you right now, it can get sticky when you are friends with the parents. thats one thing i was always warned about; once you get to be friends, then it feels wierd to ask for money, or remind them to pay, etc etc etc. so im just warning you, if you and your friend cant talk honestly and frankly about this its going to make things a bit complicated.

you can just write up your concerns for her and meet with her sometime. go through it with her, and talk to her about things. get her to sign it, and really, thats supposedly a "legally binding contract" as long as she's signed it. i think.

anyway, its a lot of complicated situations and stuff. i hope you got some better info from someone else! LOL

You definitely want something in writing regarding pay, holidays, sick policy etc. Private message me if you would like a copy of mine to modify. I don't have a liability release form but I do have a daycare insurance rider from Erie-- 35 dollars a year

go to redleaf press here is the link

http://www.redleafpress.org/productdetails.cfm?PC=891

this is what I used the whole time I was doing daycare. it works out much better to have everything in writing.

I modified a contract that was given to me when I was licensed... Just want to let you know that you can put ANYTHING on it... If you have house rules, etc... Also, make sure that it says that YOU can stop care at any time with no penalties, but they have to give you notice... I had to use that one when my little guy had to go into the hospital for a bit (went to a drs visit and was told he had to go NOW... No warning)...
Also put in it that IF someone does stop care for what ever reason, that payment of anything owed is expected with in a certain amount of time.