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aplacetogrow
03-29-2012, 04:27 PM
I am in the process of opening my home daycare center and am just putting togther my contract and was wondering if anyone would be kind enough to share theirs with me i just want to make sure i haven't left anything out it would be greatly appreciated Thank you

Inspired by Reggio
03-29-2012, 06:44 PM
What is contained in a contract if really kinda dependent on your values and goals for relationships with clients and so forth and your own priorities and so forth ... some people are really 'laid back' and go with the flow with their business and others like myself are well kinda ANAL about covering their ass and having everything out on the table regarding expectations and so forth :o

My contract is basically just regarding 'financial' end of our relationship and is 1 page double sided than I have a 'handbook' that is 20 pages and covers all the detailed things regarding care and service being provided by ME and my expectations for parents in regards to SUPPORTING that.

In my contract I cover:


Parties it pertains to full legal names, contact info and who the 'tax receipt' is to be issued to
Hours of Care committed to both days and start and stop times
Start of Care date
Registration fee and security deposit practices
Payment of Fee policies .... when fees are due, how often, methods of payments accepted, tax receipts issued when, consequences for late payments, NSF cheques and so forth
Program Closures and Provider illness, vacation and sick days and under what circumstances payment is due
Client Vacation, sick days or absences and under what circumstances payment is due
Termination of the contract procedures by the provider and by the client
Contract renewal policies
Acknowledge that in addition to the 'financial contract' clients are also bound by the policies and procedures of the Parent Handbook which contains 'policies' around care giving and program for both the provider and the parent.
Signature and Date signed



Parent Handbook covers detailed information and explanations around:

Mission Statement
Program and Curriculum philosophy
Registration practices
Orientation practices
What to Expect on your First Day - aka list to help ensure they are 'ready'
Hours of Operation with list of standing 'holiday closures'
Fee Payment policies in 'greater' detail
Arrival / Departure policies
Release procedures - how you will handle someone ELSE picking up a child aside from parents
Changes to Custody while enrolled policies
Supervision policies and practices of provider
Nutrition policies and practices of provider and parents role
Personal Belongings and what is 'required' checklist
Physical Activity and Outdoor policies and practices
Washroom and Potty Training policies and practices
Health & Safety ... how immunization, illness at home or within the program is handled, illness that require exclusions list, emergency medical treatment plan, medication being administered
Behavior and Guidance practices of provider
Code of Conduct for expected behaviour
Communication framework and conflict resolution step requests for both parties
Program highlights and how clients can 'help'
Field Trips and Off site visit policies and provider practices
Confidentiality and Privacy of information practices (aka how personal information on clients is stored, how long it is kept and how it is 'destroyed' when it is no longer needed)


In addition I also have the following 'forms' parents fill out with additional information

Child’s Information & Emergency contact information for parents, back up family, Dr, Dentist
Parental Consent Forms for application of sunscreen, first aid treatment, tooth brushing, local walks and outings, vehicle transportation
Photo Consent Form for the various uses of photos
Medical Background Form with health card, immunization record, any allergies, any hospitalization, any childhood illnesses already had and so forth
All About Me form ... current routine for eating, sleeping, diapering, likes, dislikes, challenging behaviours being worked on and so forth

Momof4
03-29-2012, 08:21 PM
My contract is simple and straightforward in plain language so there are no loopholes or questions. I have two pages that cover the legal part of the contract, including my info as one party of the contract and the parent's & child info as the other party to the contract. I include the dates the contract covers because I have parents resign it annually. I include all my fees and deposit charges on this part too.

Then I have 6 pages for my policies including:
List of all days the daycare is closed
I the Parent Shall (list of things I expect from the parents)
I the Caregiver Shall (list of everything the parents can expect from me)
Emergency Procedures
Releasing Child to Unknown Person
Nap/Quiet Time Procedures & Routine
Items to Bring to Daycare
Illness Policy for Caregiver
Illness Policy for Children
Vaccination Policy (I ask that children are vaxed on Fridays and therefore kept home for 48 hours)
Guilding Self-Discipline
Biting Occurrences
Outdoor Play Policy
Field Trips & Outings
Personal Property Brought to Daycare
Toileting & Self-Help Skills
Child Abuse Reporting
Termination of Agreement/Contract

I have the parents initial every paragraph and keep it short and to the point. I believe parents have a much better chance of remembering all the rules if they are simple.