Contract and parents handbook ?? Help please ....

Hi,

I'm new here and I'm also just starting up a daycare. I'm not sure what exactly I'm supposed to have in the contract. Also, I have been told about a parents handbook but am not to sure what that is?I know a lot of you choose not to share these kind of things but I would really appreciate any help I can get from people with experience. If you could please share or give me some tips .... please. I did ask a daycare provider for a little help that was in my area but she told me she wanted me to learn the "hard way" ... I really don't want to learn that way lol Thanks

HI dayna142 I see that you are in Ottawa. If you are just starting out it would be a great idea to join the Childcare Providers Resource Network which you can check out at www.ccprn.com
This is a support group for childcare providers and offers resources, info, workshops, etc. On the homepage is a link to a start up kit that gives some information on the basics. They also offer a start up workshop a couple times a year so you might want to find out when the next one is. This is a great group and those that work at the office are very friendly and helpful. I sometimes do feltboard workshops for the CCPRN. Several of us on this forum from Ottawa are members of CCPRN.

To answer your question, the contract needs to outline the basics of the hours, days you will be providing care, how much you will charge, when payment is due.

The handbook is something that you will write but then constantly update as get into providing care. It details things like what you provide, what the parents provide, what days you will be closed such as vacation or Statutory days, etc. Anything you want parents to know can go in the handbook.

I am in Orleans, what part of Ottawa are you in.

Thanks so much :-) I'm in Blackburn Hamlet.

Hi Dayna, welcome aboard from another newbie provider. If you PM me your email address, I don't mind sending you my handbook. It's work in progress, but it will give you something to get ideas from.
And this is a site with oodles of free forms from daycare providers for daycare providers: http://www.thedaycarelady.com/ . It's been very helpful to me. I downloaded one of the handbook examples and used that as a template for my own. Same with a contract. There's tons of helpful stuff there, you'll love it!