Walking kids to school

i'm in the process of getting my daycare license and have been trying to get some daycare spots filled. I have a school located directly across the street from me (actually the back of the school/playground field). Do you think it is reasonable to say that I won't walk kids to school with it being such a short distance? I had a parent very concerned that I said I wasn't willing to walk her kids to school (would be kindergarten and grade 1), but I have a young baby and don't want to make that commitment when we can have such cold weather in Manitoba.

I'm second guessing myself, thinking that I should be willing to do that if I'm going to take school age kids - especially ones that are only in kindergarten. But I have been told that none of the home daycares in the area do transportation to school.

Thoughts? Advice?

This year I have refused to walk the my b&a school kids to and from school (right across the street). If the child is under the age of 6 I will not even take them on. That is too young for them to be walking on their own. I have the following right in the contract:

Child getting to and from school

The child will need to walk him/herself to and from Regina Public School or the School Bus Stop. You need to determined that your child is old enough and mature enough to take on this responsibility.

Regina school lets out for the day at 2:25pm, if for some reason your child is not at the daycare by 2:45pm, all attempts will be made to:

or

The Bus drops off at ______, if for some reason your child is not at the daycare with in 15mins of the bus (scheduled drop off time) then :

1. Call the school to see if there is some kind of delay in releasing the child

2. Contact you to let you know what is going on (I will keep you up to date)

3. If the child is not located by 3:00pm or 35 min from the buses scheduled drop of time), the police will be contact.

Please note that for the buses, the weather will be taken into consideration for any lates.


Next year my son will be going to 4 year old kindergarten and I will be walking him back and forth, so I will also take on b&a kids ages 4 and 5.

So no you don't have to walk the kids to and from school if they are old enough to go so on their own. If they are not old enough then don't even except them into care. Also make sure you have in writing that the parents feel that their child is old enough and responsible enough to walk him/herself.

Most of the children start at my daycare around 10-12 months of age and currently my group has 3 that are between that age and 3 year old. Getting everyone bundled all winter takes 1/2 an hour and the time it takes me to clean up snow/slush/mud after we come back in is at least another 1/2 an hour. If I were going on a school run with these children it would take up too much of my day. Fortunately, I'm not close to a school.

If you don't want to go through all of that then make it clear that you can't offer that service while in the prescreening stage. I wouldn't put it on your website or in your ad though because you want all positive things in those two places. You have a perfect right to choose how you are going to run your daycare.

Bluerose gave you great advice!