Do you Drive?

[sunnydays]

I load the kids in the back seat through the trunk...they are all rear facing (safer anyway) and it is way easier to get them in and out! Just a little trick

[Inspired by Reggio]

I load the kids in the back seat through the trunk...they are all rear facing (safer anyway) and it is way easier to get them in and out! Just a little trick

OMG AWESOME IDEA ... I will have to look at that option to see how high my seats are if I could reach over them to do this from the back easier than trying to flip the middle row seat forward to get back there!!

[Spixie33]

I was thisclose to getting a GMC Acadia last fall (2011) so that I could have a nice looking adult car that also holds 7-8 people and I could go out with the daycare kids. It sounded awesome to be able to go to Big Als Aquarium or to parks outside our neighbourhood etc.

Unfoirtunately hubby and the pocketbook came down on my idea and squashed it like a bug. The argument was that it wasn't practical or affordable for me to buy a different vehicle just for the daycare. I got the Runabout stroller instead.

The only word of caution I would have for you BEFORE you buy anything is to call your insurance for a quote. Another daycare in my neighbourhood went and bought herself a Mini van for outings and then called the insurance about insuring it for the daycare and she was quoted nearly DOUBLE what the rate would be without using it for daycare. Needless to say she has had the van for 5 months now and never used it for daycare.

So either you face astronomical insurance or else you risk driving and hope you don't make a claim during daycare times.

I don't drive anywhere with the daycare kids personally since I only have a car and it could not hold enough kids.

Some parents during interviews are relieved that we don't drive anywhere because they are terrified of providers taking their little ones on the road.

However...since you have existing families where the issue was never really brought up - I would tell them as a fact rather than asking them their permission.

I would just say "we are getting a van and it is going to be so exciting to get out with the kids since we couldn't ever do that before."

Then see how they react and then do a consent form that just covers you for basic permission to travel with you via vehicle in proper, lawful child restraints.

Good luck !

[Inspired by Reggio]

The only word of caution I would have for you BEFORE you buy anything is to call your insurance for a quote. Another daycare in my neighbourhood went and bought herself a Mini van for outings and then called the insurance about insuring it for the daycare and she was quoted nearly DOUBLE what the rate would be without using it for daycare. Needless to say she has had the van for 5 months now and never used it for daycare.

I ran into this issue as well BEFORE I opened and was doing my research and it is why I was open for two years before GETTING my van cause I had some dude quote me the same thing - it was something like $200 MORE a month than my current insurance and I was like SO NOT WORTH IT ... however what happened was that dude did not understand what I was ASKING and quoted me the cost for insurance to have one of those school vans where transport of children for the purpose of business is ALL that is done with it ... kinda like taxi drivers and pizza delivery drivers and all those other people who spend ALL DAY in the vehicle with the sole purpose of transport as their business .... this is NOT what we want we just want a home childcare ryder placed on the vehicle to 'occasionally transport up to 5 additional children who are not our own' .... it cost me like $20 a month for that additional liability insurance on my vehicle ... which SO made it worth it for me cause it costs me $5 a trip to take the bus with the kids so that is a 'trip a week' plus I can write it off AND write off portion of the vehicle itself and so forth.

Get her to call back and clarify that she just wants an additional home childcare 'ryder' put on her vehicle ... not that she is offering the service of 'transportation for purpose of business' with the van and see if she gets a BETTER quote????

[Spixie33]

Get her to call back and clarify that she just wants an additional home childcare 'ryder' put on her vehicle ... not that she is offering the service of 'transportation for purpose of business' with the van and see if she gets a BETTER quote????

Ohhhhh interesting. I will tell her when I see her next week at OEYC. She might be relieved to hear that. Maybe there is hope. I always feel bad when I walk past her house and see that van sitting there

[sunnydays]

If it is too hard to load them forward facing over the backs, you could turn them rear facing and put the smallest kids in the back. They are now recommending that carseats be left rear facing for 2 years or more (check out the Transport Canada website). It is okay if their feat hit the back of the seat (just take their shoes off or protect your seats). I have one child who is almost two and she rides very comfortably rear facing...and she is not a small child.

OMG AWESOME IDEA ... I will have to look at that option to see how high my seats are if I could reach over them to do this from the back easier than trying to flip the middle row seat forward to get back there!!

[sunnydays]

Oh, and also, I used to have two rear facing and one forward facing in the back and I would put the 2 year old in the side door...he would walk to the seat and climb in and then I would reach in from the back trunk to do up his buckles...that works well too...I don't have much space to climb back there from the front!

If it is too hard to load them forward facing over the backs, you could turn them rear facing and put the smallest kids in the back. They are now recommending that carseats be left rear facing for 2 years or more (check out the Transport Canada website). It is okay if their feat hit the back of the seat (just take their shoes off or protect your seats). I have one child who is almost two and she rides very comfortably rear facing...and she is not a small child.