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  1. #1
    Expansive... babydom's Avatar
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    Do u drive with DC kids?

    Do u drive with your daycare kids? To playgroups, play dates, malls, museums etc? I never have but find the winters here too long that I'm considering it. To get out to our playgroups and such still in the winter. How do u do it? Do u provide the car seats so u know they are safe and up to date? Do parents have to sign something and what would it say? Thanks for any help. I'm new to this as we have walked everywhere before and never had to use a van. Just thinking of option during the winter. I wouldn't drive on bad weather days, heavy rain, heavy snow etc.

  2. #2
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    I drive with the kids a few times a month all year round - I take them to the zoo, play groups, parks, etc. I get written permission from the parents, use my own car seats and have the liability insurance increased on my car insurance (just like you do for your house insurance). I have an 8 seater SUV, so I just keep 3 car seats installed so I don't have to deal with taking them in and out all the time. I also have 2 booster seats for the older kids that are easy to take in and out as needed.

    I consciously assume the risk and none of my daycare families have ever shown any concerns.

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  4. #3
    Expansive... babydom's Avatar
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    Do u mind if I ask how u worded the paper for them to sign?

  5. #4
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    I am pretty much the same as Amanda! We have a 7 sweater SUV and keep 2 car seats in there almost all of the time. I have one other car seat if needed and 2 built in booster seats in the vehicle. I usually only go out with 2 though. I've always had the extra insurance on my vehicles due to past jobs. I have a blurb on my permission form paper that parents have to sign regarding vehicle use. I've never had a parent not sign it. I did have one parent want to check that the car seats were installed properly and once she saw they were she was fine. She was one of the moms who loved the field trips the most! I even took him home a few times because they only had one car seat and sometimes mom couldn't pick up in time so I'd take him home to dad. He was my last child here and dad was off 30 minutes before mom so I ended up finishing early those days. (I love how this site triggers memories...I had completely forgotten I used to do that lol)

    I do have it worded that parents may need to supply seats but I've never done that. I prefer to supply my own....safety and cleanliness reasons! I've seen some car seats and there's no way I'd want to touch it, let alone have it in my car haha. Plus I think it's too much of a hassle for both the parents and I.

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  7. #5
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    My permission slip is simple:

    'blank' has permission to travel by car with 'provider's name' to 'destination' on 'date'. We will leave at 'time' and return at 'time'.

    Parent signature:
    Date:


    I have a play group that I attend regularly by car throughout the year, so I have the parents sign a permission slip for that play group once a year and then I just tell them at least 24 hours in advance either verbally or by email that we will be going. This avoids having to constantly get permission slips signed in order to go the same destination.
    Last edited by AmandaKDT; 02-24-2015 at 09:08 AM.

  8. #6
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    Somewhat going off topic here - but when you do take the children out, zoo, movies, etc, do you ask the parents to pay for these trips or they already included in your weekly fees?

  9. #7
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    I get the parents to sign one time and than just verbally tell them when a field trip is happening.

    I pay for it all and claim it 100%. I have young kids but my husband took older kids to the movies once when he took my cousins and his niece. Most of the field trips are free but I take them out to lunch. I have to pay for a few places we go but it's usually not much. I wish we had a zoo or cool museum to go too!!

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  11. #8
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    If it is a place with admission fee, I sometimes ask for a donation from parents to help cover costs. With being licensed I am not allowed to make parents pay anything more than their basic daycare fees.

    I try to make the places I go be free a majority of the time. It is usually only once a year I go somewhere with an admission fee. I don't want to be constantly asking the parents for money and I don't want to be increasing my own costs alot either.

    But all the expenses are all claimable, just like 5 little monkeys wrote.

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  13. #9
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    Never drive anywhere with the daycare kids and I advertise "travel free"

  14. #10
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    I'd never use my vehicle for liability reasons. All of my clients came to me because I was one of the few that didn't use my vehicle for transport. Do your insurance companies know you are transporting daycare children or did you just increase the liability and not inform them? I got a rediculous quote of an extra several thousand dollars to transport in my vehicle, so that made the decision pretty easy for me.

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