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Hey there! Before we get started, If you’re looking to start your own daycare but don’t know where to start, you can grab my FREE Daycare Starter Guide to start your own childcare business . It’s a 12 step guide to starting your own center or in-home daycare. It’s super easy and absolutely free! You can grab your copy here.

Now, let’s talk about important forms you need for a new daycare or child care center.

Approximately 25% of the children in the United States are enrolled in a daycare, preschool, or childcare center. Finding a great daycare is something that most busy parents are adamant about. If you love children and want to start a business of your own, then opening a daycare may be a good idea for you. 

As you start to plan out the details of your new daycare, you need to think about the important forms you will need. Below are some forms you need when opening a new daycare.  

A Parent Handbook

Before enrolling children in your daycare, parents will need to know the policies you have in place. Certain topics have to be disclosed in these policies per state guidelines.

Here are a few important topics you want to include in your parent handbook.

ABOUT OUR CENTER
CURRICULUM & ACTIVITIES
SUMMER ACTIVITIES
ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS
HOLIDAY CLOSINGS
HOURS OF OPERATION
CHILD ABUSE
MEALS
INCLEMENT WEATHER
DROP OFF AND PICK UP
PANDEMIC PLANS
FIELD TRIPS
NAPTIME
RATES & REGISTRATION
PAYMENTS AND LATE FEES
GUIDANCE & DISCIPLINE
INFANT AND TODDLER CARE
TELEVISION POLICY
BITING POLICY
STAFF QUALIFICATIONS
PROHIBITED SUBSTANCES
SICK CHILDREN POLICY
MEDICATION
EMERGENCY PLANS
FIRE & TORNADO DRILLS
PARENTAL ACCESS
HOUSEHOLD PETS (IN-HOME)
FIREARMS (IN-HOME)
VACATION TIME (IN-HOME)

If you want an easy-to-use parent handbook for your new daycare, Daycare Studio has you covered. 

Enrollment Forms 

Providing detailed enrollment forms to the parents of the children coming to your daycare is also important. These enrollment forms will provide you and your staff with details about things like:

• Parent's contact info

• A child’s date of birth and Social Security number

• Living arrangements

• Doctor information

• Allergies

• Special care requests

• Legal custody

With this information, you can provide a child with the customized care they deserve. 

Daycare Contract

• Clear Expectations-Having a daycare contract that parents sign is necessary for several reasons. Firstly, it establishes clear expectations and guidelines for both the childcare provider and the parents, ensuring that everyone is on the same page regarding policies, procedures, and fees. This helps to prevent misunderstandings and conflicts down the line.

• Legal Protection- A signed daycare contract provides legal protection for the daycare provider in case of disputes or disagreements. It outlines the rights and responsibilities of both parties, including terms of payment, hours of operation, and the protocol for late pickups or absences.

• Transparency-A daycare contract serves as a professional agreement that fosters trust and transparency between the provider and the parents, promoting a positive working relationship built on mutual respect and understanding.

  You can grab my daycare contract template here.

Provide Parents With Daily Schedules

A daily schedule for children is a must when operating a daycare or an in-home childcare business. A daily schedule is the planning of the day by time and activities. Daily schedules and routines are important for children because they provide a sense of "safety and stability.” Daily schedules also help the teacher's day run smoother, making it less stressful. Parents enjoy knowing their child has well-balanced activities planned throughout the day while in your care.

Allergy Forms

Knowing about a child’s allergies and medical conditions is also crucial for the staff in your daycare. Posting allergy forms in each of your classrooms is the best way to ensure a child isn’t given food or drink that could harm them.  Your state licensing department also requires an allergy list to be posted in each classroom.

Sign-In and Out Logs

Having sign-in logs for parents/guardians to use as they drop off or pick up their children is vital. Ideally, you want these forms placed at the entry area of your daycare facility. With this daily log, you can track who is coming in and going out of your daycare or child care center. You will need to keep these attendance records for licensing visits.

If you choose to go digital, consider using a childcare software app such as Procare or Playground.

Daycare Emergency Plans

It is a state requirement that all licensed centers have a plan of action in place for emergencies.

It is your responsibility as the owner of a daycare to plan for the unexpected. When emergencies occur, you need a comprehensive plan in place on how you will handle them. Having an emergency plan document to hand out to parents is important. It is also very important that your teachers and staff know what to do in case of an emergency. These plans should include emergency situations like:

PANDEMIC OUTBREAK
EARTHQUAKE
HURRICANE
GAS LEAK
EVACUATION
LOCKDOWN
LOSS OF WATER
LOSS OF ELECTRICITY
LOSS OF HEAT
LOSS OF COOLING SYSTEM
HEATWAVE
TORNADOS
FIRE
LIGHTNING
CARBON MONOXIDE
DEATH OF A CHILD
LOSS OF A CHILD
STRUCTURAL DAMAGE
COMMUNICABLE DISEASES
SERIOUS INJURIES
CHEMICAL OR RADIATION EXPOSURE
BOMB THREAT
DANGEROUS PERSON

With these emergency plan documents, parents can see that your daycare is ready to handle any situation. Need a Done-For-You Emergency Plan? Click here to download my Daycare Emergency Plan Template.

Weekly Menus

Providing the children in your daycare with healthy and delicious meals is something you should view as a priority. Parents will want to know what their children are eating at your facility, which is why having weekly menus to provide them with is vital. 

Conclusion:

These are not all of the forms needed, but they will get you started in your new daycare journey. By investing in the forms and templates mentioned here, you can ensure your daycare is off to a great start with the documents needed to make it successful.

Would you love to get ALL the forms needed to start your own daycare or child care center?

Check out the DAYCARE FORMS SUPER BUNDLE! Included in this package are all the forms, handbooks, & posters you need to start your own daycare business. This Daycare Complete SUPER Package includes 108+ forms to help you run a successful and profitable childcare center.

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