Daycare Contract Template

What is a daycare agreement template?

A daycare contract template is a legally binding document designed to formalize the relationship between a daycare provider and the parents or guardians of enrolled children. This is a comprehensive document that sets out:

• rights and responsibilities of both parents and daycare;
• rules for payment of fees;
• internal policies (e.g., sick policy, drop-off policy, and pick-up policy);
• confidentiality requirements;
• discipline methods;
• rules for termination of the agreement, etc.

Having a clear and concise daycare agreement template is helpful for both parents and daycare facilities. First, the document explains in detail to the parents which services they get and which education and discipline methods the daycare applies. Second, the daycare business has a well-established road map for enrollment and delivery of the services in general. Finally, it gives both parties peace of mind regarding their child’s care.

There are several types of daycare agreement templates available to suit different childcare settings:

• general daycare contract (when parents drop off their child at a special daycare facility); or
• in-home daycare contract template (when the daycare is being organized at someone’s home or residential property).

The parties involved in either a general or home daycare contract are the daycare operator and a parent.

A daycare operator is a business, individual, or other entity that runs a daycare. To run this type of business, a daycare operator needs first to obtain the license. It is illegal to operate the daycare facility without the proper license and business registration. State-by-state requirements vary depending on the criteria that the daycare must meet to get a license.

A parent is a person who is responsible for their child. If the parents are dead, do not have legal custody, or are missing, a legal guardian appointed by the court shall be responsible for a child. In that case, all the communication with the daycare is performed by a legal guardian.

How to draft day care contract templates?

A day care contract template is an internal policy that outlines terms and conditions for the provision of child care services. While various daycare businesses may operate in a different way, the list of their internal policies remains almost the same. Below, we made a short list of important clauses every well-drafted template should have:

Parents’ Details

Every daycare contract template shall include information about a child’s parents or legal guardian. Those people are responsible for signing the policy. Therefore, the text of a document should include their full name, address, and contact details.

If, for some reason, parents or legal guardians cannot pick up a child, they may include information about an authorized pickup individual. This is a person whom parents trust to collect their child from the daycare. The parents or legal guardians shall inform the daycare well in advance about the full name and contact phone number of an authorized individual. Failure to communicate such information in advance gives the daycare a right to refuse a child’s pick up until parents or legal guardians arrive.

Scope of Services

A daycare agreement template lays out the list of all services the daycare is ready to provide, for instance:

• meal and snack preparation;
• toilet trainings;
• nap times;
• extracurricular activities; and
• education trips, etc.

The exact list of services has a crucial role, as it helps to leverage both parties’ expectations. Apart from that, the text of a daycare policy shall also outline the list of responsibilities that lie with parents. For example, parents have to provide diapers for toddlers and formula for infants. All those additional requirements should be laid out in the text of a document.

Discipline Rules

While legal guardians or parents are away, the daycare personnel have the authority to discipline the child. Those discipline measures may include time-outs, circle times, verbal guidance, etc. However, it is also essential to outline prohibited discipline practices the daycare personnel may not apply while on duty. In this regard, the wording of the daycare policy should explicitly prohibit the following practices:

• physical punishment;
• swearing; or
• threatening children.

Finally, the daycare should have an additional child abuse policy in place to report all suspected cases of child abuse or neglect to the proper authorities.

Payment Policy

Another important pillar for every home daycare contract is a payment policy that defines rules and timelines for payment of the daycare fees. A well-drafted policy template should include:

• type of fees (e.g., annual, monthly, weekly, or hourly rates);
• registration or enrollment deposit (if applicable);
• overtime fees (for late pick-ups);
• rules regarding the adjustment of fees (e.g., when the child is sick, on vacation, or absent).

Operating Hours

Every daycare contract template should define the operating days and hours within which the child care services should be provided. Thus, the document should include:

• days of planned closures (e.g., public holidays, summer holidays);
• holiday care (if available);
• regular opening and closing times;
• late arrival policy;
• late pickup policy, etc.

When it comes to the in-home daycare contract template, the operating hours and days may fluctuate according to the needs of parents or children.

Confidentiality

In the course of enrollment and provision of child care services, staff and other personnel get access to the following sensitive information related to a child or parents:

• residential address;
• composition of a family;
• relations between family members;
• medical information and health history, etc.

Therefore, it is essential to make sure that access to such information is provided only to the limited number of staff. The daycare ensures that such information remains confidential for the whole period of time, regardless of whether a child attends the daycare or not.

One more important consideration regarding the social media usage should also be included in this clause. In particular, parents or legal guardians shall explicitly consent to posting their children’s photos on any social media, including the daycare’s website or app.

Termination of the contract

Either party may end a day care contract template with or without reason by sending prior written notice to the other party. The notice period is different for every daycare, depending on the internal organization, number of kids, and waiting list policies. In most of the cases, a notice period varies between 5 and 30 days.

At the same time, a daycare should have an exclusive right to end the contract at any time in a limited number of circumstances. A daycare agreement template should provide a fixed list of circumstances when immediate termination is possible, for example:

• failure to pay fees on time;
• child’s inability for the adaptation;
• failure to follow daycare policies;
• posing a safety risk, etc.

How to customize a document template at FasterDraft?

To get a fully customized template of a legal document, follow a few easy steps below:

1. Click the “Create Document” button.
2. Answer simple questions in the form.
3. Choose a format for your printable daycare contract template—PDF or Word.
4. Make a payment.
5. Download and instantly use the document.