Day Care Facility Insurance Matters
The need for quality child care has increased drastically over the recent years, partly, due to a rise in families with two parents working. Child care workers held about 1.3 million jobs in 2008. About 33% of child care workers were self employed, family child care providers according to the U.S Department of Labor.
What this means is, day care centers are opening their doors for the first time and are having to meet the States and Federal governments requirements for licensing, insurance, etc.
The typical requirements for insurance include general liability and workers compensation coverage. While these policies are musts, they do not cover all the exposures and potentials for financial losses a day care center may experience.
It is extremely important that day care facility owners know what coverage’s are available to them. A standard general liability policy may not cover abuse, neglect, molestation, kidnapping, injuries that incurred away from the center, such as field trips, and injuries in automobiles, just to name a few.
Here are some examples of why these coverages are so important: A child suffers bodily injury while on your playground equipment. The parent of a child enrolled in your program makes a false charge of abuse or molestation against you; One of your employees/volunteers trips and spills hot soup onto a child; Emotional distress to the parent of a child enrolled in your program caused when you did not obtain a permission slip to take them on a field trip.
Carries such as, USLI and Philadelphia Insurance Companies, have specific programs designed just for childcare centers at affordable rates.
These childcare center programs offer: Child Care Center Professional Liability including teacher’s acts or omissions as a Child Care Centers Provider, Coverage for fields trips, Abuse and Molestation coverage, Business Income coverage with a $300,000 limit is included on Property Elite form, Large Excess Limits available, Corporal Punishment coverage available, Excess Medical Payments coverage available, Auto coverage includes buses, 15 passenger vans and private passenger vehicles and Coverage for after school programs as part of the Child Care Centers. These are just some of the items that Philadelphia provides.
As caretakers of children, the owner and the staff have the duty to act with reasonable care while caring for children in their custody. Sometimes children get hurt in accidents even when they are under the best of care. However, if a child is injured while under the care of your program, the parents might sue the center if they believe the injury was the result of the negligence of the center or the staff.
Without the proper insurance coverages, the center will be responsible for all costs associated with the claim.
All childcare centers need to ensure that the children, the center, and their employees are protected. One claim could cause a business to have to close their doors if not properly insured. Please take the time to review your current policies to ensure you are completely protected. If you do not have coverage, you need to contact your agent immediately!