How safe is your childcare business, protect your kids, and yourself, get the truth about dog bite, homeowner endorsements, transportation. Etc.

Homeowners Endorsement vs. Daycare Liability
Sun Safety
Pool Safety
Protect Your Family From Childcare Claims
Safety Hazards
Trampoline Safety
Dog Bites
Policy on Parents Transporting Their Children

Insurance web page article revised 4/3/01 Homeowners Endorsement vs Daycare Liability Insurance

HOMEOWNERS INSURANCE ENDORSEMENTS: CAN YOU SAY SWISS CHEESE?

By Jeff Wyatt

Not to give Swiss cheese a bad name; it is one of the most popular cheeses in the country, but it is also full of holes. As a buyer of Swiss cheese it has always bugged me that I am paying full price for the holes and frankly my bread is not being properly covered.

Your family child care business is kind of like my bread, and I know it is your "bread and butter". But, is it being fully covered if you have a homeowner's endorsement instead of Daycare Liability Insurance? I think not.

One of the "holes" in a Homeowners Insurance Endorsement (HIE) may be that your daycare children are not covered once they step off your property. Think of it. You take them to the park: NOT COVERED, you take them to the library: NOT COVERED, you take them on an errand: NOT COVERED, your school agers go to the school bus stop two doors down: NOT COVERED. Holeee Cow, that's a lot of holes and I am just getting started.

Most HIE may not have a "Professional Liability" offer. This is critical, although obscure to most of us lay people. It simply means that without it you can be liable for the first step of your defense if you are sued for negligence for failure to provide service, or error, or omission. In other words you may have to hire an attorney at your own expense to determine if you are negligent or not even before coverage would kick in. That's on top of your insurance premium.

HIE can also have "holes" when it comes to coverage for products you use in your operation, foods and medicines, allegations of sexual and physical abuse. Often there are no options for coverage for business and personal property coverage, and no business income interruption opportunity.

HIE is also limited by state and insurance rules as to the number of children allowed and may have limits as to the hours of operation.

Is HIE cheap? Cheaper than Swiss cheese if you buy as much as I do. HIE is around $150 in most states, usually with a $500,000 limit. Is it a BARGAIN? Most of the time, I think not. Some homeowner's insurance endorsements may include options that make it sufficient for some family child care operations, but we advise that every provider do a careful comparison before choosing HIE over Business Liability Insurance.

Full Business Liability Insurance is available in most states for around $2-300 (per year), some a little cheaper, some not as cheap. But, most importantly it is like switching to cheese spread, excellent coverage. And, you can put it on as thick as you want. The real bargain insurance is the insurance that meets your needs when you need it most.
Don't get stuck in an insurance "hole". If you have any questions about your insurance coverage (or lack of coverage) contact one of the insurance agents featured in our Insurance Directory web page. They will work hard to get you the best coverage available in your state and probably save you some bread too.

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Sun Safety

Dermatologists are focusing on children to promote protection from the sun's harmful rays. Children get 80 percent of their lifetime sun by age 18, and bad sunburns during childhood can increase their risk of the deadliest skin cancer, melanoma. A child born this year has a one in five chance of developing a skin cancer.

To help prevent cancers of the skin follow the recommended guidelines. For both children and adults, choose a sunscreen that has at least a sun protection factor of 15 and make sure the sunscreen protects against all ultraviolet rays. Experts also recommend hiding from the sun until after 4 p.m. when the sun's ultraviolet rays are weaker. Make sure children wear hats outside, and sunglasses are also advised as the sun can also cause cataracts.

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Pool Safety

The toddler's attraction with the swimming pool can lead to fatal accidents. Roughly 350 children under the age of five drown in pools each year, with the majority of these incidents occurring in June, July, and August. Another 2,6000 children are treated in hospital emergency rooms due to near-drowning experiences. The key to preventing these tragedies is to have layers of protections.

• Fences and walls should surround the pool and be at least 4 feet high.Fences gates should also be self-closing and self-latching.If your house is one side of the barrier, doors leading from the house to the pool should be protected with alarms that would sound if unexpectedly opened. Keep rescue equipment by the pool, and have a phone nearby with emergency numbers posted. It's also life saving to know CPR.A power safety cover that is placed over the pool can be used when it is not in use.If you have an above ground pool, remove any steps and ladders when it is not in use.Look in the pool first if a child is missing.
• Every second counts in preventing a child's death or disability.

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Protect Your Family From Childcare Claims

Allegations of physical and sexual abuse in childcare care are frequently made against the provider's family members, such as the spouse or teenage son. Allegations of abuse by the provider's teenage son have a wider effect than the revocation of the provider's license and loss of income. There is typically also a criminal investigation which can lead to prosecution. A civil lawsuit can also be filed for money damages.

To protect yourself from this remember it is your responsibility to watch the children in your care. Always separate your day care children from your family members, and never leave the children alone with your teenager. Also important is having the correct insurance. With the correct insurance you will be provided with an attorney and help for payment of your legal defense in both administrative and civil proceedings.

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Safety Hazards

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission conducted a national study to identify safety hazards in daycares. In one year, 31,000 kids under the age of four were treated in U.S. hospital emergency rooms. Since 1990, at least 56 children have died in childcares. The hazards identified in this survey were the following: cribs, soft bedding, playground maintenance, child safety gates, and window blind cords.

Cribs - Children can suffocate if crib slats are too far apart and their heads get caught in the slats. They can also suffocate between a too-small mattress and the crib.

Soft Bedding - Infants can suffocate in soft bedding like quilts, comforters, and pillows. Eliminate all soft bedding to prevent deaths.

Playground Maintenance - Since most injuries on the playground occur from falls, playground surfacing should have at least 12 inches of wood chips, mulch, sand, or rubber mats.

Child Safety Gates - More than 100,000 children went to emergency rooms due to falling down the stairs. These injuries could have been prevented if safety gates had been used.

Window Blind Cords - Once a month a child strangles in window covering cords. Most loops on mini-blind cords have been eliminated. If not, cut the looped cord, remove the buckle, and put a safety tassel on each cord or have a tie-down device to hold the cords tight.

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Trampoline Safety

Trampolines pose serious dangers, with 83,000 emergency-room visits linked to trampolines in one year. Since 1990 there have been six deaths attributed to trampolines. Doctors first called for a ban on trampolines in 1977 because of the many quadriplegic injuries associated with them.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that trampolines should not be regarded as play equipment and not be used at home or at school. Doctors and safety experts agree that trampolines should never be used without the supervision of an adult, and advise children should be allowed on trampolines only at training facilities where supervision and protective equipment is in place.

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Dog Bites

DOGS AND DAYCARE: See the Truth

• 70 percent of dog attack victims are children.1/3 of all homeowners liability claims involve a dog bite with the average claim being $12,000.Dog attack victims in the United States acquire over $1 billion in losses yearly.Most people argue that dogs are used as protection; instead, not even 1 percent of victims are burglars.
• The rate of increase in dog bite injuries is 20 times the increase in number of dogs.

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Policy on Parents Transporting Their Children

In operating my child care business, my first responsibility is to protect the health and safety of the children in my care. When parents drop off and pick up their children, I want to make sure that children are transported safely. Use of alcohol or drugs by parents or the lack of use of appropriate car seats can create an unsafe transportation situation for children. If, in my opinion the child cannot be safely transported to or from my home, I will ask the parent not to transport the child. Instead, the following alternatives will be proposed:

1.) I will call people who can pick up the child from the list below:

______________________ ________________________

Name Phone Number

______________________ ________________________

Name Phone Number

______________________ ________________________

Name Phone Number

2.) I will call a cab to pick up the child. The parent will pay the fee for the cab.

3.) The parent will be asked to drive home without the child and return with the appropriate car seat. There will/will not be a late pickup fee charged under these circumstances.

4.) Other alternative proposed by the parent: _________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

5.) If the parent refuses to agree to one of the alternatives listed above and insists on transporting the child, I will immediately call child protection services or the police and report the unsafe driving situation.

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