Screen Shot 2016-06-29 at 5.31.34 PM When Jonah was born, I had the privilege of being able to stay home with him for a year before returning to work.  Initially, I chose to have a full time nanny come for a short time (an old story about her here). Eventually, however, it made more sense (financially and scheduling wise) to have him go to a local daycare. It ended up being the best decision ever as Jonah thrived in a setting with other children. (I attribute his early talking and social skills- at least the ones he had until he turned 8 and learned how to do an armpit fart- to daycare). While this was the right move, for Jonah, I understand that every family has different needs and capabilities: Child care is 100% a personal issue. The one thing I do know, however, is that no matter what route a parent takes, making sure your child is well protected and safe is paramount.

Recently, I partnered up with DC Insurance in an effort to let parents know about what questions they should be asking when/if enrolling their child in day care. When shopping for daycares, most parents ask about curriculum, staff, and even licensing, but rarely ask the daycare if they carry insurance. All daycares should carry insurance in order to protect their enrolled children and as a sign of professionalism. (You wouldn’t hire a contractor who didn’t carry insurance, would you?)

I sat down with Adria Rossi, Claims Manager at DC Insurance, to get the 411 on everything you need to know!

  1. What is accidental medical coverage?

Accident medical coverage is something that all daycares should be carrying in addition to liability insurance. It covers a child’s medical bills if the child is injured at daycare. This way parents don’t have to come out of pocket for any medical expenses. The daycare would submit the claim to their insurance company, and the insurance company would pay all of the medical bills.

Daycares should be carrying liability and accident medical insurance. If you ask a daycare if they carry insurance and they say no, find another daycare. If they say yes, you may want to make sure they have at least $20,000 in accident medical insurance in case your child is injured in their care.

2.  Are home daycares required to carry insurance?  

Neither daycare homes nor daycare centers are required to carry insurance in the state of California. This is why parents should always ask.

3.  What should parents know or do when entering their children into a day care center? 

In addition to checking out the curriculum, philosophy, and staff, parents should ensure that the daycare carries liability and accident medical insurance. They should also check to make sure the daycare doesn’t have any serious violations. In California, they can check that here: https://secure.dss.ca.gov/CareFacilitySearch/home/index

It is also important to check out the playground equipment and other play areas to make sure they are in good working order. There should be no chemicals or hot objects within reach of any children.

4.  What is the cost for accidental medical coverage and where can I sign up?

The daycare providers would be the ones signing up, but the cost is very low. For a large family child care home (up to 14 children), our highest policy is less than $1,000 a year.

For more information about child care insurance, visit www.dcins.com or call 800-624-0912.

PS. Looking for a great app that keeps you connected to your child’s caregivers? Check out SitterNote!

I am being sponsored by DC Insurance for this post and social media activities, but all opinions expressed are my own.

FILED UNDER: A Little Life
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