Daycare Agreement

A Daycare Agreement is a document used by a family with children and a daycare that will provide child care services to those children. By using a Daycare Agreement, a daycare can provide a wide assortment of details about the daycare including the personal backgrounds and qualifications of the child care providers, hours of operation, fees, holidays, program activities, medical care, and other important details. The document can also outline the particulars of how the daycare will provide services to the family.

Daycares are specially licensed facilities that must comply with specific state laws to get and maintain their license to provide child care services. This document is to be used between a licensed facility and the parent or legal guardian of a child.

A clear and concise Daycare Agreement protects parents and guardians as well as the child care providers. The purpose of a Daycare Agreement is to define and document the arrangement between the parties so that misunderstandings and surprises regarding the expectations of each party can be avoided. Although it might be tempting to keep things as informal as possible, when issues such as child care fees and hours of operation are involved, it is important to put the information in writing. For example, having a written Daycare Agreement protects the child care provider in the event a problem, such as nonpayment, arises. Without putting the agreement in writing, it may be difficult to prove the substance of an oral agreement.

This document is meant to memoralize a relationship between a daycare and a family. For a daycare facility looking to create a more general policy document, a Daycare Policy Statement should be used instead. To create a more generalized agreement between a client and someone providing services, use a Service Agreement instead.

How to use this document

The Daycare Agreement includes all of the information necessary to create a through document that describes the nature of the child care arrangement between the family and the daycare providing child care services. The document includes important details including the days and hours during which the daycare will be caring for the family's children, the rate the family will pay to the daycare and how and when they will pay, requirements for children attending daycare such as mandatory vaccinations or payment of a registration fee, and the names and contact information of the individuals authorized to pick the children up from daycare as well as contact information in case of emergencies.

Another vital function of the document is to make the daycare's policies and procedures clear to the family. The document outlines procedures for meals, field trips, discipline, and other such activities.

Once the family and the daycare have completed the Daycare Agreement, they should both sign and date it, being sure to keep a copy of the document for their own records in case of dispute or confusion down the line.

Applicable law

Daycares are subject to federal, state, and local laws regarding regulations and licensing. More information on state and federal licensure regulations can be obtained from the database maintained by the National Center on Early Childhood Quality Assurance (NCECQA). This website has links to all fifty states' licensure regulations. Educational information on child care in general can also be obtained from the National Resource Center For Health and Safety In Child Care and Early Education.

How to modify the template

You fill out a form. The document is created before your eyes as you respond to the questions.

At the end, you receive it in Word and PDF formats. You can modify it and reuse it.