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Transportation Issues for Parents and Providers |
Let's say a parent wants their child care provider to pick up their child from the child's home and return the child at the end of the day. What are the issues that the parent and the provider should consider before agreeing to do this?
From the Provider Point of View
The provider wants to make sure the child is safely transported and that the child and the provider are adequately covered by insurance.
Safety Issues
To ensure that the child is safely transported the provider should:
Maintain their valid driver's license
Take the required child passenger restraint systems training and comply with all seat belt and child passenger restraint system requirements under the law
Carry a cell phone in the car so the parent and provider can communicate in the event of a traffic jam or emergency
Make sure the car is in good working order
Maintain proper supervision if other children will also be picked up or dropped off
Follow proper safety procedures if you will be making other stops along the way. (Children should never be left alone in the car, even for a moment.)
Make sure that the child is transported in a properly-installed safety restraint
Have the parent(s) sign a statement authorizing the provider to transport the child
Inform the parent in writing if someone else may be transporting the child (either on a regular basis or only in an emergency). If another person besides the provider will be transporting the child, review all of the above instructions with the driver.
Insurance Issues
Providers need to make sure that their car insurance will cover themselves, the children, and their car if there is an accident. The provider needs to have a business insurance policy (also called a commercial insurance policy) when a child is being transported on a regular basis by the provider. A typical personal insurance policy will not cover a child in this situation.
Many providers may not be aware of the necessity of having a business insurance policy, so providers should ask their car insurance agent about this. If the insurance agent assures you that you are covered, ask to have this put in writing, either in the form of a letter on the agent's company stationary stating directly that children being transported are covered, or have a statement added to the certificate of insurance that the policy is a business (or commercial) policy. Without one of these two written statements, the provider should assume that her policy will not cover her if she is transporting children.
A provider should also increase their insurance coverage limits to protect themselves in case of an accident. This is particularly true if the provider is transporting more than one child at a time.
From the parent point of view
The parent wants to make sure that her child will be transported safely and that in the event of an accident, the child is properly insured.
Safety Issues
To ensure that the child is transported safely the parent should:
Ask to see a copy of the provider's valid driver's license
Ask if the provider has taken the required child passenger restraint systems training and is complying with all seat belt and child passenger restraint system requirements under the law. Ask to see a copy of the completed training certificate.
Ask if the provider will carry a cell phone in the car so the parent and provider can communicate in the event of a traffic jam or emergency.
Ask if the car is in good working order.
Ask if other children will also be picked up or dropped off. If so, the parent should ask how the children will be properly supervised.
Ask if the provider will be making other stops along the way. If so, the parent should ask for assurances that their child will never be left alone in the car, even for a moment.
Make sure that their child is transported in a properly-installed safety restraint
Ask the provider if anyone else will be transporting their child. If so, the parent should ask to see the driver's license of any other drivers. The parent should also ask for a written list of others who are authorized to transport their child. If another person is transporting their child and is using a car not owned by the provider, the parent should review all of the above instructions with the driver.
Sign a statement authorizing the provider (and any others) to transport their child
Insurance Issues
Parents need to make sure that the provider's car insurance will cover their child if there is an accident. The provider needs to have a business insurance policy (also called a commercial insurance policy) when a child is being transported on a regular basis by the provider. A typical personal insurance policy will not cover a child in this situation.
Many providers may not be aware of the necessity of having a business insurance policy, so parents should ask about this. A parent will only be able to see proof that the provider has the proper insurance if the certificate of insurance specifically states that the policy is a business (or commercial) policy. Therefore, the parent should ask to see the certificate of insurance and look for this language. If this language does not appear, the parent should not allow their child to be transported.
The provider can ask their insurance agent to have this language added to their insurance certificate. If their insurance agent will not add this language then the provider (and the parent) should assume that the policy does not cover children being transported.
The parent may or may not want to ask about the amount of insurance coverage the provider carries on her car. The higher the coverage limits the better.
This handout was produced by Think Small (www.thinksmall.org).
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