Question About Snow Shoveling

[Unregistered]

Good morning,

I was hoping for some advice on how to handle a situation. My wife and I have been taking our son to an in home daycare for a little over a year now. He is currently 15 months and loves it there and gets excited to see his friends every day. My concern is they do not shovel or salt their driveway, or sidewalk and did not last year either. I live in Indiana where we snow regularly from December - February. They park a car in the drive way so parking close isn't even an option.

My wife and I have almost slipped several times while holding our son and carrying him in or out. I have asked them to shovel a few times verbally but no action has been taking, I even warned them that we have almost fell. This is mainly concerning ice, snow is a pain due to them not shoveling it is also hard to walk in but not as dangerous. I have spoke with a few other parents that go to the daycare and they agree with me and have said they have warned as well. I have also reviewed our agreement and it is not mentioned that they do or do not shovel/salt etc.

I've done a little research and believe it should be the property owner of any business to take care of this but feel free to educate me otherwise.

My questions are

1. Do you take responsibility as an in home daycare to provide a safe path to and from the front door?

2. What is a "nice" way of warning and asking them to please clear the path for the safety of ourselves and our children.

Thanks for any advice!
Concerned Dad

[nanglgrl]

It depends. I make sure I have a clear path for a liability reasons. If someone was injured on my property I would be liable.
That said, I don't know the specifics of your provider or the weather. If the problem is that it's snowing or getting icy after the first child is dropped off for the day it's possible she's not able to leave the children unattended to clear a path to her door.

[sally]

That's how I am. If I need to shovel or put out salt in the morning I do before my first arrival. If it's needed after I cannot leave children unattended in my home to do it during the day. Parents just have to be careful.

[Unregistered]

Thank you both for replying, you have answered my first question. The problem is they never shovel or salt. We had an ice storm on Sunday night and it has not been touched, I had to almost skate to the door today.

Any advice on what to put in the email? I want something that is formal and proof that I have requested they manage this and are liable.

Concerned Dad

[Blackcat31]

Thank you both for replying, you have answered my first question. The problem is they never shovel or salt. We had an ice storm on Sunday night and it has not been touched, I had to almost skate to the door today.

Any advice on what to put in the email? I want something that is formal and proof that I have requested they manage this and are liable.

Concerned Dad

Personally, I would set up a time to talk privately with your provider instead of writting a letter or sending an e-mail but I would do whatever works best for you. Maybe something like this:

Dear Provider

I wanted to take a moment and discuss something with you that has me a bit concerned. I've noticed that after significant snowfalls your sidewalks and driveway are not cleared of snow and my wife and myself are having to trudge through this to get to your door.

This has created an unsafe situation that I would like to see remedied before anything tragic happens. I understand not being able to leave children inside unattended during snowfall that happens during business hours and in those situations clients would more than likely take due caution when traversing the icy or snowy areas but the snow accumulation prior to opening should be cleared to ensure the safety of all parents and children dropping off.

Thank you

Concerned parent

[Play Care]

At the very least they should be shoveling in the morning or putting down some sand. Have you said anything to them about it? If they are licensed it might be a regulation to keep exits free and clear (to get kids out safely) so bring it up.

That said, I live in a hill in upstate NY. We have to be plowed every storm, sometimes multiple times) And they will sand for us (for an additional fee) I tell my families that for obvious reasons 4 wheel or All wheel drive is best and to wear appropriate foot wear in case of ice/snow. This after a parent tried to walk up my driveway during an ice storm in stilettos...

[butterfly]

I agree with all PP. Snow removal should occur before the first arrival. Once children arrive it's difficult to do the snow removal with children present. It becomes a huge safety issue bringing the kids outside to shovel while keeping everyone supervised. (or leaving them inside unattended)

I also agree that you should talk to your provider face to face or via a phone conversation. If I got a letter addressing this situation, I may not take it very well.

You have very valid concerns.

I would also suggest that you offer to help your daycare provider remove that snow. I've had many parents just come grab my shovel and clear some snow for me without being asked (or saying a word to me about it), because they know I'm not able to keep up with both the snow removal and safely supervising their children.

Though, I don't believe it to be your responsibility to clear her sidewalks, I think it would go a long way in maintaining the relationship and solving the issue.

[Daycare Insurance]

Good morning,

I was hoping for some advice on how to handle a situation. My wife and I have been taking our son to an in home daycare for a little over a year now. He is currently 15 months and loves it there and gets excited to see his friends every day. My concern is they do not shovel or salt their driveway, or sidewalk and did not last year either. I live in Indiana where we snow regularly from December - February. They park a car in the drive way so parking close isn't even an option.

My wife and I have almost slipped several times while holding our son and carrying him in or out. I have asked them to shovel a few times verbally but no action has been taking, I even warned them that we have almost fell. This is mainly concerning ice, snow is a pain due to them not shoveling it is also hard to walk in but not as dangerous. I have spoke with a few other parents that go to the daycare and they agree with me and have said they have warned as well. I have also reviewed our agreement and it is not mentioned that they do or do not shovel/salt etc.

I've done a little research and believe it should be the property owner of any business to take care of this but feel free to educate me otherwise.

My questions are

1. Do you take responsibility as an in home daycare to provide a safe path to and from the front door?

2. What is a "nice" way of warning and asking them to please clear the path for the safety of ourselves and our children.

Thanks for any advice!
Concerned Dad

From an insurance perspective. It is absolutely the responsibility of the property owner or the lessee of the premises to provide a safe entry onto the premises. Of course if someone were to become injured on the premises It could fall on the property owners or lessee's insurance to pay any damages or injuries that might occur. I would take some of the advice given here by your peers. Definitely give them a friendly warning that they might want to see to the issue so they can reduce their own risk.

[Unregistered]

Thank you all for the advice. I spoke with her and she was very apologetic. I don't think she realized that it was that bad outside. She of course wants to provide a safe environment for the children inside and outside. When I dropped my son of this morning I could tell she had shoveled and there were 2 bags of salt that she had purchased as well

[Blackcat31]

Thank you all for the advice. I spoke with her and she was very apologetic. I don't think she realized that it was that bad outside. She of course wants to provide a safe environment for the children inside and outside. When I dropped my son of this morning I could tell she had shoveled and there were 2 bags of salt that she had purchased as well

Awesome! I love a good parent-provider solution!

[SignMeUp]

When it's snowing during the day, I shovel when my kids are outside. Then I leave a shovel and a container of ice-melt where parents can access it

Some of my newer parents have done some path-clearing for me and quite a few will use the ice-melt if they think it's needed.

It's so nice to hear from a parent who wants to find a solution