Do you provide transportation?

[supermom]

I have been thinking of providing transportation for a while now. What are the ups and downs of providing transportation?

[Blackcat31]

Personally, I do not transport kids.

Thankfully, it's rare in my area for a child care to transport children.

I don't because of the liability factor. I don't care to borrow any more of it than necessary.

Plus, the insurance required on my vehicle would far outweigh the positives. Way too expensive.

I'd also need a small bus as I have 10-12 DCK's every day.

[Cat Herder]

Downs=

1. Many parents do not want their kids to leave your property and will go with a provider who does not transport.

2. The new regs for transporting daycare kids are very difficult. Driver plus one if ""A". Driver plus two if "B". Plus one must be 16 years old if "A". Plus two must be 18 years old if "B"......

3. The normal parent issues with transporting. Late arrivals. Early arrivals. Early pick-up. Weather/School closures. Ratios. Maintenance issues. Insane Transporting Insurance Costs....

Ups =

1. You can take your own kids to school.

2. You can take a group of kids out on field trips into the general public.

IMHO, the ups are not worth the downs.

[Play Care]

I have been thinking of providing transportation for a while now. What are the ups and downs of providing transportation?

I transport to preschool ONLY. Unfortunately in my area this is the "norm" and you can gain/lose clients on this.

You need to make sure your car insurance covers this. I have State Farm and they do. Many will not though, or will require you to get a CDL, etc.

You need to make sure you have car seats for every child - do not rely on parents to provide this.

You have to check with your state regs as many have additional requirements for transporting. (this should probably be at the top:: )

I am NOT a fan of providers transporting willy nilly (because they are bored, or forgot to do their grocery shopping on the weekend, etc. etc.) I DO believe in pre-planned field trips that benefit the kids in your program. Child centered, LOCAL trips.
I had a terrible experience when my own child was an infant in dc with the provider transporting her without knowledge or permission, so I am very upfront with my policy on transporting.

[cheerfuldom]

I think its too much hassle and liability unless you have the staff to do it and it results in a great increase in enrollment. No sense doing it if it only results in one or two more kids but you will lose that many just from parents not wanting their kid to be in a car all day.

That said, I do it but only for my own kids. I have a small group and all families coming in know that I do have to do some school runs although most are handled by a family friend that I pay. I would not offer this to other families, it is a pain doing it for just my kids with the daycare kids in tow.

I also provide all car seats.

[supermom]

I have been really struggling with the insurance part. Seems that alot of the companies I called can't do insurance for an in home daycare. All of the children I have their parents drop off and pick up. However, from time to time I get a call from a parent who needs transportation. Then there is the cost of insurance. You all are right its best not to do it at all because the bad outweighs the good.

[Play Care]

I have been really struggling with the insurance part. Seems that alot of the companies I called can't do insurance for an in home daycare. All of the children I have their parents drop off and pick up. However, from time to time I get a call from a parent who needs transportation. Then there is the cost of insurance. You all are right its best not to do it at all because the bad outweighs the good.

I would NEVER provide transportation because a parent couldn't manage drop offs and pick ups.

[AmyKidsCo]

NO WAY!

For me it's just too big of a hassle. To transport right now I'd need 5 car seats (6 in 2 weeks when my new girl starts). If I had a vehicle big enough (which I don't, and we can't afford) they'd need to be taken out every night so my family could use the vehicle. Not to mention getting kids in and out snowsuits, boots, etc in the winter.

[cheerfuldom]

yeah it is not worth it for one kid. loading and unloading all those kids is a pain and if you have a lot of littles or kids that are runners, it gets complicated and dangerous.

[mom2many]

I take a 7th grader to school every morning. The school is several miles away and there are no buses. I watch his baby sister, so they both get dropped and I take him 30 min later.

I also pick up two dcgs from school...again no buses! Both school's offer after school care on site, but parents don't want them to have to stay at school all day & prefer a home environment.

My hubby is here in the am for school drop off & comes home in the afternoon, as well for pick up.

I charge $5/to drop off at school daily, so it helps pay for the gas...but if I wasn't already watching his sibling, I wouldn't bother doing it!

[DaveA]

I provide transportation to/ from Pre-K. It's pretty much a given for providers in this area to do so, and not doing so will cost a provider enrollments. I make sure that if I have more than one child in Pre-K they are in the same session.

I guess I'm odd, but my program practically runs on going places. Aside from "big field trips" (zoo, nature center, children's museum) we go to all types of places. We go to the library every other week (maybe more), farmer's market almost weekly during the season, and farm store or pet store for animal needs. Plus if we need something for the center from art supplies to something different for meals or snacks, we go get it as a group. Just so many impromptu learning opportunities to pass up.

I will stress double checking about insurance-some policies offer coverage but a lot don't. I'm covered & it stuns me the number of providers who transport without it.

[spinnymarie]

Nope.
Not enough money in the world for me to transport 12-14 DCK anywhere.

[Daycare Insurance]

I have been thinking of providing transportation for a while now. What are the ups and downs of providing transportation?

Whenever you transport kids you are increasing your liability exponentially. Mainly because you cant control the other drivers on the road. From an insurance standpoint its a very big grey area. Technically personal auto policies do not cover business transportation. To be fully covered for transporting kids you really need to have a commercial auto policy. These are generally not very cost effective just to transport children to and from school etc.

Some Child Care insurance companies, DCI included, sometimes offer what are known as transportation endorsements which offer coverage for bodily injury for the children if you are in an accident. However unless you have a commercial auto policy you will likely not have coverage for your vehicle or another parties if it is damaged, or any coverage for injuries to you or any other parties.

I realize it sounds bleak but it is only because the danger is so elevated. With multiple children in a vehicle and the unknown variables on the road makes for a difficult risk to cover.

If you do decide to transport children, it can be a great feature of your business, and if this is the case for you, I highly suggest making sure you are properly covered.

[melilley]

Nope.
Not enough money in the world for me to transport 12-14 DCK anywhere.

and I can only have up to 6!

It would be so nice to be able to get out and do things, but my kids are 3 and under. No thanks!

[Lucy]

This Summer, we've been gone more than home. (Five kids, Ages 6-11)

During the school year, they walk to/from school (around the corner), but I will take/pick up if it's raining.

Done it for probably 15 of my 20 years - that's when I got the first mini-van.