What Daycare Recording Do you Keep?

[Abigail]

Regularly or daily......what do you do paperwork/computer work related to daycare?

I'm preparing myself to be organized from my first day of being open. I am trying to get by without paying for programs or online websites for help, so I'm here! LOL

1. Recording attendance
2. Recording meals eaten by how many, basically filling out our food program sheet.
3. Recording hours from when children are present and those hours I'm doing anything daycare related outside of children being present.
4. Save ALL receipts and scan a copy of them as proof incase they fade and put them in a file folder for the year's tax.

Anything else I'm missing? I know at the end of each month I need to do things for hours for tax time calculations. We'll be buying a house soon, but I'm not sure what papers to keep in my daycare folders for tax time.

[GretasLittleFriends]

I'm old fashioned, and it's perhaps a bit too much. I'm fairly certain though if one system doesn't work, I'll have the other two.

My food program offers free the use of Minute Menu, so all of my meals, attendance and pay go there. When I get the chance I also input the totals for all of my expenses, though usually this is done a few weeks before I get ready to take my tax stuff to the accountant. LOL

I also use a Microsoft Calendar. I print one out for each month, then have color coded the kids in pen. I write down only the time they arrive and the time they leave. For example today's has 830a-315p, 130p-6p, and 130p-6p. Today I worked 9.5 hours. At the end of the week I add the total hours children are present. I use a different color to keep track of the hours I work without children present, and add that up separately. I write the total for the month at the bottom of that page.

Lastly, I have a DayMinder Weekly Professional Appointment book. Using the same color coding I write the child's name next to the 1/4 hour they show up, then I write the time they leave next to their name. Example, next to 8:30 Jimmy - 315p. Then on the line below that I write their new total. I charge hourly and that's how I keep track each week what they owe.

I don't scan receipts... Just haven't done it yet. Not too worried about fading since I put the info into MinuteMenu, and I typically shop at the same stores frequently.

[LittleD]

I keep a daily journal of what happened, if anything. Like little Johnny fell and bumped his head, but he was fine. Or Suzie was out sick today, Mom said she had a cough. I noticed this behavior with this child. Some days it's an entry that says Äll is good today".
Also, I keep a separate journal of what activities and lessons we did each day.
Some other things you may want to have on hand
-copies of blank consent forms
-accident report forms
-list of emergency contact numbers (for field trips)

[heyhun77]

My attendance does itself since the parents sign in and out. I log my hours worked on the bottom by catagory (just a table on the bottom of the sign in/out page), food program requires that you record your meals/snacks daily and if they're not logged and you get your visit you won't receive payment for them so I do mine daily usually at nap and then the end of the day. Receipts get done as time allows, usually once a week or every other week but I only shop once a week so there's maybe 5 receipts a week.

Other things I do, I pull the household bills out and put them with my daycare records for the end of the year, I sort through photos of the kids on my computer into their individual folders, I do my filing usually as a I go so there's not a lot in the filing bin and I plan my menu once a week usually on thursday's for the following week.

The only other thing I can think that you'll have to do at first is to measure your house on a floor plan (you'll need the floor plan to post with your emergency exits anyway) so you can determine the square footage used for daycare vs. personal (both 100% usage and shared useage for your t/s%).

[Abigail]

Thanks for all your advice. I'm going to have to look at my time sheets again because I can't decide whether to have each family have a separate folder or have all the kids on one sheet. My current daycare, all the parents know whose kid is whose and all about them so I'm not sure if I should be so concerned with confidentiality with sign in and out sheets yet.

[afmama]

I'm still new too at this. But I'm keeping all our water, electric, sewer bills etc. Because I believe you can t/s% those. I also keep an accident log (which I haven't had to use yet.) Attendance records, receipts, food program info, and receipts for purchases. Looking into claiming the child tax credit for my son...so his preschool receipt too