Table of Contents
Acknowledgments ix
Part I Establishing Businesslike Relationships
Chapter 1 Being Businesslike in a Caring Profession 3
Learning to Balance Caring and Business 3
Do Your Clients Respect Your Business? 5
You Set the Rules for Your Business 6
What Are Contracts and Policies? 6
Tools for Writing Your Agreements 7
Contracts Are the Basis of Business Relationships 8
Chapter 2 Practicing Good Communication 11
Keep Careful Records 12
Make a Habit of Communicating Regularly 13
Use Tools to Improve Communication 17
Record Problems as They Arise 19
Use a Written Contract and Policies 20
Part II Writing Your Contract
Chapter 3 What Should Be in Your Contract? 27
The Key Elements of Your Contract 28
The Sample Contracts in Appendix A 29
Include a Trial Period in Your Contract 30
Avoid Contradictions in Your Contract 31
State That Your Contract Will Be Enforced 31
Subsidy Programs Have Their Own Rules 32
Do You Need to Copyright Your Agreements? 33
Chapter 4 The Key Elements of Your Contract 35
The Names of the Parties to the Contract 35
Hours of Operation 37
Terms of Payment 41
Termination Procedure 41
The Signatures of the Parties to the Contract 45
Chapter 5 Terms of Payment 49
Setting Your Rates 49
Raising Your Rates 53
Require Payment in Advance 53
Payment Due Date 57
Late Payment Fees 58
Early Drop-off and Late Pickup Fees 58
Holidays, Vacations, and Absences 60
Holding Fees 66
Other Fees 68
Part III Writing Your Policies
Chapter 6 What Should Be in Your Policies? 75
The Key Elements of Your Policies 76
The Sample Policy Handbook in Appendix B 77
Discuss Your Policies with Your Clients 77
Should Your Clients Sign Your Policies? 78
Chapter 7 You and Your Client 81
Provider Information 81
Client Responsibilities 85
Chapter 8 Caring for the Children 89
Your Child Care Program 89
Your Illness, Health, and Safety Policies 95
Your Policies for Transporting Children 99
Part IV Making Your Contract and Policies Work
Chapter 9 Before You Sign the Contract 107
Assess the Initial Contact 108
Conduct an Interview 108
Review Your Contract and Policies 111
Check the Client's References 111
Decide Whether to Enroll the Child 113
Complete a Trial Period 116
Sign the Contract 116
Chapter 10 Making Changes and Exceptions to Your Rules 117
Changing Your Contract and Policies 117
Raising Your Rates 119
Negotiating Exceptions to Your Contract and Policies 121
Chapter 11 Enforcing Your Contract and Policies 127
Take Your Agreements Seriously 127
What Are the Consequences? 129
What If Clients Leave Your Program? 132
The Three Choices 132
Chapter 12 Terminating a Contract 137
When the Client Wants to End the Contract 137
When You Want to End the Contract 139
Steps for Terminating a Contract 141
Use a Termination Notice 143
Payment Issues during Termination 144
Handle the Notice Period Professionally 145
How Much Notice Should You Give When You Close Your Business? 145
Chapter 13 Taking a Client to Court 147
Try to Resolve the Problem First 148
Taking Your Case to Court 150
How Will the Judge Decide? 153
Hiring a Lawyer 154
Final Words 157
Appendixes
Appendix A Sample Contracts 159
Sample Contract 1 Basic Contract 160
Sample Contract 2 Child Care Agreement Form 161
Sample Contract 3 Fully Customized Contract 163
Appendix B Sample Policy Handbook 167
Child Care Policy Handbook 168
