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Finding the right insurance coverage for your child care business can be difficult and confusing. There are many options for you to choose from and you may have to spend some time considering which one will be best for you. Remember, insurance for your home does not usually cover your business; you will need a separate policy or an addition to your homeowners’ policy that will cover your child care business. It is important for you to have enough coverage so that if an accident occurs you will not be responsible for paying the full cost of medical bills, damages or legal fees. Ask questions and find out what is covered by your current homeowner’s (or renter’s) insurance policy. If you take the children to and from school or on field trips in your personal vehicle, you will also need to find out what is covered by your auto insurance policy. Some insurance companies do not provide policies that will cover your child care business, so you may need to find another agent.
Here are some questions you should ask to make sure you and your child care business are covered:
- Will the insurance policy limit the number of children I can care for?
- Am I required to be licensed, registered or otherwise certified to be covered by this policy?
- Do I need to be a member of a professional organization (NAEYC, GKC-AEYC, KACCRRA, etc.)?
- Can you still insure me even though I have a pool/pets?
- Are field trips and other activities away from the home covered?
- Is food service and medication covered?
- Will this policy cover other paid caregivers in my home (employees)?
- Will it cover legal expenses if necessary?
- Will the policy cover claims of mental, sexual, or physical abuse? (Most policies will not cover these things, but you should try to have them included.)
Every insurance company is different and every policy is different. The cost of the policy can depend on many things including your history as a child care provider, the payment limits and deductibles. Find out what the limits are per claim and per year. The amount you pay per year will also depend on how much your deductible is. The higher the deductible, the lower your total policy costs.
You should choose your insurance company and agent carefully. Make sure you understand the limits of the policy and you feel comfortable talking to your agent about the policy. You can also find out if there have been substantial complaints about a certain company by contacting Consumer Assistance Hotline.
In Missouri contact:
Missouri Department of Insurance
P.O. Box 690
Jefferson City, MO 65102
Consumer Hotline: 800-726-7390
Fax: 573-526-4898
Kansas City Office: 816-889-2381
Fax: 816-889-2345
TDD: 573-526-4536
www.insurance.state.mo.us
In Kansas contact:
Topeka Office
420 SW 9th Street
Topeka, KS 66612-1678
Phone: 1-785-296-3071
Toll-Free: 1-800-432-2484 (In State Only)
Fax: 1-785-296-2283
Wichita Office
130 S. Market St., Ste. 4030
Box 3850
Wichita, KS 67201-3850
Phone: 316-337-6010
Toll-Free: 800-860-5260 (In State Only)
Fax: 1-316-337-6018
www.ksinsurance.org
For more information, try these websites:
www.childcareinsurance.com (Centers only)
www.morganinsurance.com
www.redleafinstitute.org – click Insurance
www.nccic.org/faqs/liability.html
www.cherrycreekins.com (Centers only)
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