What forms does a home daycare need?

Every family child care home ends up keeping the same records, whatever the state. Some your licensing office asks for, some protect you when a parent has a question, and some you need at tax time. Here they are in the order you meet them. Your state's licensing rules decide what you must keep and for how long, so check them too.

Before the first day

• Enrollment form. Child, parents, emergency contacts, people allowed to pick up, allergies and medicines. See ours (free).
• Parent handbook. Your hours, tuition, sick policy, meals and naps, signed by each family. How to write one.

Every day

• Sign-in and sign-out sheet. Who brought and collected each child, and when. See ours (free).
• Daily report for parents. Meals, naps, diapers or potty, mood and what to bring tomorrow. See ours (free toddler page).
• Meal count. Meals and snacks per eligible child, if you use the standard meal rates at tax time. See ours (free weekly sheet).

When something happens

• Incident and accident report. What happened, first aid given, when the parent was told, signatures. See ours (free).
• Medication permission and log. Parent permission for each medicine, and each dose you gave.

Once a year

• Year-end tuition statements. What each family paid, for their dependent care credit. See ours (free).
• Tax records. Time-Space percentage, expenses and the meal allowance. See ours (guide).

All the forms in one download

Our Home Daycare Forms pack has the enrollment form, four daily reports, an incident and accident report, a weekly sign-in and sign-out sheet, a medication permission form and log, and a parent handbook outline with 14 headings you fill in with your own policies. 13 pages, US Letter and A4.

A checklist, not legal or tax advice. Check your state's child care licensing rules and IRS Publication 587.