Managing Legal Risks in Early Childhood Programs: How to Prevent Flare-Ups from Becoming Lawsuits

Holly Elissa Bruno · Tom Copeland

Apr 2015 · Teachers College Press

About this ebook

Can my child care program be sued? If you have ever asked yourself this question, you are not alone. This guide will help you prevent and manage problems with potential legal consequences, reduce the risk of a lawsuit, and assist you in preparing a strong defense should your program be sued. This practical book covers a wide range of topics, including privacy issues, accusations of discrimination, employee hiring/firing practices, and insurance coverage. The authors offer clear advice and examples of specific policies and procedures that will help you keep children safe while improving communication with parents, regulators, insurance agents, and lawyers.

Written by two lawyers with extensive experience working in the child care field, this easy-to-use guide includes:

Vignettes of everyday dilemmas, such as what to say to a parent or caregiver who may be under the influence or what to do if no one picks up a child.Proven solutions and innovative approaches for each dilemma. “Think About It” sidebars to assist in the decision-making process.Sample parental consent and waiver forms.

“This book is a must read for every child care owner or director. The complexity of legal issues is explained in a way anyone can understand. Sample policies provided make for easy implementation. This book will help everyone (the child care programs, the child care staff, the parents, and most importantly the children served). This book is a priceless resource for the child care community.” 
—Ann Ditty, Past President, National Association for Regulatory Administration

“This book creates a bridge between the dualistic world of law, where solutions to problems are either right or wrong, just or unjust, legal or illegal, and the holistic and often paradoxical world of early care and education. The topics addressed are timely and of great concern to early childhood program administrators. Managing Legal Risks in Early Childhood Programs will empower directors to solve thorny legal and ethical problems in administering early childhood programs.” 
—Teri N. Talan, Director of Research and Public Policy, McCormick Center for Early Childhood Leadership, National Louis University, co-author of Program Administration Scale (PAS) andBusiness Administration Scale for Family Child Care (BAS)