KEEPING GOOD RECORDS
Your contract and regulations require you to keep good records. Your license and contract also states what records you are required to have available when a licenser or monitor comes for a visit. Knowing this, it is a good idea to have a system in place to keep these records handy and up-to-date.
For example: You know that your food program monitor is going to ask to see your menus. It can be time consuming and an interruption if you need to search for the menus and even more difficult if you have not completed the paperwork.
REASONS WHY YOU MAY NOT HAVE COMPLETE RECORDS
There are generally a lot of reasons given for disorganized and/or incomplete childcare records. Sometimes regulatory language is difficult to understand. Therefore, there are times when providers don’t always know exactly what type of information they need to keep. If you need help in this area, don’t procrastinate, get assistance. Ask your licensor to explain to you the requirement and any other information you need. It is better to ask and do it right, than to guess, do it wrong and have to do it all over again. Appropriate record keeping not only allows you to stay in compliance, it also helps protect you and the children in your program.
Many provides have a hard time getting the appropriate information from parents. Occasionally a parent may refuse to give you the required paperwork. It is unfair to both the provider and the child not to have appropriate childcare records on hand. Let parents know that you are required to have certain information in your childcare records. Inform them that failure to have compete records could jeopardize your license. Let the parent know that you will not be able to take the child after a certain date if you do not receive what you require
ORGANIZATION IS KEY
You may have been very careful and have all your records up-to-date but unfortunately if you are “not quite sure where they are at the moment” when the licensor or monitor comes to visit, it will not matter. If you are unable to locate them at the time of your visit, it may result in a citation. Part of your record keeping must include good organization.
Here are some tips:
• Invest in a good filing cabinet. A well-organized filing cabinet for your business and childcare records will save you a great amount of time. A filing cabinet with a lock will allow you to maintain confidentiality. It will also allow you to have your records organized and all in one place for easy access during a visit.
• Create an organized way to access necessary information as quickly and simply as possible. Color code your folders so that attendance records are filed in a specific colored folder, menus, child care records, employee records, etc. can all be color coded in this same manner for easy access.
• Set aside some time each day to address your required paperwork. It is so much easier to keep current than to attempt to recreate attendance records or other records at a later time. If you are required to include documentation about unusual behaviors, accidents, or other relevant information try to do this on the same day you observe or receive information.
• Don’t procrastinate. Once you get behind it becomes that much harder to catch up. Get help, if you need to, but make sure your required records are well maintained and accessible.
Your ability to maintain appropriate and accessible records will go a long way in alleviating a lot of the tension that can occur during a monitoring visit. Also, the knowledge that your records are well organized and that you will not have to ‘search’ to find what you’re looking for is a great confidence builder.