Louisiana Daycare Parent Handbook, Contract, and Enrollment Forms

You passed your Fire Marshal inspection and your CCCBC cleared, but the first parent who asks "do you have a contract?" will expose the gap most new Louisiana providers overlook. A parent handbook, enrollment contract, and intake forms are important paperwork — they protect your income, set expectations, and help organize the records LDOE may review during inspections.

What Goes in the Parent Handbook

Your handbook is the operating manual parents receive when they enroll. It covers your policies, schedules, and expectations so there are no surprises after the first week. At minimum, a Louisiana FCC provider handbook should address:

• Hours of operation including your earliest drop-off and latest pickup times
• Holiday and vacation schedule with specific closure dates
• Late pickup policy and any fees associated with it
• Illness policy — when you will send a child home, when they can return, and what symptoms require a doctor's note
• Medication administration procedures (if you administer medication, complete the LDOE-approved Medication Administration course)
• Discipline policy — Louisiana prohibits corporal punishment in regulated childcare settings
• Meal and snack schedule including whether you participate in CACFP
• Emergency procedures including your evacuation plan and severe weather protocol
• Communication methods — how you will notify parents of closures, incidents, and daily activities

Write the handbook in plain language. Parents should be able to understand every policy without asking for clarification.

The Enrollment Contract

The contract is the legal agreement between you and each family. It should be separate from the handbook — parents sign the contract, they receive the handbook. Key clauses for Louisiana providers:

Tuition and payment terms. Specify the weekly or monthly rate, the payment due date, accepted payment methods, and what happens when payment is late. Many providers require payment in advance on Monday for the current week.

Termination clause. Define how much notice either party must give. Two weeks is standard. Without a termination clause, a family can leave without warning and you have no recourse for the lost income.

Emergency medical authorization. This gives you permission to seek emergency medical treatment if a parent cannot be reached. Include a line for the parent to list their preferred hospital and any allergies or medical conditions.

Pickup authorization. List every person authorized to pick up each child, and require photo ID from anyone you do not recognize. Never release a child to someone not on the list, even if they claim the parent sent them.

Liability limitations. State clearly that you maintain appropriate supervision but are not responsible for minor bumps and scrapes that occur during normal play. This does not replace commercial liability insurance, but it sets realistic expectations.

Enrollment Intake Forms

Beyond the contract, you need individual intake paperwork for each child:

• Child information form — full name, date of birth, home address, parent work addresses and phone numbers, emergency contacts
• Immunization records — keep current immunization documentation for children in registered care settings; confirm with LDOE which records and exemption documentation it currently accepts
• Allergy and medical conditions disclosure — including any medications the child takes regularly
• Authorized pickup list with names, relationships, and phone numbers
• Photo and media release if you plan to share activity photos with other parents or on social media

Keep these forms on-site at all times. LDOE requires home daycares to maintain comprehensive records for a minimum of three years, and reviewers will check for them during inspections.

Why This Protects You Financially

The most expensive mistake a new provider makes is not having a signed contract when a parent disputes charges or leaves without paying. A verbal agreement is nearly impossible to enforce. The second most expensive mistake is an inadequate illness policy — without a clear, written standard, you end up caring for sick children while your healthy enrollees catch the illness and their parents pull them temporarily, cutting your income.

The Louisiana Home Daycare Licensing Guide includes parent enrollment templates you can adapt for your own program, designed to cover the specific regulatory requirements LDOE looks for during FCC inspections.

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