Childcare Field Trip Waiver

You can't sign away liability when it comes to negligent behavior. If you child trips and falls, they are not responsible. If it is a foreseeable danger and they do nothing to stop it, than they are responsible despite the form. Just a loop hole I noticed in this instance, is that it says you can't hold the daycare responsible, but you can hold the owner, individually responsible if something happens on his/her property.

I would be more worried about the fact that it is kind of a blanket waiver. I would want a seperate waiver for each trip so that I know what is going on and where they are going to be. But that is just me.....

This is standard and you will sign some form of this forever! Daycares, summer camps, schools... everyone has permission slips. We had to sign a permission slip that read the same way for our son to walk next door for a Halloween Party at daycare (one of the neighbors throws a party for the kiddos every year).

Essentially what they are saying is that if something happens to your daughter while she is under their care (and they are not negligent), you can't sue them for damages. If she is walking on the farm and twists her ankle, they don't want you to send them the ER bill. Their insurance company requires this- not them.

Very common form and you'll see it often when your child starts school.

There are so many sue happy people out there that it makes it h*** o* honest people to do honest work such as care for a child on a field trip. Yes, accidents happen and there are those who take advantage of anyone they can to get an extra buck.

The daycare has to CYA because of this type of people.

This sounds typical, they just do not want some sue happy person bankrupting their business because their kid tripped at the park. You can always refuse to sign and not let your child go on the field trip.

That's the standard thing that has to go in all field trip waiver forms. It's always there and basically means they won't be paying the medical bills and you can't sue them for it. They have waivers for just about everything in school and daycare: field trips, sex ed, certain movies, sports, using swimming pools, etc.

Basically, if she gets hurt and needs medical attention, you will be footing the bill, not them. They will call an ambulance, but your insurance will be paying the transport fee.

What I wouldn't like is the blanket waiver idea. I want to know each time my child is out of school, for what and where. It might be annoying to have a permission slip on file for each event, but I think each event should warrant it's own slip. What if in September it's great that she goes out on Friday but come March she leaves early because your schedule changed? I guess I'd want it to be more specific on activities and if this differs from "field trips". Will you leave your car seat or will they provide appropriate seating for your child? If they mean "my child can walk to the park any day the teacher thinks it would be nice" that's different. Not entirely your question, but something I'd want them to specify.

It is a typical release that you sign for school age field trips as well.
While I do not know the legal ramifications if something were to occur, I have always signed them because it was more important for me to trust the child care center and allow my child to have the experience with their peers.

I would definately speak to the director and find out exactly what that means. And take a look at your intake forms from when you signed your child up, I bet there is some of the same language in that as well.

OK. This one is tough, all wavivers say the samething, school, churches, their all the same, what it means is under normal curcumstances, if a child gets hurts because they didn't obey a rule, their not liable for that, i hated those permission slips as well when my kids were growing up. I am a home daycare provider, and my facility is what is Licensed not me, it's a facility license, so when you take children out, you are taking them from the licensed place therefore I think they should be liable, but that's how I feel, like you. Accidents do happen, but if your child obeys all the rules he/she more than likely will be safe, and it will be a good experience for the children. J.

I have never asked any parent to sign something like that because I know that I feel similar when someone puts something like that in front of me. For instance, the people at our local Fun-Run (Inflatable indoor park) wanted everyone to sign the waivers at first. But they finally stopped when so many people told them that the waivers don't hold water anyway. My daughter twisted her ankle on one of those inflatables. I could have turned in a claim and said that they didn't have enough supervision and another child ran in front of her and went in the way that was supposed to be out. But really? Only a greedy person would do such a thing. I take the risk when I take my child there. I KNOW that if one of my daycare kids get hurt in that place that the parent could go after me. But I BELIEVE that most people I deal with will not. We've had a few minor accidents through the years and no parent has ever gone there with me. They know how careful we are. What more do you want? If you want a guarantee, keep them home and frantically shadow their every move.

I am biased because I am a provider. However, our country is being brought to it's knees because of greed. So many services have gone up because of the liability insurance issues. Home daycare providers can hardly afford extra insurance because we barely clear any money anyway. It's one thing for a parent to expect compensation for a completely preventable accidnet that happens entirely due to neglect. If a provider knows for instance that some equipment is broken and they don't repair it and the child gets hurt. Then the parent has a case. But if some other distracted driver runs into the school van, you should have your own health insurance. If the driver of the schools van is drunk or distracted then you have an issue too.

This is a very HARD issue for me. I don't keep my kids in a bubble. But sometimes when I read posts like this or I see something in the news about a daycare problem or talk with other providers that have been sued... It makes me think that I should stay home all the time and never take kids anyplace.

If you don't want your child on the top of a slide with providers that have multiple kids then keep her home that day.

I can't speak for your daycare. I can tell you that I am a freak about safety. We do the human chain holding hands, we are methodical about the things we do, careful about our car seats, keep the van well repaired and maintained, stay off the highways as much as possible, and I could go on and on. But accidents happen! Why should I be responsible for medical bills for someone else's child?

Yup, just like the other Mama's have already said, this is just the way all of these forms are written. I have to sign them numerous times throughout the year as I have 1 child in elementary school and another in middle school and they are constantly going on field trips.

They need to have you sign a waiver for EACH individual trip. Not an "all inclusive" waiver so they can take your child where ever when ever they want!

Most of the others have said what I would say.

But Jo. G.'s post made me think of the waiver I signed for my daughter to play soccer. I read mine and it said something like this: signing this means you understand your child could incur the following: bruises, scrapes, cuts, head injury, ankle injury, (etc etc along those lines). Then the last one said death. I'm like wow...covering all the basis here.

Anyway its really up to you, but like others have said you'll be signing many forms like this for years to come.

This is common.
Ditto Krista P. below.

You can always not, have your child go on the field trip. And ask them questions about their waiver.
That is the parent's option and choice.
That is the parent's, decision.

Even once your child goes to school, they have these 'waivers.'
It is required per their insurance company and probably Attorneys.

I run a preschool and my parents sign a liability waiver between themselves and my LLC. I'm insured (separately from my homeowners, it's insurance for care providers) and the liability waiver includes incidents "outside of the scope of negligence", which I think is important. Negligent? Then my business is on the line.

I think this waiver is to make sure that the daycare A. has your consent to take your child for a specific off-site outing, and B. to make sure they aren't held at fault if, say, a horse ran out and hurt a child.

My son was recently invited to a birthday party at an indoor playpark; the invite contained the playpark's waiver. I was alarmed at the language; they accept no responsibility for the condition of the equipment nor the negligence of the employees or the other 'participants'. Their waiver was meant to protect them, not the kids. Needless to say, we won't be attending. (esp. after my girlfriend went there and said her husband sat down and leaned on a door.... and got hit in the head with the push-bar, which was duct taped on, instead of installed. Holy smokes. Some people are just in it for the money, screw the kids.)

Not a lawyer here but regardless of what you sign if they are negligent they are still responsible for injuries. What I believe they are trying to get out of is being held responsible if where they take them causes the injury, in other words they want you to sue where ever.

Either that or they pulled up that permission slip/waiver online and have no idea what they are asking.

Have you asked them what it means?

I know the waiver I signed for my daughter to play soccer would allow the league to plant land mines on the soccer field, blow up my child and I couldn't sue. I had my brother look it over, he is an attorney. :p

I'm an insurance agent. Just because you sign a waiver, it does not release them from any responsibility. You could still sue them and probably win.

Personally I would arrange for other child care for that day or pass on the feild trip if possible.

Yes, it is common. It basically states you can't sue them for your child getting hurt. Even if you did you wouldn't get anything anyway. Most small businesses are LLC's now and have Limited Liability Companies. They only have the value of the property and things inside. The owners can't be sued or the board members, etc....

When the kids get older the schools have the same sentence too.

When I did daycare I had parents sign a waiver giving permission for the child to go on the trip. NOT to relinquish my responsibilities to keep the child safe...... I don't like how this is worded......... Perhaps question it or call a lawyer. (Most will give you free advice over the phone.)

It is a CYA and if they were really grossly negligent with your child, I DOUBT it would hold up in court.

They should have a separate waiver for each individual trip. I would tell the daycare person that you are not comfortable with the last statement and you need a standard form. Or, you could actually write on the slip that the daycare provider is still responsible for anything to occur with your child when he/she is in their care. You will not be responsible for daycare's negligence, accidents etc. GL!

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Seems like the standard form to me but I would want a separate form for each field trip.