Sign In?

[EchoMom]

Should I have a sign in/out sheet for only a small 6 kid home daycare (one of which is my own DS)? Is it an inconvenience that will annoy parents?

[Crazy8]

Originally Posted by glenechogirl

Should I have a sign in/out sheet for only a small 6 kid home daycare (one of which is my own DS)? Is it an inconvenience that will annoy parents?

you absolutely need one. Imagine if you were to be audited by the IRS after your first year and you claimed to have had children in care from 8am until 6pm every day - how would you prove that???? I don't consider 6 kids that small - my state limit is 5 for a licensed provider!

[Kiki]

Originally Posted by glenechogirl

Should I have a sign in/out sheet for only a small 6 kid home daycare (one of which is my own DS)? Is it an inconvenience that will annoy parents?

You need one for sure. As the PP said, audits are one of the many reasons you should have one; they are not an inconvenience for parents as they take 2 seconds to fill in, so I don't see anybody having an issue with it.

[Southernmama]

I definitely agree you should have one. I am unlicensed and have 4 dckids and I always make sure parents sign their child in and out everyday. Plus then they also can't say their child didn't come etc. I think it protects you in lots of areas.

[EchoMom]

The sign in sheet is my record for audits? I thought I could just have my schedules written down on the calendar?

[Blackcat31]

Originally Posted by glenechogirl

The sign in sheet is my record for audits? I thought I could just have my schedules written down on the calendar?

You are NOT required to have a sign in/out sheet but it is good business practice to have one and it can help with the IRS should you be audited.

I worked for years without a sign in/out sheet and still don't feel I need one but my state requires the families on assistance to use one and since we cannot treat one family any different than the another, I have had a sign in/out sheet for a few years now.

[Sunchimes]

I have one too and I only have 3 kids (well, 2 now since I lost her job last week). Anyway, the IRS is just one partial reason for having it. I didn't have one last year, and at the end of the year, when I learned about time/space percentage, I had a terrible time reproducing my hours. Luckily, I kept a calendar, but it was large and flimsy and the parents didn't sign it. It was a mess trying to figure the hours.

Now, I have 1 sheet per week. At the end of the week I total my hours and write it on top. At the end of the month, I thumb through 4 sheets to total my monthly hours. At the end of the year, I thumb through 12 pages and look!!! I have my yearly hours. As a bonus, if I get audited, I also have parents signature as back up proof!

And once, I had a p/t parent argue that she was only here 2 days. I pulled out the sheet and showed her. It had been a long weekend, her days changed, and she just forgot. She apologized and we avoided a Big Deal.

I love sign in sheets.

[Blackcat31]

Here is the sign in/out sheet I use if you need one:

[SilverSabre25]

Blackcat, do you put times on there or do they initial or what?

[newtodaycare22]

Originally Posted by Blackcat31

You are NOT required to have a sign in/out sheet but it is good business practice to have one and it can help with the IRS should you be audited.

I worked for years without a sign in/out sheet and still don't feel I need one but my state requires the families on assistance to use one and since we cannot treat one family any different than the another, I have had a sign in/out sheet for a few years now.

This depends on the state. In Maryland, I'm required to.

[Country Kids]

Originally Posted by newtodaycare22

This depends on the state. In Maryland, I'm required to.

I'm required also to have oneby my state. I have to keep them in my tax stuff. I'm also required to keep them for the food program and also for the food program I have to keep copies of what I serve the children.

[My3cents]

I use my food program to record who is here and who is not. My meal service record.

[dapb45]

In TN, licensed facilities have to maintain sign-in sheets with time of arrival and departure along with signature each time daily (no initials). From first-hand experience, this is necessary in case of a child care audit due to subsidy care.

[itlw8]

Years ago I went to court for a mom in a custody case. Dcd was coming by here drunk. I did not let him in . They wanted to know the dates. It happened. I did not have a written record so all I could do was say in Sept. or Oct..

[Blackcat31]

Originally Posted by SilverSabre25

Blackcat, do you put times on there or do they initial or what?

I write down the times they come and go and hand them the clip board to initial it.

The only person who has trouble with it is my one DCM who cannot seem to write smaller than billboard size print

Originally Posted by newtodaycare22

This depends on the state. In Maryland, I'm required to.

Sorry, I was going to state that too but forgot.... You are right, some states require you to have one. I am only required to keep sig in/out sheets on families receiving assistance.

[littlemissmuffet]

I think sign in/out sheets can come in handy in various different circumstances...

A friend of mine was accused of being seen abusing a particular child on several different occasions. When the supposed witness was asked about dates and times, it was proven with the provider's sign in/out sheets that the "witness" was lying because this particular child wasn't even in care on the dates and/or times when the supposed witness saw the abuse occuring!!!