When a member leaves their child in your care, they’re exhibiting a great amount of trust. Which is why safety measures and proper procedures are of the upmost importance.
KCRA 3, a news station for the Sacramento, Calif. area, recently reported on an incident that occurred in a child care center at California Family Fitness. According to KCRA 3, “Parents Mark Magee and Lucinda Ward said their 4-year-old son, Jack, was hurt at [a] child care center — and they believe the lack of state regulations pose a danger to kids who are left at gym facilities.”
The incident has Magee and Ward wondering if all children are at risks in health club care centers, and has sparked community concern.
To get to the root of the issue, I spoke with Jennifer Urmston Lowe, the national account manager for Sports & Fitness Insurance Corp., on how clubs can protect their members’ children, and the club from liability.
According to Lowe, it’s rare that an insurance claim or issue will result from a child care incident. However, she warned that when they do occur, they’re often the biggest claims. “Most claims come from incidents in the locker rooms or on treadmills,” said Lowe. “However, the possibility for a large claim resulting from the child care center is much greater, because minors are involved. It’s a key issue for clubs to address.”
Firstly, Lowe discussed waiver forms. “Make sure you obtain signed waivers from parents, and update those waivers often,” said Lowe. “Also, have your parents sign in, and sign out their children each time.” That way, your club would have written documentation of when children were in the facility, if something were to occur.
In addition, Lowe explained that employee background checks are one of the highest in importance. “Background checks on child care employees are required by almost all insurance companies,” explained Lowe. “Employees should also have first aid training.”
According to Lowe, she has seen a lot of child care claims result from poorly maintained playground equipment in the child care centers themselves. “One question clubs should be asking themselves is, ‘does the maintenance staff regularly check the equipment and fixtures in the child care center?’” According to Lowe, playground equipment should be checked for safety just as often, if not more, than regular equipment.
If the worst-case scenario happens and a child does get injured, Lowe said the first steps should be to notify the parent, provide the highest level of care needed, and call 911 if necessary.
After the incident has been resolved, Lowe said clubs must follow up with a detailed write up of exactly what happened, no matter how minor the injury. “Any incident should be written up with as much detail as possible, no matter how minor,” said Lowe. “Even bloody lips have turned out to be more than just bloody lips. When a child is involved, you have take great care, and you have to be very detailed.”
Rachel Zabonick is the Assistant Editor for Club Solutions Magazine. She can be reached at rachel@clubsolutionsmagazine.com. Reach out to her about exciting events or programs your club has implemented, or to share the amazing accomplishments of a member.
