Important Information for Parents Sending Children on Daycare Field Trips

Daycare field trips can be a fun way for kids to get out of the classroom and spend some time in new scenery. However, as parents know, field trips can be dangerous if caregivers supervise children improperly. That’s why, today, we want to bring attention to the rules for daycares when taking kids out for field trips and how caregivers should be keeping those kids safe.

Important Rules Daycares Must Follow for Field Trips

Now, let’s discuss what’s allowed according to the state of Texas’s minimum standards. Field trips are allowed, but only if daycares follow these requirements:

1. Daycares must have signed permission from parents to take the child on the field trip, including transportation permission.
    
2. One or more caregivers must carry emergency medical consent forms and emergency contact information for each child on the field trip.
    
3. Caregivers must have a list of all children on the field trip and must check the list regularly to account for them.
    
4. Caregivers must have a first-aid kit on hand.
    
5. Caregivers must also have a copy of a child’s food allergy emergency plan and allergy medications, if applicable.
    
6. Each child must wear a shirt, nametag, or other identification listing the name of the childcare center and the childcare center’s telephone number.
    
7. Each caregiver must be easily identifiable by all children – this can be by wearing a hat, childcare center t-shirt, brightly-colored clothes, or other easily spotted identification.
    
8. Each caregiver supervising a field trip must have transportation available, a communication device such as a cell phone, or an alternate plan for transportation at the field trip location in case of emergency
    
9. And finally, one or more caregivers per group of children must have current training in pediatric first aid and pediatric CPR.

Daycares are also required to notify parents with information on where they are going and when they will be back. This notice must be posted at the daycare at least 48 hours ahead of the field trip in a prominent place where parents can see it.

And just like when kids are at the facility, daycares must follow strict ratios to keep young children safe from harm. These ratios must be enforced – as caregivers and children are going to unknown, potentially dangerous locations and require very strict and constant supervision.

In Texas, ratios for field trips are smaller – meaning more caregivers are required to supervise the children.  Field trips can be a lot of fun for kids – so it’s important that daycares and caregivers are responsible when caring for them. If not, kids can get seriously hurt or even killed.

Learn More About Daycare Requirements to Keep Kids Safe

To learn more about daycare rules and regulations, be sure to download our free guide, 10 Tips for Finding a Safe Daycare, linked here. And if you have questions for a member of our team, don’t hesitate to reach out to us. We’re here to keep you and your family moving forward.