Free template
Family handbook outline template
The sections a family handbook needs and the questions each one has to answer, so you can write yours in an afternoon instead of starting at a blank page.
- Twelve sections in the order families read them, not the order you think of them
- Prompts under each heading, so you are answering questions rather than composing policy
- The awkward sections included: late pickup, unpaid tuition, and ending care
- Blank space to write, because the first draft is always handwritten
PDF outline with prompts, letter size. Write your answers in, then have it typed up.
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The sections families ask about most
Hours, closures, and holidays
Daily hours, your closure calendar, and what happens on a snow day. The most-referenced page in any handbook.
Tuition and fees
Rate, due date, late fee, deposit, and what a two-week notice means. Vague money language causes most disputes.
Illness and exclusion
When a child stays home, when they may return, and how you handle a fever that starts at 2pm.
Guidance and behavior
How you redirect, what you never do, and when you would ask a family to meet about a pattern.
Communication
How you share the day, how fast you reply, and the difference between an urgent call and a message that waits until morning.
Ending care
Notice period on both sides, and the short list of reasons you would end an enrollment. Better written calmly, in advance.
Write it once, then keep it honest
A handbook nobody reads is still worth having, because it is what you point at when a hard conversation starts. It only works if it matches what you actually do.
Answer the prompts in plain language. If a sentence sounds like a contract, rewrite it the way you would explain it at a tour.
Get a signature at enrollment. One line confirming they received it and had a chance to ask questions. Keep it in the file.
Update it every year and say what changed. A one-paragraph summary of changes earns more goodwill than a quietly revised page.
Family handbooks, answered
Is a handbook required?
Many states require certain policies to be given to families in writing, and some require specific topics like discipline or illness. Check your own licensing rules and make sure each required policy has a section.
Should it be signed?
A signed acknowledgment is good practice and often required. It records that the family received the policies, which is the part that matters later.
Is a handbook the same as a contract?
No. Most programs keep the tuition agreement separate as a signed contract and use the handbook for policies. Have an attorney look at your contract language.
How long should it be?
Short enough to be read. Ten to fifteen pages covers most in-home and small center programs comfortably.
Policies families can find without digging through a PDF
Post announcements, closures, and policy updates in the app so the current answer is one tap away instead of buried in a document from August.