Child Injury Lawyer Blog
By Anthony Ferguson, Attorney and David Wolf, Attorney
Published by Child Injury Lawyer Network
Are Day Care Centers in Maine required to carry liability insurance? The simple answer to this important question is Yes. Liability insurance will cover medical bills and the pain and suffering of an injured child that result from the negligence or lack of supervision of the day care facility and its employees. The Maine Department of Heath and Human Services (DHHS) requires that day care centers have liability insurance in place of at least $100,000. There are some exception for this requirement if a person is using his or her own home for a day care program. Most day care centers are operated as a business outside of one’s home. A children’s day care facility or center is defined as a house or other place in which a person carries out a regular program for consideration (i.e. payment, money) for any part of the day for the care, protection, and supervision of three or more children under the age of 13 years of age.
Renter’s or homeowner’s insurance typically will not cover a person or business owner for day care related injuries or death unless the homeowner specifically informs the insurance carrier about the day care program and the insurance carrier specifically issues an endorsement for such coverage.
Whether a day care program in a home or commercial building has insurance in place is a question to ask before placing your child in the day care program. An informed and conscientious parent has every right to ask for a copy of the day care center’s license, inspection reports, and proof of insurance. As you can see, it is the law in many States like Maine to have liability insurance in place. You can read more about liability insurance requirements for day care centers / facilities in Maine at the Official Site for the State of Maine Bureau of Insurance.