Frequently Asked Questions
What age ranges does Safe At Home Child Care provide care for?
SAH services families with children ages six weeks through thirteen years old.
I have animals, can I still receive service?
Yes, we love animals! When filling out the request form online just be sure to note that you have an animal and the kind of animal that you have. Safe At Home is not responsible for walking/feeding or caring for the animal. Our focus is the children.
How far in advance do I have to request care?
The more notice that SAH has the better chance of receiving care but we know that life happens and children get sick unexpectedly so we do our best to get child care specialists out to your home on as short of notice as a few hours.
If I know I need care for a future date, how soon can I request it?
We start scheduling care as far as two weeks in advance.
How much does SAH's service cost?
SAH’s hourly rate depends on how many children you need care for and if your employer subsidizes your hourly rate. To get an exact rate please call or email us on our Contact Us Page.
Is there a cancellation policy?
Yes. If a cancellation is made within 48 hours of the scheduled shift and you have already received a confirmation email, a charge equal to 4 hours will be assessed. This may not be covered by subsidized hours. This charge allows us to still compensate our child care specialists who were scheduled and cancelled within 48 hours of their shift.
What are the qualifications of the child care specialists?
Our child care specialists are highly qualified! They are all CPR/First Aid/AED certified and have taken a class through the American Red Cross call Advanced Child Care Training. You can learn more about the child care specialist qualifications on the Child Care homepage.
What is the Annual Welcome Packet, and why do I have to fill it out every year?
The Annual Welcome Packet is a packet full of information on you and your family. This packet includes everything from basic family information to emergency contacts and allergies. We ask that each family fill out a new packet every year so we have the most up to date information.
Can I request a specific child care specialist?
All of our child care specialists are wonderful but if you have a specific specialist that you’d like, you are more than welcome to request them on the online request form. There is a section that says “Caregiver Requests” where you can put their name. If you do not remember their name you can call the office and we can look them up for you. If you request a certain child care specialist there is no guarantee that the specialist will be available, but the office staff will be sure to contact them first.
Can I have the same child care specialist for consecutive days?
If you request care for consecutive days, the SAH staff will do their best to get the same child care specialist(s) to your family for all days of service. This is not a guarantee as the child care specialist’s schedule will have to match up with your family’s needs.
How can I give feedback about my experience?
After each visit, you will be sent an email with a survey link attached to it. This is where you can give feedback on your experience with SAH. You also can always call the office or email sah@kennedycare.com
How early or late can I receive care?
There is no set time as to when you can receive care. The majority of our care happens during business hours between 6AM-8PM, but if you need care outside of those hours we can absolutely work with your family!
How do I submit a care request?
The fastest way to submit a request is through our Online Form. This system also saves your information so the next time you need to use SAH it will be extremely quick and efficient for you!
How soon will I know if I have a child care specialist?
SAH does their best to let your family know as soon as we know if and who your child care specialist will be. If you submit your care after hours you will not hear from us until 6AM the following morning. SAH will search for a child care specialist up until the start time of a shift.
What if I do not need care for the minimum of four hours?
If you do not need care for four hours we can still get a child care specialist to your home for the amount of time that you need, you will just be charged for a minimum of four hours. This does not mean that the child care specialist has to stay four hours if you do not wish.
How many subsidized hours do I get per year?
The subsidized hours that your family receives per year is based on your employer and if/how much they subsidize care. If you ever need to know how many hours you have left for the calendar year you can email sah@kennedycare.com and we will be happy to let you know!
Can child care specialists drive my children to extracurricular activities?
Our child care specialists cannot drive children anywhere. We can walk them to and from the bus stop with a consent form. This is for the safety of your children.
Can I still receive service if my child(ren) is ill?
At Safe At Home we service children who are mildly ill – cold, cough, fever, or sore throat. If your child is experiencing any symptoms, they must be pre-approved prior to our caregiver search. If they have 1 or more symptoms such as fever, cough, congestion, or sore throat, a negative COVID test may be required for documentation prior to scheduling care. Safe At Home will not service children whose parents or people who live in the same household have tested positive for COVID within the last 5 days.
Highly contagious illnesses such as influenza, strep throat, pink eye, RSV, and HFM may not be serviced due to the safety of our staff and families that we serve. These illnesses must be pre-approved by a Safe At Home admin staff prior to receiving care.
If anyone in the household has any illness or injury, this must be documented and pre-approved by a Safe At Home admin team member before receiving care.
Viruses we do not service under any circumstances include the following:
- Measles
- Mumps
- Rubella
- Chicken Pox
- Head Lice
- Ringworm
- COVID positive