by Flagship Staff | Aug 18, 2020 | Blog
The first five years of a child’s development provide a good foundation for long-term academic and social benefits so choosing a quality daycare provider for your child is very important. This blog will offer tips for parents when choosing a daycare provider, as well as tips for in-home daycare providers.
Parents:
There are many factors to considering when choosing an in-home daycare service.
You should first determine if the state requires the provider to have a license. Each state sets a limit on the number of children a provider may care for before a license is required. Be sure to find out what your state requires. Ask the provider how many children are cared for in the home and if the provider is properly licensed if necessary.
The provider should also have proper insurance. Sometimes this coverage is provided on a homeowner’s policy. If the daycare provider will be transporting your child in their personal vehicle, it’s also important to make sure they have the proper auto insurance, as well as appropriate and safe car seats.
Here are other things you should review with the provider before making your decision:
- Make sure the provider is trained in first aid and child/infant CPR.
- Make sure the provider keeps important medical information, including children’s allergies, doctors’ phone numbers, etc.
- Provide written consent for your child’s emergency medical care or treatment.
- Only authorized persons will be allowed to pick up your child.
- Make sure the home is equipped with fire extinguishers and smoke detectors.
- Outside play areas should be in good condition with proper safety features.
- If there’s a swimming area, it should be fenced and locked.
- The home should be childproofed, including:
Window blind pull stings are looped up and out of reach.
Cribs are placed out of reach of windows and window treatments.
Stairs are blocked off by stair gates.
Changing tables and high chairs have straps to secure children.
Outlet covers are firmly in place.
Toys are clean and in good condition.
Potentially toxic substances are secured out of reach of children.
Providers:
- As with parents, it’s vital that you know how many children you may care for before a license is required. Check with your state’s authorities.
- The proper insurance for your home and operation, as well as for any vehicles in which you may transport children, is also vital. Be sure to talk to your insurance agent to determine if you have coverage, if you need to add it to your policy, or if you need to purchase an additional policy.
- Make sure your home is properly childproofed.
- Be sure to obtain important information for each child, including medical information and consent, and the names of people who are authorized to pick up each child.
- Check the local YMCA or Red Cross in your area to see if they provide babysitting classes, first aid/CPR and/or other classes that offer certifications related to childcare.
- If you have more than three persons, you will need a separate business policy.
For parents, choosing the right daycare provider is one of the most important decisions they’ll ever make. For providers, caring for children is rewarding and enjoyable. Making sure the children are in a safe environment gives both parent and provider peace of mind.
For additional information, visit our Culture of Safety blogs below.
Choosing the Right Childcare: Understanding State Licensing Reports
Choosing the Right Childcare: Staff Ratios
by Flagship Staff | Aug 11, 2020 | Blog
For my wife, keeping our cars clean has always been a priority. While she likes a shiny car on the outside, she’s more focused on keeping the interior spotless. I often joke with her that nobody can see the interior.
As we navigate through the COVID-19 pandemic, cleaning your car may have jumped up on your priority list. Or if you’re looking for something to do on a beautiful summer day, this project may be for you. No matter what the situation, here are some tips for cleaning your car inside and out.
1. Use the proper soap. When I was a kid, I washed my parent’s car all the time with dish detergent. It smelled good, was cheap, and produced a lot of bubbles. I thought, the more bubbles I had, the cleaner the car. Today, I only wash my cars with soap that has been specifically formulated for this. Check out your local auto parts store to see what products are available.
2. Control the dust. Do you have dust rolling around in your car like a tumbleweed in the desert? If so, it’s time to bring in the reinforcements. To keep dust at a minimum, and to clean your car more effectively, using a brush and vacuum can help tremendously. For me, using paper towel and a spray cleaner is aggravating because it just smears dust around. Lastly, a small brush and vacuum do a great job cleaning nooks and crannies, as well as vents, radio knobs, or heat dials.
3. Sanitize high touch points. You may think this is a challenging task because you don’t have access to disinfectant wipes or other cleaning products. However, there’s no need to worry. High touch point objects can simply be cleaned with soap and water. While dish soap isn’t the best for the exterior of your car, it works great for cleaning the interior. This is because dish soap is made with mild detergents which won’t damage interior materials. A clean rag or microfiber towel will do a fantastic job. Just make sure to ring it out prior to using it. You don’t want excess water pooling or seeping into places it shouldn’t be.
In the past, the only item you may have considered a high touch point was your steering wheel. Today, there are many more touch points to consider to keep your family healthy. Items include:
- Seat belts
- Cup holders
- Radio knobs or dials
- Touch screens
- Door handles
- Gear shifter
- Steering wheel controls
- Car seats
If you don’t enjoy cleaning your car on a regular basis, keep it germ free by using hand sanitizer before you get into your car.
Lastly, never use bleach or other harsh chemicals to clean your car.
4. Embrace the power of magic. My wife loves using the Magic Eraser for different household chores. At first, I was a bit skeptical, but now I’m a fan. If you have stubborn spots of dirt or grime in your car, give it a try. Don’t forget to squeeze out the excess water.
5. Conquer the Crumbs. If you have stubborn crumbs everywhere in your car that you just can’t get rid of, consider using a toothbrush. The bristles of a toothbrush may be just enough to loosen them and get them out of tiny places.
6. Don’t neglect your windshield wipers. Windshield wipers are critical to keeping you safe. Windshield wipers take a beating from the elements. Dirt, debris, and sunlight contribute to the breakdown of the wipers’ rubber blades. If your windshield wipers are leaving streaks, try cleaning them with rubbing alcohol. If that doesn’t work, it may be time to replace them.
7. Replace your cabin filter. If your car smells musty all the time, it may be time to change your cabin filter. The cabin air filter helps keep dust, dirt, pollen, bacteria, and other things from entering your car through the HVAC system. To keep your car smelling fresh, consider changing your filter yearly or every 12,000 miles. If you drive in dusty or polluted conditions, you may have to change it more regularly.
8. Buy a squeegee. If your pet loves riding in your car, it may be waiting by the door when it hears you grab the car keys. If you have fabric upholstery, after a few rides it may be time to for fur removal. Consider dampening the fabric with a light mist of water. Then, use a squeegee to remove the fur. Have a vacuum standing by to suck it up.
9. Wipe away those pesky bugs. If you’re like me, bug guts on the front of your car may drive you buggy. Bug guts are difficult to remove. Luckily, there are products available at your local auto store that can help. If you’re looking for a home remedy, give a bucket of warm water and fabric softener sheet a try.
10. Invest in cupcake liners. If you’re tired of the debris that collects in your cup holders, consider using cupcake liners. While it may not look pretty, once they fill up with debris, simply toss them in the garbage and insert new ones.
by Flagship Staff | Aug 4, 2020 | Blog
While West Bend designs our home and auto insurance forms to be coverage rich, we do practice restraint in automatically including bells and whistles. This is because we want to keep it affordable and competitive and provide you with options.
That said, you can request to add a number of these bells and whistles, also known as additional coverages, to your Home and Highway® policy. Here are three of the more common coverages you may purchase for your home and three for your auto(s). Some of these coverages are for losses that are more likely to occur, while other coverages are for losses that are less likely but more costly.
Let’s start with the Personal Auto Policy since most people own a car and most states require you carry insurance on it.
TravelNet® Emergency Roadside Assistance (aka towing and labor)
This coverage provides emergency roadside assistance if your vehicle becomes disabled due to a flat tire, no fuel, dead battery, lock out, and other minor repairs. We offer limits up to $150 per disablement.
In addition, if the disablement occurs more than 100 miles from your home and you’re stuck elsewhere overnight because of necessary repairs, this coverage provides up to $250 for lodging, meals, and alternate transportation.
The TravelNet dispatch facility is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. If you’re familiar with AAA, this coverage is similar. If you’re already a AAA member, you may want to compare those benefits before adding TravelNet.
Auto Loan/Lease Coverage (aka GAP)
This provides coverage for the difference between an outstanding balance on a loan or lease and the actual cash value of the vehicle at the time of a loss or accident. If you have a trade-in or a solid down payment, you may not need this coverage. But if you’re financing a new model year car with no or little money down, this coverage offers great protection for the expected depreciation on the vehicle. Dealerships often recommend or offer this with financing. We find our coverage is equal to theirs and less expensive.
Car Damage Replacement Coverage (aka new car)
If an accident results in a total loss to your vehicle, this coverage changes the claim settlement from actual cash value with deduction for depreciation to replacement cost. This means we’ll replace the damaged vehicle with a new vehicle of the same make and model. If the exact model is no longer in production, we’ll replace it with a new vehicle of similar size, class, and equipment. So if you’re concerned about depreciation on your vehicle or about having to find a good used vehicle if yours is totaled, you may want to consider purchasing this coverage.
This option expires when the vehicle is five model years old and is not available on a leased vehicle.
Now on to Homeowners insurance.
Protector Plus is a package option that includes four popular coverages. These can also be purchased individually but are priced more competitively when purchased as a package.
- Identity Protection Coverage
Identity theft crimes are on the rise. Our ID protection program offers services to help you avoid these crimes, including tax fraud, as well as other situations in which fraud may occur like travel, disaster recovery, medical, relocation, military, marriage, child risk, and estate.
If your identity is stolen, the service also aids in resolution. While the service alone can often remedy an event without any cost to you, there is a $30,000 limit for expenses related to an identity theft crime. This can help cover attorney fees, lost wages, phones bills, and other related costs and fees.
This is an important coverage if there’s a total loss to your home and you must rebuild and secure a new mortgage. It will pay the difference in your mortgage interest rate if the new rate is higher. Mortgage extra expense will pay up to $250 a month for up to four years. It also provides $2,000 in coverage for acquisition costs (closing, appraisal, title, etc).
- Special Personal Property Coverage
This endorsement broadens the coverage for your personal property from specific named perils to all-risk coverage, subject to certain exclusions. Here are some examples.
Your accidentally throw your Wii remote (or other gaming system controller) through the TV shattering the screen.
The power company is working on the lines outside your home and blows a transformer. The surge causes damage to everything plugged into your outlets!
Due to its weight your crystal chandelier falls from the ceiling onto your mahogany dining table scratching and denting the solid wood.
The possibilities are endless therefore this coverage should be added your policy!
- Water Backup and Sump Overflow Coverage
If water backs up or your sump pump overflows causing damage to your home, mechanicals, or possessions, you’ll have coverage up to the selected limit. We have limits up to $125,000 available! This type of loss happens more frequently than flood. Water can travel fast and far, causing a lot of damage, making this another coverage you’ll want!
For those who rent, three of the key coverages listed here – Identity Theft, Special Personal Property Coverage, and Water Backup and Sump Overflow – are available to add individually to a renter’s policy.
Protector Grand adds increased limits and peril coverage to both your home and contents. At $25, it’s great protection for minimal cost!
- Additional $5,000 of coverage for your jewelry for a total of $10,000.
- Coverage if your home collapses due to hydrostatic pressure (ground water).
- Landslide coverage. Wisconsinites may remember when Lake Dalton disappeared and took several homes with it. This CAN happen in the Midwest!
- $1,000 of coverage to protect sports and hobby equipment.
- Waiver of your Homeowners deductible if you suffer a loss to your personal property while traveling.
- $500 for food stored in a refrigerator or freezer that spoils during a power outage.
- $10,000 for your share of a loss assessment. This is especially important for those who are members of a condo or homeowners association.
- $2,500 of coverage for an owned golf cart.
Underground Service Line Coverage
Underground service lines consist of exterior pipes and wiring that provide services to a home, such as electrical, heating, gas, water, waste. These lines can be damaged by causes not covered by the standard Homeowners policy (or your municipality) like freezing, corrosion, tree roots, and rodents or insects, for example. We now offer coverage up to $15,000 to repair or replace the underground service line, including excavation costs and damage to your trees, plants and lawns, and driveways and walkways.
West Bend offers many options to customize your insurance policies and meet your specific needs. I truly had a difficult time narrowing it down to just the ones mentioned here. As always, we recommend you discuss this with your trusted independent insurance agent. Your insurance advisor is qualified to answer your questions and help manage your risk.
by Flagship Staff | Jul 28, 2020 | Blog
With busy lifestyles, it’s often hard to find free time for ourselves. Sometimes, however, we need to purposefully schedule relaxing time in the day or the week to enjoy a favorite pastime. It could be playing your favorite sport, enjoying an outdoor activity, taking pictures, or making crafts.
Some hobbies require an investment in equipment and supplies. That’s why it’s important to review your insurance policy to determine what coverage it provides for that equipment and those supplies. A standard homeowner, condo, or renter policy provides coverage for direct physical loss to property described in coverage C (personal contents) caused by specific listed perils. This means that if a particular type of loss isn’t listed, there would be no coverage.
If a cause of the loss isn’t on the list of covered perils AND it’s not specifically excluded, it may be a good idea to talk to your insurance agent to see if you can purchase additional coverage.
There are also certain types of personal property that can be scheduled for an additional premium. Examples include jewelry, cameras, coins, guns, and sports equipment. When property is specifically scheduled, the homeowners deductible would not apply.
What happens if your hobby becomes more than just a hobby? For example, you sell the crafts you make at craft fairs. How do you determine if your favorite hobby has become a business?
West Bend’s standard homeowners policy states:
Business means: A trade, profession or occupation engaged in a full-time, part-time or occasional basis; or any other activity engaged in for money or other compensation, except the following:
One or more activities… for which no “insured” receives more than $2,000 in total compensation for the 12 months before the beginning of the coverage period.
When your annual income exceeds $2,000, your standard homeowners policy would no longer provide coverage since your hobby would be considered a business activity.
In that case, you should talk to your agent again to determine if your policy provides adequate coverage for your hobby or business exposure.
by Flagship Staff | Jul 22, 2020 | Blog
For some, remote working sounds like the perfect work arrangement. You get flexible work hours, escape the office hullabaloo, and have more freedom with the way you work. However, a 2017 UN report points out that while telecommuting has its benefits, it tends to put a lot of stress on employees. In fact, 41% of people who work from home tend to be more physically and emotionally strained. That’s 16% higher than what’s been recorded for people who work in an office.
This is due to the fact that working from home presents a series of unique challenges. With telecommuting, it’s hard to keep a clear distinction between your work and personal life. One thing that may be sacrificed in this arrangement is a healthy relationship between you and your family. With all that said, we’ve come up with a few tips to help you create time for your loved ones while working remotely.
Create and follow a schedule
One of the key things to consider when working from home is creating a schedule that’s perfectly balanced. At home, it’s harder to keep track of time, especially if you’re engrossed in your work. This may lead you to unknowingly putting more time into your work and reducing the time you spend with your family. Open Source’s guide to creating a work schedule advises that you have to be strict with your start and end times. This means that you have to try to work only when you need to work, and use your breaks for personal development or to have a quick chat with your family.
Avoid getting distracted
You have to keep distractions at a minimum in order to have more time for your family and yourself at the end of your workday. One way to do this is by finding a quiet and secluded place in your house where you can work in peace. Also, discuss with your family that they have to respect your work hours and tell them to bother you only when it’s necessary.
Don’t forget to take care of yourself
It’s easy to forget to take care of your well-being when you have your work and family to think of; however, not taking care of yourself can pull down your work productivity, as well as your energy for your family. For starters, it helps to ensure that your home workstation is good for you and your body. Pain Free Working highlights the importance of ergonomics to avoid pain and stress from long hours of work. Be sure to find a comfortable chair with a backrest and maintain a good sitting posture all throughout your workday. Moreover, try to maximize your work breaks to give your brain time to recuperate. You can do this by doing something relaxing like meditation or listening to a podcast. This way, you’re in much better shape when it’s finally time to hang out with your family.
Try to think of fun activities
During your free time, you have to have some kind of bonding activity to help strengthen the relationship you have with your family. Some good examples are going on a bike ride together, having a cookout, and camping in your backyard. Whichever activity you choose, it’s important to find common ground with your family. This way, everyone enjoys the time they spend with each other.
