Handling phone calls.

How to Handle Phone Calls From Prospective Clients.

By Tom Copeland. Posted with permission

A prospective client who calls a family child care provider on the phone wants an answer to this key question: "Will your program meet the needs of my child and my family?"

The parent may not directly use these words, so to answer this question you need to be an active, not passive, communicator on the phone.

To  make the most of parent phone calls, follow this three-step process:

1) Find out the specific needs of the parent and the child

2) Briefly describe the benefits of your program

3) Get the parent to agree to come to your house for an interview

Step One: Find out the specific needs of the parent and the child

Your goal in step one is to quickly assess whether your program can meet their needs. If you cannot, don't spend any more time on the phone than necessary before you politely tell the parent that your program isn't a good fit. To determine a family's needs, start by asking questions:

"How old is your child?"

"What hours do you need care?"

"What are your child's needs?"

"What are you looking for in a program for your child?"

Bu asking such questions, you can help the parent relax while you listen for any major issues indicating that your program is not a good fit. If they don't, tell the parent "I don't think my program can meet the needs of your child." You may want to refer them to their local Child Care Resource and Referral Agency.

If the parent sounds promising move on to step two.

Step Two: Briefly describe the benefits of your program

Share with the parent the top three benefits of your program. Your benefits tell parents why they should bring their child to your program. Examples: "I offer a structured program that prepares children to enter Kindergarten eager to learn." "I have a large backyard where children can run and play and have a lot of fun."

Try to relate your program's benefits to the needs previously expressed by the parent. In other words, if the parent has said his child enjoys learning about nature, you might describe your regular field trips to a nearby park. Don't be afraid to express how proud you are of what you do.

There is no single way to handle a parent phone interview. Some providers prefer to say as little as possible over the phone. Once these providers have decided they can meet the parent's needs, their only goal is to get the parent to come over for an interview. They believe that the best way to market their business is in person.

Other providers feel that they need to convince the parent to take the next step and visit their home. They believe it's important to highlight their benefits so the parent will want to visit them.

Step Three: Get the parent to agree to come to your house for an interview

Invite parents to your home by asking a question they can't say no to. For example, say "Would you like to visit next Tuesday or Wednesday?" rather than asking, "Would you like to make an appointment for an interview?"

If the parent can't decide whether to schedule an interview, tell her that you'll call back in a day or so. It is important to schedule the interview as soon as possible (within three or four days), because the parent may have already scheduled interviews with othe providers.

Phone Tips

Here are some other tips for handling parent phone calls:

* Place the following items by each phone in your home -

        - a pen or pencil

        - a parent tracking form that you can use to easily collect parent information (name, phone number, email address, name of child, birth date of child, desired start date, how the parent heard about your program, parent concerns, date interview scheduled)

        - a list of your top three benefits

* Answer all phone calls with a business, not personal, greeting. "Hello, Juanita's Little Steps Child care. This is Juanita. May I help you?" Not, "Hello?" or "Juanita's residence."

* Always try to sound positive and maintain an upbeat tone of voice. Smile while you are speaking. You will sound friendlier. How you sound on the phone is as important as what you say.

* If you are having a very busy day or having a bad day, you may not wanta to answer the phone. In this situation, let your answering machine or voice mail record parent calls. Return calls when it is more convenient and you are more in control.

Your voice mail message should say, "Thank you for calling. I'm in the middle of an activitiy with the children right now. May I call you back in a few minutes? Please leave your name and number." Parents are more likely to be impressed that the children are your first priority than upset that you can't talk right away.

* After the phone call is over, send a thank-you note via email, even if it's obvious that the parent will not enroll her child with you. This will help generate positive word of mouth.

What works for you when parents call?

Tom Copeland - www.tomcopelandblog.com

Image credit: chris.pirillo.com

This article was adapted from my book Family Child Care Marketing Guide.

When a parent is cheating

Should You Report a Parent Who is Cheating?

By Tom Copeland. Posted with permission.

What should you do if you learn that one of the parents in your program is cheating?

A family child care provider recently contacted me about a parent who is receiving financial assistance from her state's child care subsidy program.

The provider had learned that this parent was lying about her income to the subsidy program.

If the subsidy program knew the truth, it's likely that the parent would no longer qualify, and therefore the parent would probably not be able to afford to continue receiving care from her.

She wanted to know, "Am I legally required to report the parent to the subsidy program?"

There is a legal and ethical dimension to this question.

Legal Issue

There is no federal law that requires family child care providers to report fraud in child care subsidy programs. However, your state subsidy program may require child care providers to report fraud. Check out the contract you signed with your state or county (if you signed one). If you are not sure of your legal responsibility, you could call your state subsidy office and find out. You wouldn't have to give your name when you called.

If you are required to report fraud, or suspected fraud, you should clearly do so as soon as possible.

But what if you aren't legally obligated to do so?

Ethical Dimension

In my opinion, family child care providers do have an ethical obligation to report fraud in the child care subsidy program, or any other program that affects their business.

This means you should report parents who are cheating the IRS as well as other providers who are breaking Food Program rules, child care licensing rules, or grant program rules.

If you don't know for sure that a parent or provider is cheating, I believe you should still report your reasonable suspicions.

Parents who are cheating the subsidy program are preventing other parents from participating on the program who do qualify for it. It's a misuse of our taxpayer dollars.

There is a difference between report to child care subsidy program and licensing rules: licensing rules are there to protect children, and if any provider breaking that rules it can create a danger situation for the children. All providers are mandated to report, and have to report this to the licensing agency. It is a legal obligation. Report a parent that is doing fraud to subsidy programs is a moral obligation, but also consider your safety when doing it.

It's ethically compromising to continue doing business with someone who is breaking the law. It creates an unhealthy relationship that may lead you later to express resentment against the parent or child.

I don't think you should continue to provide care for a cheating parent because you don't want to lose the income if you lose the family, or because you believe you can provide better care for the child that someone else.

Imagine how you would feel if you failed to report the parent and later the parent was exposed. If you are asked by the subsidy program if you knew about it, you are faced with either lying or telling the truth and being embarrased at the very least. It's possible your failure to report the fraud could prevent you from being able to care for other subsidized families.

Do the right thing. Let your conscience be your guide.

What do you think?

www.tomcopelandbog.com

A lawyer speaks about your licensor.

A Lawyer Speaks About How to Reduce Conflicts with Your Licensor

By Tom Copeland. Published with his permission.

“How can a family child care provider improve communications with her licensor?”

“How can a provider avoid making mistakes that can get her into trouble?”

“When should she hire an attorney?”

These were some of the questions I asked Minneapolis attorney Scott Johnson today over lunch.

In the last five years Scott has helped dozens of family child care providers appeal negative licensing actions.

He works for the law firm of Goetz & Eckland, P.A that also defends providers in criminal cases (child abuse, etc.). He can be reached at 612-874-1552; sjohnson@goetzeckland.com.

Over the years I have heard from many providers who have had trouble with their licensor. “She’s out to get me!” is a common complaint. I wanted to know what advice a lawyer would give providers to help reduce conflicts and improve the chances of winning an appeal.

Scott described four areas where providers can help themselves.

Maintain Clear Lines of Communication

Make sure you maintain a clear line of communication with your licensor. You want a professional relationship where you can talk things over. Although you may have negative feelings about your licensor, it’s important to get past these feelings and do your best to work cooperatively.

Keep documentation of interactions with your licensor. Immediately after a licensor visits your home, write up a summary of your conversation.

“Licensor visited my home between 2pm and 3pm on October 9th. We talked about safety issues. She said I should not keep adult scissors on the dining room table, but it was okay to store them on top of my refrigerator. She also said I could use a ‘time out’ to discipline a two year old. After inspecting all the rooms in my home and my backyard she didn’t indicate I had violated any licensing rules.”

Email or mail a copy of your notes to the licensor and add, “Here are my notes of your visit to my home on October 9th. If you believe that I have not accurately described our meeting, please let me know what I have written that is not correct. Also, let me know if I have left out anything important.” Such record keeping can help you if the licensor later states something that is different than your notes.

When possible, communicate with your licensor via email or mail, not by phone. When you talk on the phone, the licensor is at an advantage because she is likely to write up notes of your conversation immediately after it’s over. You are much less likely to keep similar notes. Copies of emails or letters are more useful as written records in your defense.

Tell the Whole Truth

Providers sometimes get into trouble because they don’t initially own up to what happened or they don’t fully explain the circumstances to their licensor. Doing this will cause a loss of trust that can get you into more trouble.

In one case a provider told her licensor that there were six children in her care, when in fact there were seven. A parent dropped off the seventh child early and thus the provider was over enrolled for a few minutes. When the licensor asked the other children who was in the home, they revealed to her the presence of the seventh child.

In another case a child wandered out of the back yard of a provider and a licensor investigated the incident. The provider told the licensor she was outside with the children, and when she turned her head away for a moment the child was gone. In fact, the provider was in the bathroom at the time. The licensor found this out by talking to the other children.

It’s better to tell the whole truth up front. In the above cases the provider is still in violation of the rules and is likely to be cited. But the provider will lose the licensor’s trust if she finds out later that the provider lied. She may become more suspicious and wonder when else the provider has lied. As a result, she is less likely to take the provider’s word in the future. It’s always better to be honest up front and not let the truth dribble out over time.

Avoid These Mistakes

There are many licensing rules and while some of them may seem minor or petty, (particularly those dealing with paperwork) licensors are trained to enforce them all. By violating even minor rules you can undermine your relationship with your licensor. By following all the rules you can help avoid trouble.

Providers who enter into new personal relationships should be aware that the past history of this person could affect your livelihood. Background checks will uncover past problems (drug use, drunk driving record, etc.) that can result in your boyfriend not being permitted to be around the children, even if you don’t live together.

This can be a problem because a licensor may not believe you when you say that your boyfriend will never come over when children are present. Licensors may look for an extra car in your driveway or adult clothing that is not yours. Because they might not believe your assurances, you could lose your license.

Be careful what you put on Facebook. One provider posted a negative comment about a child to her private “friends.” One of these friends copied what she had posted and turned it over to her licensor with the result that the provider got into trouble. Even writing notes about your feelings in emails (“I feel so frustrated today with the children” or “I don’t know what I’m going to do about this child”) could be interpreted by your licensor as a sign that it might not be safe for you to be around children.

Get Legal Help

Some business liability insurance companies (Assure Child Care, West Bend, DCI, Freisinger, and others) include coverage for legal assistance when you are confronted with negative licensing actions. Usually such coverage is for a small amount of money ($2,500- $5,000). But even a small amount of money can help when you need a lawyer. Ask your insurance agent if your policy has such coverage. See listings of companies on my insurance directory.

When you should seek out legal help? If you get a correction order from your licensor that involves a small consequence (fine, requirement to take a training class) you probably don’t need a lawyer. There is little a lawyer can do in this situation. However, if your licensor is taking action to suspend or revoke your license you should definitely seek out a lawyer.

Also, see my article, "How to Find a Lawyer When You Need One."

Tom Copeland - www.tomcopelandblog.com

Image credit: www.talkingdrugs.org

For more information about how to maintain a positive relationship with your licensor, see my book Family Child Care Legal and Insurance Guide.

Get to know the child care rules (the standards). Read it, underline important points, review it, and return to read it. Every time you reread, you’ll find something that had been overlooked. Always obey and to show that is fulfilling. Some rules may seem excessive. Never mind, observe its strictly. The rules not only protect children, protect you also. At any time, your licensor can come to your home and observe a rule that is not enforced. Or a customer can report any non-compliance rule. Know the rules to the point that you can quote them, and even discuss it with your licensor. If there is a rule that is not clear, ask your licensor until you understand it clearly.

Check also the advice we give for when a parent leaves his child care discontent, or when you think a customer can report you

Radon test

Radon test
 

Radon is a radioactive gas, not seen, not smell, it accumulates in the lower parts of the houses because it is heavier than air. When there is too much, it can cause cancer of the throat or lungs. DCFS requests that all providers that are going to get or renew your license after January 1, 2014, have a radon test.

For this:

1. Buy a test. Walmart has one for $ 19.00 Pro-Lab RA100 Do-it-yourself radon gas test kit, very complete, the box comes with two detectors. ACE and MENARD have also tests for sale. When you buy it, apart from price, you will have to pay between 30 and 50 dollards for analyze the results.

2. Follow the instructions that come with the test, they are very easy. Basically is to have it exposed some time at home.

3. Send it to the laboratory, and in a week, they send you your results.

4. Put the results together with your license. If you have very high concentrations, which are dangerous, you must do something to reduce them, this is for your own safety, but DCFS does not require to do anything.

Angel Olmedo

Family Child Care Homes Program Coordinator

Coordinador del programa de Casas de Cuidado Infantil

1103 Greenwood Ave

Waukegan IL 60087

773-867-7387

“Helping Chicagoland’s At-Risk Children and Their Families Build, Sustain, and Achieve Better Lives.”

Affordable care act and family child care.

How the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) Will Affect Family Child Care

By Tom Copeland. Published with his permission.

 

October 1, 2013 is the start of a new phase of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), otherwise known as Obamacare that was first passed in 2010.

 

Starting today, family child care providers without health insurance can sign up to purchase insurance through their state health care exchanges. 

 

This signup period will continue until March 31, 2014. Insurance coverage will begin on January 1, 2014.

 

Those Not Affected
If you are already covered by health insurance through your spouse’s employer, or you are currently on Medicare or Medicaid, you do not have to do anything. You will keep your current insurance coverage and do not have to sign up to purchase different health insurance.

As an Employer
If you hire employees to help you with your business you are not required to purchase health insurance for them. Only employers who have more than 50 full time employees will be required to purchase health insurance by 2014, or pay a penalty. Therefore, there continues to be no requirement that you offer health insurance to your employees.

You can choose to offer health insurance to your employees if you want. If you do, there are some federal tax credits that can help make this more affordable. In 2013 there is a 35% tax credit if you pay more than half the cost of health insurance premiums for your employees. In 2014 this will rise to a 50% tax credit. The cost of premiums not covered by the credit continue to be a 100% business deduction. You must have two full-time employees to take advantage of this credit. Unfortunately, you cannot hire your spouse or own child and claim this tax credit.

As a Consumer
Health insurance has become increasingly difficult to afford for many family child care providers who are single or not covered by their spouse's health insurance plan. Starting today you can shop for more affordable health insurance coverage for your family (and your employees) through state-run insurane exchanges.

To learn all of the details of the ACA and to find the contact information for your state's health care exchance, go to www.healthcare.gov (CuidadoDeSalud.gov). Or call 1-800-318-2596, 24 hours a day with your questions.

Under the ACA, these state exchanges will not offer health insurance but will rather offer a one-stop shop for health insurance plans offered by private insurance companies. This will make it much easier to compare benefits and prices.

Insurance companies will not be able to refuse to insure you because of your health history and cannot cancel your insurance. Insurance companies can no longer charge women more for the same insurance. All policies cover pregnancy and childbirth as well as dental and vision coverage for children. 

 

Insurance policies being sold will come in four levels: platinum, gold, silver and bronze. The major difference between them is the cost per month and how much you will pay for deductibles and copays.

Low-income individuals and families will be eligible for subsidies that will reduce the cost of your monthly premiums. The amount of your subsidy, or tax credit, will depend on your family size and income. There is also a tax credit to help pay for deductibles. In addition, for very low income families the ACA law expands coverage for Medicaid in many states (those earning less than $31,000 for a family of four).

If you are single you can get a subsidy if you earn less than $45,960; family of two $62,040; family of three $78,120; family of four $94,200. These amounts are for 2013 and are likely to rise by 2014. For details, see your state’s health care exchange website. For more information about these subsidies and deductibles see the helpful information posted on www.healthcare.gov.

 

Understanding the details about the cost of insurance policies available to you can, at first, seem daunting. Each state has private insurance companies offering their own policies with their own prices. To find out what choices you have, go to your state's website, enter the information about how many are in your family and your family income.

Beginning in 2014, if you are not low income, you will be required to either purchase health insurance or pay a small penalty. The annual penalty (tax) is $95 for an adult and $47.50 for a child, or up to 1% of your income (whichever is greater). This will rise to $695, or 2.5% of income by 2016. This is the individual tax; families have a tax of $2,085 or 2.5% of income whichever is greater. There are currently no rules that allow the IRS to enforce this tax.

Bottom Line
If you have health insurance that you want to keep, the ACA will not force you to change policies. The fear of losing health insurance or being unable to pay medical bills has haunted many family child care providers for years. ACA will make major changes in how we buy health insurance. It will become easier to get health insurance, the insurance will cover more and in the long run cost less than if the law did not exist.

 

What questions do you have about the ACA?

 

Tom Copeland - www.tomcopelandblog.com

Image credit: www.coursera.org

Taxable income

 

Is the Money You Receive Taxable Income?

By Tom Copeland. Posted with his permission.

"As a family child care provider you receive money from a variety of sources: parents, subsidy program, Food Program (CACFP), grants, fundraisers, garage sales, maybe even prizes!

How should all of this money be reported? Is it taxable income or not?"

Parents

All money you receive from parents to care for their child is taxable income. This includes co-payments they pay for their participation on a child care subsidy program. It also includes any fees included in your contract: registration fees, late fees, field trip fees, late payment fees, bounced check fees, and so on.

If parents participate in a flexible benefit plan (cafeteria plan) at their place of work, any money received through this plan is also taxable income. If a parent gives you a bonus at the end of the year because they had extra money in this plan that they had to spend, it’s also income!

Even a gift from a parent of cash or a gift card (Merry Christmas!) is taxable income. If a parent gives you a gift of anything except cash or a gift card (flowers, book, candy, etc.), it’s not income. Finally!

Some parents may tell you that they won’t report the money that they paid you by not claiming the child care tax credit on their tax return, in exchange for you charging them less for child care. Even in this case, the money you get is income. Don’t agree to such an arrangement because there is no guarantee the parent won’t try to claim this tax credit, and you can get into trouble with the IRS if they compare your income with the number of children you are claiming on the Food Program.

Subsidy Program

Any money you receive from a child care subsidy program is taxable income.

Food Program

Reimbursements you receive from the Food Program are taxable income, with one exception. Reimbursements you receive for your own children from the Food Program are not taxable income. You can receive reimbursements for your own children if your family income is below $28,694 for a family of two. For a complete breakdown of all family sizes and for the higher rates for Alaska and Hawaii: http://www.fns.usda.gov/sites/default/files/IEG_Table-032913.pdf.

Grants

Grants you may receive to help your business are taxable income. These may include toys, scholarships to attend a conference or take classes, home improvements, fence, etc. When you purchase items with your grant money that are used in your business you can deduct them using the normal rules of business deductions.

For small items this may mean your business expense will be equal to your grant income and you will not owe any additional taxes. If the items are larger and must be depreciated, or if you use the items for your family, then you won’t be able to wipe out all the grant income and you will owe some additional taxes. However, this should not be a reason for you not to accept the grant!

Fundraisers/Garage Sales/Prizes

You must report as taxable income and profit you make on fundraisers. For example, let’s say you decide to enlist parents to help you sell candles to buy a swing set. If the cost of the candles is $1,000 and you earn $3,000 in sales, your profit was $2,000 (taxable income). When you purchase the swing set, you can deduct it under the normal rules of business deductions.

You don’t have to report any profit from garage sales. This is because you aren’t selling the items at a profit. The amount you sell something for at a garage sale is less than its purchase price.

If you win a prize (provider of the year, lottery, bingo parlor, etc.) congratulations! However, you must pay taxes on your prize. If the prize was associated with your business you must report it as business income. If you win the lottery or win at the bingo parlor, report this as personal income.

Summary

Because of the many different sources of your income, it’s important to keep a careful record of where your money came from. You can do this by writing this down on bank deposit slips, entering it into Minute Menu Kids Pro, or creating your own income report.

Many answers to your business questions can be found at www.tomcopelandblog.com

Join The Child Care Business Partnership!

Minute Menu and Tom Copeland have teamed up to offer you the chance to reduce your taxes, receive direct assistance if you are audited, and personalized business advice so you can be more successful. For $15 a year you can join The Child Care Business Partnership and start receiving direct help from Tom Copeland in using Minute Menu Kids Pro. Also, if you join before October 31, 2013 you will be entered into a drawing with a chance to win a set of Tom Copeland’s books, worth more than $90. For more information: http://www.tomcopelandblog.com/2013/07/the-child-care-business-partnership-tom-copeland-minute-menu-and-you.html, or email Tom at tomcopeland@live.com.

Grants for family child care?

 

Where are the Grants for Family Child Care Providers?

By Tom Copeland,published with permission

"Where can I get a grant to help me start or expand my family child care business?"

It's a common question for many family child care providers who don't have a lot of cash on hand.

The answer is discouraging.

The federal government does not offer any direct grants to family child care providers. Private foundations and corporations are unlikely to give grants to providers. Other than a few special programs, the only source of grants is through Child Care Resource and Referral agencies.

Child Care Resource and Referral

In most states, these agencies offer selective grant programs that are funded by the federal Child Care Development Block Grant and sometimes state dollars. Usually the grant cycle is every two years. Contact your local CCR&R agency for more information. They will know about any grant programs in your area.

Online Services

There are several online services (here and here and here) that purport to offer access to grants for family child care providers. These sites charge a registration fee of $30 and will send you a list of grant prospects. Although I haven't tried to use these services, I don't believe they are helpful because there are no federal grants directly available to you.

Has anyone tried to use these services?

Other Possible Options

Some states or private organizations may offer grant programs. One example is VOICE, a New York union that offers up to $500 grants to New York providers living outside New York city.

Why no Grants?

Why aren't there more grant programs available other than those through your local Child Care Resource and Referral agency?

Family child care providers are for-profit businesses. (Although it may not feel like it!) Few government programs or private foundations or corporations will support for-profit businesses with grants.

It would make little difference if you decided to set up a tax-exempt non-profit organization to operate your business. First, it would be extremely difficult to establish a tax-exempt organization when you serve so few children. Second, organizations that might have money are reluctant to deal with businesses that serve only a handful of children.

Loans

There are a few more opportunities to get a loan versus a grant. See my article "Where to Get a Loan."

What other sources of grants or loans do you know about?

Tom Copeland - www.tomcopelandblog.com

Image credit: usuchild.usu.edu

However, family child care is one of the few businesses for which you don’t need virtually invest money. Start by reviewing what the standards ask your state license. In Illinois you are asked to have a smoke alarm, a fire extinguisher A, B and C , and from January 2014 Radon test . You also need small beds where napping children - do not support lying on the floor mats! - , which costs around $ 28 each. Personally I'd recommend you purchase many building blocks Duplo Lego- type, because it is one of the few things that entertain children up to 30 minutes straight. The rest of the materials that you need them can get them little by little, when your business is in place. Many of them can make yourself, or buy them at garage sales and thrift stores.

Additional expenses are physicists to his aides, substitutes and all people living in the house, which can be covered by your insurance. The first physical including TB test, which can be done at the Health Department for $ 10 per person. Also need training CPR / FA, if you take it with us the cost is $ 60 dólaes , call you to Lucrecia Nieto at 847-625-4231 to sign up . You also need the training Kids Syndrome Shaken Baby and Sudden Death ", that can cost $ 7.00 in your CCR & R agency. Other mandatory training is "Forced Delator / Mandated Reporter", which can take free internet. (www.state.il.us/dcfs/child )

Save ALL your records of expenses from the moment you decided to start your business, including miles used. If you don’t have receipts, make a note: On 01/05/13, at 123 Martin Av. , $ 2.00 for a used puzzle. 5 miles on 1/31/13 to go to training "shaken infant syndrome”. Normally, with all your tax deductions , such as income or margage, billes, devaluation of the house by using the own home business, the first year losses are declared in the Income Tax, and may receive credit for low income. Use that money to finish assembling your business.

Offender watch. Lake County sheriff's office

 

Offender Watch. Lake County sheriff's office.

Welcome.

Our office is pleased to provide Offender Watch® for the citizens of Lake County . Offender Watch® is the nation’s leading registered sex offender management and community notification tool with hundreds of leading agencies in dozens of states utilizing it. Lake County ’s law enforcement utilizes Offender Watch® to manage and monitor the whereabouts, conduct and compliance status of the registered offenders in Lake County . Offender Watch®provides the most accurate and timely information available and now this information is available to you.

Offender Watch® is updated instantaneously throughout the day as offender addresses and other offender information is updated in our office.

You may enter any address in the county and see real-time information on the publishable offenders within the specified radius of the address you enter.

Offenders move frequently, so instead of having to check the maps on a weekly basis, the best way to stay informed is to take advantage of our free email alert system. You may confidentially register as many addresses in the county as you wish, and we will continuously monitor the addresses and send you an email alert if a new offender registers an address within one mile of any address your register. There is no cost for this service and no limit to the number of addresses you can register - the email address and physical addresses are all confidential. Tell your friends and neighbours and be sure to register your home, school, work, gym, day care, park, soccer field, parents or children’s homes- any address of interested to you.

The Lake County Il . Sheriff’s office maintains this Offender Watch® portal as a community service. Be sure to visit the Safety Tips page and review the information we have provided under the Community Awareness Fliers or the other links. You may print fliers for you use to distribute to your club, school, library or group.

If you have any questions about Offender Watch® or have any information about the compliance status of any offender in Lake County or have any questions about our community awareness program, please contact our office email administrator Jeff Burkin at Jburkin@lakecountyil.gov Thank you.