Insuring Your Foster Care Agency - Are Changes In The Wind?

The landscape is definitely changing when it comes to insuring your foster care agency. Many agencies are receiving non-renewal notices, or their premiums have increased substantially, even without a large claim history.  What is the reasoning behind these dramatic and sometimes very shocking changes?

Some contributing factors:

•          The high-risk factors associated with child welfare
•          Claims increasing in severity and frequency
•          Nonprofits are diversifying their services, thus increasing their exposures
•          Contracts are requiring higher limits, resulting in higher premiums
•          Changes in carrier appetites and the types businesses they will cover/not cover
•          Changes in policy forms

As a result, Carrier risk management requirements are being raised.  Creating a robust risk management program is imperative in controlling your losses, premiums and meeting carrier requirements.  Start by electing a risk management officer or mandated reporter, create a formal incident reporting program and reduce and manage a social worker’s caseload/workload.  This is a great place to start.

So, what is your foster care agency to do in these changing times? Contact a specialist.  Hawley& Associates specializes in hard-to-place risks, including adoption & foster care.  Our broad access to specialized markets and innovative risk management tools allows us to partner in and empower mission!

Hawley & Associates - Memorial Day Office Closure

Hawley & Associates will be closed Monday, May 27th, 2019 in observance of the Memorial Day holiday.

If you have any special service requests during this time, please call our after-hour service line at (425) 577-4957.

All of us at Hawley & Associates would like to say THANK YOU for all who served and died for our freedom.

2019 Hurricane Season – Is Your Nonprofit Ready?

Hurricane season begins June 1st, 2019 and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is predicting a ‘near-normal’ hurricane season, due to El Nino and warmer-than-average Atlantic waters. They also predict a range of 9 to 15 named storms, which could include 2 to 4 major hurricanes (winds over 111 per hour).

If you operate your nonprofit or social service organization anywhere near a coastline, preparation is your best defense in minimizing the impact to your agency.

A thorough review of your commercial insurance policies is essential in preparing for the unpredictable. Get to know all of the exclusions in your policy, and if needed, talk to your insurance broker about purchasing separate coverage, such as flood or business interruption insurance. Without the proper coverage, you could be forced to pay out of pocket for the damages that are excluded in your policy.  Could your agency survive that?

Contact Hawley & Associates today for more information on the right insurance solutions your organization needs to protect your mission.

Community Action Agencies – Changing People’s Lives

The Economic Opportunity Act was founded in 1964 by President Lyndon B. Johnson, to fight the war on poverty in the US.  This in-turn created the Community Action Program; a network of public, nonprofit and private organizations that help connect our nations children & families to services and programs, leading them to greater opportunities, economic stability, and self-sufficiency.

May is Community Action Month and Hawley & Associates would like to recognize the over 1000 Community Action Agencies and Programs that have the passion to serve and empower our community’s low-income families.

 

A list of some of the programs offered:

Head Start Programs

Weatherization Assistance

Meals on Wheels

Home Energy Assistance

Employment Services

Income Management

Housing Services

Shelters

Youth Services

According to the US Census Bureau, in 2017, the poverty rate in the US was 12.3 %, which is down 0.4% from 2016.  This is the third consecutive year in which the poverty rate has declined, but the problem is still very real.

 

Thank you to these agencies that dedicate themselves in fighting poverty and helping others help themselves and by allowing Hawley & Associates to be a part of your mission.

Mother's Day Fun Facts

Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there!

1. More calls are made on Mother’s Day than any other day of the year.

2. Mother’s Day is the third highest selling holiday for flowers and plants (behind Christmas and Hanukkah).

3. One of the earliest Mother's Day celebrations was in Ancient Greece.

4. Mother’s Day is the busiest day of the year in the restaurant industry.

5. Woodrow Wilson signed Mother’s Day into law in 1914.

6. In 2018, over $23 billion dollars was spent on Mother’s Day.

7. Most popular gift is a greeting card.

8. Carnations are the symbol for Mother’s Day.

9. On average, people spend $133 on Father’s Day compared to $196 on Mother’s Day.

May Is National Foster Care Month!

May is National Foster Care Month!

Hawley & Associates is honored to partner with our foster care clients' commitment of making the world a better place for our countries foster children.

These inspiring real-life stories from families and professionals made our day!  Help us raise awareness by sharing these empowering experiences.

https://www.childwelfare.gov/fostercaremonth/reallifestories/