You've Been Summoned for Jury Duty - Now What?

Jury duty is a civic duty, but it can be a hardship for family child care providers and the families they care for.

Usually jury duty lasts less than a week, but it can be longer. One child care provider served for four weeks on a jury. Another provider was a member of a grand jury that met once a week for six months.

In some towns, child care providers have been excused from jury duty after receiving a summons in the mail. They wrote letters to the court explaining how it would be a hardship for them and their families.

Some have included letters from parents indicating how their lives would be disrupted. If you care for low-income families or special needs children or you are the sole breadwinner, it’s more likely that you will be excused.

However, there are many towns where being a family child care provider is not an excuse for serving on a jury. To prepare yourself in the event you will be called for jury duty, you should consider these options:

* Line up a substitute that can care for the children while you are gone.

* Tell parents they will have to make their own child care arrangements.

* Put in your contract language that will enable you to get paid for some or all of the time you are away. Here’s what some child care providers have in their contract:

– Parent will pay for up to ten personal days per year (that can be used for jury duty)

– Parent will pay for the first five days of jury duty and then pay for half days after that

– Parent will pay half the normal rate for the first two weeks of jury duty and after that there is no charge

– Provider will take “personal days as needed”

– Provider will not charge for any jury duty days

Here’s an interesting comment from child care provider Jacqueline Black Crocker from Overland Park, Kansas:

“Being on a jury is one of the most important aspects of being an American. I understand that serving can be a hassle, especially when you have so many families that truly depend on you as a provider…I know that if it were me being judged by a jury, I would much rather have a group of peers who are educated, compassionate and well-balanced like a provider, than a group of people who don’t have anything better to do with their time. I have served on a jury and I will never give an excuse again. It was an awesome experience. I feel I am representing and preserving the rights and privileges of the children for whom I am caring. I am proud to be an American and proud to serve anyway I can.”

Typically, jurors are paid a small amount per day (less than $20). Any money you receive from jury duty should be reported as income on Form 1040 (Other Income), not on your business Form Schedule C.

Note: You cannot deduct as a business expense the amount of income you may lose as a result of being on a jury.

Tom Copeland – www.tomcopelandblog.com

Image credit: https://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2021/03/01/how-do-you-get-picked-for-jury-duty/ 

To learn more, read my book Family Child Care Contracts and Policies.