Why a church policy isn't enough for a preschool
A church insurance policy is built around worship and congregational life — services, events, the building, the people who gather in it. A preschool is a different operation running inside the same walls: classrooms, a daily schedule, drop-off and pickup, naps, meals, playground time, and the supervision standards that come with caring for very young children. Those activities create exposures a worship-focused policy was never designed to address.
The danger is that everyone assumes it's handled. The church has insurance, the preschool meets in the church, so the preschool must be covered — until a claim reveals the childcare operation was never actually contemplated by the policy. Confirming the preschool's exposures are specifically covered is the single most important step, and it's exactly where we start.
What a church preschool actually needs
Abuse & molestation — the paramount coverage
A preschool concentrates a ministry's highest-risk exposure. General liability excludes abuse entirely; a dedicated, separate abuse limit — ideally with defense paid outside the limit — is non-negotiable.
General & professional (educators) liability
Covers bodily injury on the premises plus claims arising from the care and instruction itself — supervision, developmental decisions, and the educational side of a preschool.
Child accident / medical
Pays a child's medical bills directly after an injury, which helps families and reduces the chance an accident becomes a liability lawsuit.
Property, workers' comp & D&O
Property for the classrooms and equipment, workers' compensation if the preschool has paid staff, and directors and officers for any board overseeing it.
Abuse and molestation is the coverage that matters most
Nowhere is the stakes-versus-coverage gap wider than here. A preschool puts staff and volunteers in daily, close contact with the youngest and most vulnerable children a ministry serves — and standard general liability excludes abuse and molestation completely, including the negligence claims (hiring, screening, supervision, failure to protect) actually brought against the program. A church preschool needs a dedicated abuse limit, ideally written as a separate limit with defense paid outside it so legal costs don't erode the protection. This is the first coverage we pressure-test on any preschool account.
Georgia licensing and what it requires
Most child care programs in Georgia are licensed through the Department of Early Care and Learning (DECAL / Bright from the Start), and licensing brings operational and safety requirements. Beyond the license itself, your lease, lender, or oversight body may require specific liability coverages and minimum limits. The point isn't just to "have insurance" — it's to confirm your policy actually meets what your license and agreements require, and that the childcare operation is named and covered, not assumed.
The childcare market is tightening
This matters more than usual right now because the childcare insurance market has hardened nationally: insurers have narrowed terms, some have pulled back from childcare entirely, and abuse limits specifically are being scrutinized and sub-limited at renewal. For a church preschool that means two things — work with a specialist who can place the coverage with carriers that still write childcare, and review your abuse limit and exclusions at every renewal so the protection isn't quietly reduced while the premium looks flat.
Is your church preschool actually covered — or just assumed to be?
A coverage review checks your preschool's abuse, liability, accident, and property coverage against how the program runs and what your license requires.
Request a Coverage ReviewFrequently asked questions
Does our church's insurance policy cover the preschool?
Usually not fully. A church policy is written for worship and congregational activities, not for the daily operation of caring for young children — classrooms, drop-off and pickup, naps, playgrounds, and the supervision standards that go with them. Running a preschool under the church policy without confirming the childcare exposures are actually covered is one of the most common — and most dangerous — gaps we find.
What insurance does a church preschool or daycare need?
At minimum: abuse and molestation coverage, general liability, professional (educators) liability, child accident/medical coverage, and property coverage for the space and equipment. If the preschool has its own employees you also need workers' compensation, and a board overseeing it should have directors and officers coverage. The exact program depends on enrollment, ages served, and whether you're licensed.
Why is abuse and molestation coverage so critical for a preschool?
Because a preschool concentrates the single highest-risk exposure a ministry has: the care of very young children by staff and volunteers. Standard general liability excludes abuse and molestation entirely, including the negligence claims (hiring, screening, supervision) brought against the program. A preschool needs a dedicated abuse limit — ideally a separate limit with defense paid outside it. See our guide to abuse and molestation coverage.
Does Georgia licensing require a preschool to carry insurance?
Most child care programs in Georgia are licensed through the Department of Early Care and Learning (DECAL / Bright from the Start), and licensing carries operational and safety requirements; some programs and their lease or lender agreements also require specific liability coverage and limits. Confirm what your license, lease, and any oversight body require, and make sure your policy actually meets them — not just that you "have insurance."
Is it hard to get preschool and childcare insurance right now?
The childcare market has tightened nationally: insurers have narrowed terms and some have pulled back from childcare entirely, and abuse limits in particular are being scrutinized and sub-limited. That makes two things important for a church preschool — working with a specialist who can place the coverage with the right carriers, and reviewing your abuse limit and exclusions at every renewal so coverage isn't quietly reduced.
MinistrySure is an independent insurance agency in Loganville, Georgia specializing exclusively in churches, Christian schools, and faith-based ministries. Led by brothers Matthew and Michael Campbell, MinistrySure has served 700+ Georgia ministries.
Christian School Insurance · Abuse & Molestation · Church Liability Insurance · Church Insurance in Georgia · Coverage Review