Ron McGuckin has gained a national reputation as the “Child Care Lawyer,” and trains thousands of child care professionals on a variety of issues including personal, administration, management, and legal issues. He joins the show to talk about how he got into child care and came to own Ronald McGuckin and Associates Law Firm, and what kinds of processes people should have in place for managing employee behavior. He also addresses the new issues that arise dealing with COVID-19, and ways we can best protect our classrooms and staff to ensure everyone stays on the same message and mission.   Key Takeaways: [2:23] At Ron’s law firm, they represent child care agencies in PA and NJ. But he personally also has consulting agreements with child care agencies across the country. [3:06] Ron got involved with the Headstart program and saw a need for better legal representation in the field. [7:53] You would never guess it, but Ron considers himself to be somewhat shy. He is also starting up a new comedy hobby, performing and hosting a comedy night at the Civic Center. [14:49] A few failures along the way does not mean success isn't possible. They are learning lessons that we can grow from. [15:05] One way child care leaders can protect themselves is by letting go of toxic people, and not waiting too long to do it. [19:15] Mean what you say, be intentional, and be sure the staff has a clear understanding of company policies. [31:27] Be sure you have thorough policy and service agreements that outline the different possible scenarios in which schools can get shut down or temporarily closed. [40:30] Great leaders take their time training and onboarding their people. They understand that the process is not one to be rushed, and it will pay off when you have a culture that knows how to work within their business and speak to children. When there are shortcuts, children suffer.   Mentioned in This Episode: Kris Murray The Child Care Success Company Child Care Success Academy Child Care Success Summit Child Time, Inc. Child Provider Law Model Child Care Health Policies