Kids' Wheels FAQ
The frequently asked questions below are designed to answer the most common questions asked by our clients. Click each of the following questions to view the answer. Should you have any further questions, please refer to our Contact page.
We cover most of the state of Connecticut, excluding Fairfield County.
I’m sorry but we currently do not work for the general public.
Our main focus is providing Special Education transportation for various Boards of Education and the Connecticut Department of Children and Families but we also work for many groups and private schools..
Yes, just let us know the child’s needs and we can provide the appropriate seat.
All vehicles are equipped with first aid kits, “spill kits” (for cleaning up bodily fluids), fire extinguishers, reflective triangles, “Carrying School Children” signs as well as clearly visible “Kids Wheels’ LLC” signs to help insure the child can find the correct vehicle. Each driver has a cell phone with a hands free Bluetooth. Garmin GPS’s are provided to help the driver find the correct location. All vehicles also are equipped with a GPS tracking system so we can know where the vehicle is at all times. Each vehicle also carries a required number of booster seats. Car seats are provided upon request.
Each vehicle must go through a yearly “bumper to bumper” inspection by the CT Department of Motor Vehicles in addition to brake inspections every 6000 miles and “bumper to bumper” inspections by our own mechanics every 3 months. The drivers perform “pre-trip” inspections each time the vehicle leaves for a run to ensure all lights, the horn and other equipment is performing correctly. All mechanics used are certified mechanics.
Yes. Each driver is required to have a “V” endorsement on their license. That means they are qualified to drive a “school transportation vehicle”.
All drivers must pass a pre employment drug test as well as random drug testing. We check their driving record with the DMV, they must pass a D.O.T. physical as well. They also must be fingerprinted and their background is checked out by the F.B.I. and a search of their name on the sex offender website is done along with a check for negative contact with DCF. A 10 hour safety class is required before they can qualify for a “V” endorsement. Once the endorsement is obtained the driver must submit to regular follow up physicals and 6 hours per year of safety classes.
We rarely receive notice from the school, Board of Ed or Social Worker about the child’s attendance. It is the responsibility of the guardian to let us know about any changes to the child’s schedule.
No. The driver’s should not carry messages. Please call the office at 860-585-1883. Also Kids’ Wheels does not accept changes from the child. We must verify all changes with an adult.
I’m sorry but for health and cleanliness reasons the children are not allowed to have food or drinks in the Kids’ Wheels vehicles.
No. While we try to have the driver stay consistent, on occasion every driver must take a day off for one reason or another. Also the runs will change from time to time because of children being added or subtracted and that might necessitate a change in drivers.
No. We do not provide “on call” transportation. Everything we do is scheduled ahead of time. We operate more like a school bus because the driver will have a regular route each day where he/she picks up and drops off kids one after the other. That is why it is important for the children to be ready and waiting when the driver arrives, just as they would be for a school bus, because the driver must keep to a schedule to get everyone to their destination on time.
The expectation is for the child to be ready when the Kids’ Wheels vehicle arrives. We must allow for varying traffic conditions so we cannot give an exact time of arrival. You will be given a 10 minute “window” in which the driver is expected to arrive (ie. 7:00am to 7:10am). In that case we would expect the child to be ready by 7:00am. Once the driver arrives within this window of time he/she is instructed to wait 3 minutes for the child.
We ask that the child exit the school promptly and meet the van in the agreed upon area as quickly as possible. Again the drivers must pick up many children and get them to their destinations in a timely manner. If you have taken your child out of school early for any reason please be sure to let Kids’ Wheels know as early as possible so the driver is not waiting at the school needlessly.
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