If you love kids, have one or more of your own and like the idea of working out of your home, a daycare business can be a gratifying and profitable venture for you. As a Mom, you are probably already prepared for many of the skills this job entails, so have no fear. There are rules and regulations in place for a home childcare business, you can deduct your business expenses for taxes, you are your own boss and you can work with kids. What a beautiful proposition! But where do you start? We have a few easy steps to follow.
Licensing
According to Shari Steelsmith, author of How to Start a Home-Based Day-Care Business, a family childcare is a “licensed and registered professional childcare program in the provider’s home where children are cared for less than 24 hours a day”. So, first things first, you should get your business licensed. In the US, the rules will differ by state. Some states don’t require you to be licensed, and some just require you to be registered. There are many variations depending on the number of children in your daycare, locale and number of staffers. National Resource Center for Health and Child Care and Early Education offers a state-by-state guide, which lists all the requirements you need to meet the state regulations, as well as the contact information for the local daycare licensing agency. Call your local daycare licencing agency for an information packet, pay the appropriate application fees and fill out all the forms to get a license or to register, if required. Whether required or not, majority of parents will be more trusting of a childcare business that is licensed and registered, since there are many excellent guidelines identified in the licensing procedures.
Safety
Before you proceed with the schedule and guidelines for your daycare business, make sure to acquire additional insurance. Accidents happen, so purchase both liability and accident insurance, as advised by Patricia Gallagher in Start Your Own at Home Child Care Business. Make sure to babyproof your home thoroughly; if you have your own kids, you probably already have a good jump-start. Your home should be a safe area for kids to explore, and you should continue to childproof your home every year, as Vicki Lanski suggests in Baby Proofing Basics 2 Ed: How To Keep Your Child Safe. To be prepared for any accidents, you must have a first-aid kit and be trained in CPR.
Your Expertise
If you plan on taking care of little ones, you should learn a few important skills, if you don’t know these already. CPR is a must, along with first-aid classes. If you are really serious about this business, consider taking some continuing-education classes at a local community college or online, or attend childcare seminars, something easy yet helpful in your future venture. Plus, you can find others in the business and acquire some much-needed advice. Don’t forget about the social networking on LinkedIn, Facebook and others.
Planning and Meals
Once your home is completely safe, start plannning the areas where kids will play and rest, eat and get messy. Perhaps, one large room can be separated into stations where kids could follow different activities. Kids’ attention span is very short, so be prepared for a variety of activities and for changing these as you go. Create a plan for what the activities will be, and try to offer both individual play (younger kids will mostly do that) as well as some circle time when everyone can sing, share or read together. If your state regulations allow, try to take kids outside (ONLY IF YOU HAVE A SAFE AREA FOR THIS, such as a fenced backyard). As with activities, plan out the meals in advance and purchase them in advance. You may be able to get reimbursed for your meal costs by the local Child and Adult Care Food Program – check with the licensing agency on this. Make sure the cooking area is far enough from the main activity area and well baby-proofed. If you plan to offer snacks, we suggest making it a peanut-free environment (to avoid potential allergy issues), and consider nutritious value of what you are offering, along with an appropriate area for kids to eat. You should post your meal and activity plan each day, so parents can see what’s planned. You can find some meal plan ideas and information here. Having a plan for your day is extremely important, since kids strive on routine. In addition to the plan, you can create a set of rules that are your daycare vision – this is something you can and should share with the parents, so they can set expectations. You can find a lot of useful information on safety basics, health issues, cleanliness and general caregiver advice at www.healthykids.us.
Equipment
What you’ll need in your daycare business depends on how long you will be providing care for (2 hours or more), the age of kids and availability of open space for play. Getting licensed and registered will help you identify the needs, but more could be done. Here are a few suggestions of what may be needed:
- Playmats. They offer cushioning for crawlers and can be an educational tool if made of letters, numbers, or other images.
- Cribs and/or rest cots. It depends on the age of the children and their discipline.
- Changing table or area and supplies
- Storage. It may be in the form of shelves, bins, trays, lockers and book displays.
- Tables and chairs. These are helpful for arts and crafts and other activities, as well as for meal times.
- Toys for active and passive play. Toys include puzzles, slides, sand and water and other activity tables, train set tables, balls and blocks.
- Books. Find books for kids here.
Finances
According to Catherine Prulssen, author of Start and Run a Profitable Home Day Care, 8 million children under 13 are in need of childcare in the US and 51% of mothers return to work after their baby turns 1. So this could be a profitable venture. You can buy a program that helps you manage finances, such as Quicken. Or, you can do your own spreadsheet where you can write out all your expenses, both long-term and short-term, and think of what kind of fee you can charge to make this business profitable. Along with the fee structure, think about the number of days and hours your daycare can be open for and how many children you will be able to take care of. Daycare businesses are some of the most profitable businesses out there, so with careful planning you can do very well.
How you will get business
Advertising in print and online is a good opportunity to promote your name. However, the best way to get such a local business started is by exposure to the local community. Word of mouth is best, so signs by the area are an easy task. You can go to local fairs and park community events and advertise there, or perhaps offer to organize a play area in the park for one of the events (tot bocce or flying kites, etc) and post signs for your business and be ready to provide printed information sheets. Print cute kid t-shirts at a site like CafePress.com and give some away. Get involved in the local Chamber of Commerce and Small Business Association for more exposure and local connections.
In order to get your business going, you should identify your market segment – most likely parents of children 0-5, since after that they will be starting kindergarten. Then, think about how to best communicate to these moms and dads. Since there are many daycare businesses and preschools around, you may have more of a competitive edge if you offer unique hours or programs as part of your daycare. For example, many working parents have to stay late at work or work weekends. Consider offering additional hours to appeal to these groups. Once your local parents see that you understand their needs, they will be more likely to use your business and recommend it to others.
