“If you want your children to be intelligent, read them fairy tales. If you want them to be more intelligent, read them more fairy tales.” — Albert Einstein
A home daycare can be a rewarding career for those who have a genuine love for children and loads of patience, kindness, and understanding. With the increasing demand for childcare as mothers and fathers continue to work outside the home, starting a home daycare business has many benefits. It can be emotionally rewarding as the early years are such a pivotal time in the life of a child, and you can have a huge influence on the life of all the children in your care. Additionally, it offers the possibility of staying at home with your own children while caring for others.
However, before starting a home daycare business, it’s important to understand why you are starting this business and to have a solid business plan.
Here are five important tips to consider:
- Research your community: Will your community support a home daycare? Does your area need another daycare? You'll want to make sure there is a demand for your services before you start.
- Determine pricing: Can you charge enough in your area to make this a profitable venture? What is the “going rate” per child in your area for daycare?
- Understand what parents are looking for: Interview parents in your neighborhood and find out what features they wish they had. What kinds of unique features could you provide as a caregiver?
- Understand the regulations: What are the regulations and licensing considerations of your state and local government? You'll need to know the requirements for caregiver/child ratios, interior and exterior space per child, nutrition, and licensing.
- Have a childcare philosophy: What is your childcare philosophy? How will you handle discipline issues? You'll need to have a solid, written policy and procedures manual before you open for business.
With a solid understanding of your community, pricing, and regulations, as well as a clear childcare philosophy, you can create a successful home daycare business. Remember to enjoy the process of researching and creating your own business. And don't forget to get CPR certified and consider liability insurance to protect yourself and the children in your care.
It's important to keep in mind, that you can explore other possibilities in the childcare industry as well, for example, you could start a babysitting service or a drop-in daycare that you could provide during hours where childcare is more difficult to find (evenings and weekends, for example). By finding a specific niche and filling it, you can generally charge more per hour.
In addition, you could also make use of a business kit with the essentials: forms, policies, and procedures, examples of business plans, as well as forms that you are certain to need but that might not immediately come to mind.
Marketing your business may not be necessary as generally, home daycares don't require a lot of marketing. That's due in part to the large demand for quality childcare. And, for home daycares, your neighbors and acquaintances are likely to be your prime prospects so word of mouth is often sufficient. But it's always a good idea to create a professional brochure detailing your daycare philosophy, curriculum, schedule, and fees.
In summary, starting a home daycare business can be a rewarding and fulfilling career for those who have a genuine love for children. With the increasing demand for childcare, it's important to have a solid business plan and understanding of your community, pricing, and regulations. By considering these tips, you can create a successful home daycare business that positively impacts the lives of children and families in your community.
