What is the state regulations on student/teacher ratios in child care centers in Kentucky?

Question

I am doing a school project, starting up a business, and I am starting a daycare service. I need to know what the law says about student/teacher ratios in Kentucky.

Answer 1

The Administration for Children and Families provide a state by state listing of contacts for licensing and regulations governing child care businesses. In Kentucky the agency to contact is:

for centers and Family Child Care homes serving 7 or more children

Office of Inspector General
Division of Licensed Child Care
C.H.R. Building
275 East Main Street, 5E-A
Frankfort, KY 40621
Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
Web site: http://www.chs.state.ky.us/oig/

for certification of Family Child Care homes serving 4-6 children. No certification needed for less than 4 children

Community Based Services
Division of Child Care
C.H.R. Building
275 East Main Street, 3C-F
Frankfort, KY 40621
Phone: [phone] & 800-421-1903
Fax: [phone]
Web site: http://cfc.ky.gov/agencies/Comm_Base/Child_Care/index.asp

The answer to your question depends on the type of childcare facility you have in mind. I suggest you check out this page which contains all the requirements and licensing qualifications for a daycare provider in KY http://chfs.ky.gov/oig/drcc.htm

The first step is to prepare a business plan. Even if you will not be applying for a bank loan, a business plan helps you to think through your business - what it needs, who it will benefit, how much it will cost, and what is its potential. Here are free business plans on childcare business that you may want to look into:

http://www.sba.gov/library/pubs/mp-30.doc
http://www.misbtdc.org/documents/BPWORKBK.pdf
http://www.misbtdc.org/documents/CDCPLAN.pdf
http://sbdcnet.utsa.edu/sbic/bplans.htm

You may want to read the free article "How To Start Your Own Day Care Center" http://www.powerhomebiz.com/vol40/daycare.htm It covers various aspects of starting and running a daycare center including the demand for daycare centers, how to start this business, shoestring strategies, how to operate a daycare center, tips on caring for the children, income potential, how to manage your daycare, marketing your business and other additional income potential. There are so many things to learn about the business that the first step is to read everything you can find.

For in-depth information, I suggest checking out the following books:

- Start and Run a Profitable Home Day Care
- The Daycare Provider's Workbook
- Start Your Own At-Home Child Care Business
- So You Want to Open a Profitable Child Care Center :
Everything You Need to Know to Plan, Organize and Implement a Successful Program

It is also important that you learn the tax rules affecting daycare centers, especially if you are going to open one from your home. Here is the IRS page on child care centers: http://www.irs.gov/businesses/small/industries/content/0,,id=99878,00.html

Answer 2

Here's a link to regulation requirements for KY: http://nrc.uchsc.edu/STATES/KY/kentucky.htm

Hope that helps!