How does one start an in-home child care business?

Question

I am considering starting an in-home child care business. I need to bring in around $300-400 a week and was wondering if in-home can be lucrative, as well as rewarding. I would love to hear how much people charge, how many kids they have alone, with no assistance, and what are the ups and downs of this?

Answer 1

The best routes to take are to research the process of starting a business as well as the industry you're interested in.

I recommend checking out the SBA, Entrepreneur, The Start Up Journal & Nolo. All 4 are great informational resources for the new/small business owner. I posted links for you in the source box.

Associations may be a good avenue to explore. These organizations will address many of the thoughts, questions and concerns you'll inevitably have as well as many you haven't anticipated yet. See the source box for some relevant links.

Research, research, research – this cannot be stressed enough. Read as much as you can about the industry. Here are some book titles that are relevant:

* Start & Run a Home Daycare by Catherine M. Pruissen
* Starting a Child Care Center: The Indispensable Guidebook for Starting a Day Care or Child Care Business by Millicent Gray Lownes-Jackson,
* Opening & Operating A Successful Child Care Center by Dorothy June Sciarra
* The Business of Child Care: Management and Financial Strategies by Gail H Jack

There are plenty of free informational resources out there. Check the source box for links to articles.

Hope that helps! I wish you much success & happiness in all your ventures!

Answer 2

My fellow cyber pal. first of all, you probably did no longer do your study nicely till now beginning the door on your place for "business enterprise". a reliable sound business enterprise continuously instruments out a coverage instruction manual which stipulates WHO can do WHAT and whilst. It additionally lists the DO's and DON'Ts. It has a matrix for amenities including late cancellations, fallacious clothing, late night calls, picking little ones up late, etc. You for sure have not got that. Do you? visit the Small business enterprise workplace at your municipal places of work and ask for advice to assist you place up each and every of the "maximum appropriate" issues. next 12 months (September 2008) initiate by skill of having each and every ensure sign for the instruction manual and tell all of them words and stipulations would be enforced as a count of business enterprise. you will loose some yet maximum will stay. those you loose are probable those that are supplying you with problem now. so as that would desire to clean up your problem. people who stay will understand how, whilst, the place to act and all would be non violent in Eden returned. reliable success and God Bless you for being this style of glutton for punishment. LOL (purely kidding i like little ones too. it is whilst they develop up that i stumble on them a difficulty.)

Answer 3

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

Other articles you may want to read:

Starting a Child Day Care Business http://www.libsci.sc.edu/BOB/class/clis748/Studentwebguides/ss02/pollack2.htm
Childcare.net http://childcare.net/indexnew.shtml
How To Start Your Own Day Care Center http://www.powerhomebiz.com/vol40/daycare.htm
Starting a child-care services business http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/0,4621,290241,00.html
HOW TO START A QUALITY CHILD CARE BUSINESS http://www.sba.gov/library/pubs/mp-29.pdf

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

As for the licenses and requirements in your state, the Administration for Children and Families provide a state by state listing of contacts for licensing and regulations governing child care businesses:
http://www.nccic.org/statedata/dirs/regoffic.html

In Connecticut, for example, you would need http://www.dph.state.ct.us/Licensure/apps/G_C_InitialAppReq.pdf
- child day care center initial application
- supplemental application
- lead testing (for pre 1979 buildings/houses)
- first aid course certification
- proof of worker's compensation form
- verification of experience for head teacher
- local health department approval
- fingerprints of staff
- many more