How To Start A Home Day Care

With the fast forward lifestyle that we are part of today, most of us are unable to take good care of our children let alone even spending some quality time with them. Society’s set up is undergoing a drastic change and institutes like day cares are coming up in great numbers to rescue nuclear families and working parents from the guilt of leaving their kids lonely. Though it sounds harsh, it is a fact that the demand for child care has increased with parents entrusting their tots in the hands of an unfamiliar person. Nevertheless, this is the need of hour and people who love being with kids are benefitting with the increasing demand of such day cares. Home day care businesses are turning out to be fast emerging career options especially for those who would like to work from home and for those who have the love for child care. Home day cares are becoming popular among working mothers since they provide a homely environment for the kids. Moreover, mothers can also feel assured of the safety of their kids. The following tips on starting a home day care will give you an idea of setting up the business if you are contemplating on one. Read on to learn more.

Starting A Home Day Care 

Learn Your Trade
The first step to take before starting a home day care business is to do a thorough research and learn the basics of the trade. Read books on day care centres, surf the internet, visit various day cares and observe their working style, the facilities offered, the expectations of parents etc. You can even talk to a day care business owner who can brief you about the knowhow of the business, the policies etc. it is advisable to understand the business of day care before investing your time and money in it.

Learn The Laws
Learn the rules and regulations governing a day care business. Each state has its own set of laws regarding home based day care and therefore it is advisable to learn about these regulations before setting up something at home. There might be rules pertaining to the size of a day care, the number of children you can accommodate, the timings etc. it is better to be well versed in the laws of the business you are about to start so that you don’t run into any trouble later on.

Get Your House In Order
Once you are aware of the knowhow of the day care business and about the laws governing it, start working on the part of the house you want to dedicate for the business. You will have to cover the stairs with a railing or protective gate, set up smoke and carbon monoxide detectors and other safety products to keep the kids safe. 

Go Shopping
Go shopping and buy all the required day care supplies. You will have to make sure that each child in your day care has his/her own play yard or a cot for napping, you will also have to provide everyone with safe bedding. Other items that you will have to purchase are sippy cups, kid’s plates, utensils, craft supplies, books, puzzles and other age appropriate toys. 

Take Classes
Have you accomplished all the formalities to start up a home day care, but are you still unable to muster the required confidence? If yes, then go in for a class that will teach and train you to become a day care trainer. Moreover, there are few states that demand a certificate in CPR and lifesaving techniques from the day care providers. Therefore, it is wise to take up these classes to be safe from the state laws and also from unexpected emergencies. A certified day care and day care provider will any day be more relied upon by parents than one without any qualification or certification.

Call Your Insurance Agent
A home owner’s insurance policy does not cover a home-based business, therefore you will have to call your insurance agent to provide you with some scheme to cover your day care. It is better to have your day care insured because it will cover any unforeseen emergency expenses.

Establish Your Business Policies
Make sure that before you enrol the first kid to your day care, you have your business policy framed. Set up your day care regulations, which include the timings, whether you will take in kids when they are ill or not, whether your approach towards parents will be formal or casual and many such aspects should be decided upon before inaugurating your business. A well defined policy will provide clarity to the parents and will avoid any unnecessary confusion later.

Advertise Your Business
It might be your hobby or the genuine love for children, but once you are into the business it becomes essential on your part to advertise your day care for people to know about your set up. Advertisements in the newspapers, posters, flyers and business cards in libraries and store bulletin boards will spread a word about your home day care and in turn attract more business.