Are you thinking of providing childcare out of your home to earn money and still be a stay-at-home parent? As a former childcare provider, I know how challenging starting up your own childcare business can be. Here are some tips for getting started.
The Basics
Before you start advertising for families to provide childcare for you need to determine your local and state laws, your style, your flexibility, and your temperament.
Local and State Laws: States and cities have their own laws pertaining to licensing. When you decide to offer childcare in your home you need to research what laws will pertain to you. When I provided childcare, I could provide care for no more than 4 children, not including my own, if I did not want to go through the licensing procedures. Keep in mind though, being licensed can give families peace of mind. You can find these licensing procedures by contacting your state’s Department of Health and Human Services (or something similar since most states vary in what they call this department). For your local licensing guidelines you can contact your city hall.
Style: What kind of childcare do you wish to provide? Will you operate on a strict schedule or be freer with your day? What kind of activities will you provide? Prospective parents will want to know how you plan to engage their children.
Flexibility: How flexible will you allow your schedule and your parents’ schedules to be? You should determine the hours that you wish to provide childcare and be upfront with this information to any prospective families. It does not make sense to make an appointment with a parent only to find out she needs childcare until 6:00pm when you are only able to work until 5:00pm. Will you offer part-time and full-time childcare? Or will you just offer one option?
Temperament: Obviously, you have already determined that your temperament is calm in order to want to provide childcare in the first place, but you may have a specific age group that would make you even calmer. Some providers prefer not to take infants (which is why there is always a big demand for this age-group), especially if they have a young child of their own at home that is still in the infancy stage. On the other hand, preschoolers can require a lot of stimulation and you may find their energy level daunting, especially if you have more than two children in this age group.
Finding Families
You have contemplated over the above questions. You have determined your schedule, your targeted age group and looked into all the requirements in order to watch children in your home. Now you have to find families who are willing to trust you with their children and enlist your services. This is such a scary thing for a parent to do.
When someone decides to use a large, well-known childcare center it seems that there is almost an instant trust. Why? Checks and balances. These centers have people who answer to others; there are usually kiddie cams that allow parents to check-in via their computer at anytime during the day, daily progress reports are sent home and an overall sense of organization gives these centers their legitimacy. These checks and balances give parents comfort.
I do not say this to discourage anyone who wants to offer childcare out of their home because there is something to be said for childcare services being performed in an individual’s home and there are a lot of parents who are looking for the more personal, one-on-one attention that home childcare providers can offer. So, how do you find these families?
Word-of-Mouth: Let family and friends know that you will be offering childcare out of your home. Not only does this give you a chance to find potential families, but it also gives you an instant reference.
Social Networking Outlets: Church bulletins, restaurant bulletin boards and local mom’s groups are also another great avenue to finding families. Public schools will also usually have lists that you can have your name listed on in order to provide after-care or regular care.
Advertise: Design some simple flyers and put them in mailboxes in your neighborhood. You can also put an ad in your local newspaper. These ads can be pricey, but they attract a large number of potential families.
Final Thought
The above tips should help you begin your home childcare business, but there is much more to contemplate once you begin interviewing and accepting families. These include: contracts, policies and procedures, scheduling and dealing with difficult children and parents. For more information on these subjects feel free to subscribe to my content and you will instantly receive my articles on these subjects that will help your childcare business thrive.
Meanwhile, take time researching and reflecting over the type of childcare you want to offer. Do not rush into anything. Planning will make this process go much smoother. Good luck and I’ll be back soon with more helpful tips on starting your own home childcare business!
