How to Start a Day Care Business from Your Home

Do you love looking after and caring for children? If you are always offering to babysit and the idea of spending your days finger painting, playing games and reading stories sounds appealing to you, then you may want to consider starting your own day care business.

Running a day care from your home is more of an accessible business idea than ever before, and if you are a parent yourself, it’s a great way to work from the comfort of your own home while being able to spend that precious time with your own little ones, too. In fact, home day care businesses are set to see some of the fastest growth across all industries by 2020, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. So, now is one of the best times to get started. Here are some key ideas to keep in mind.

Your Own Brand or a Franchise?

First of all, consider whether you would like to have your own day care brand or prefer the perks that come with a franchise. Buying a franchise allows you to skip most of the steps involved with starting a day care business, however, bear in mind that there is often a larger start-up cost, with day care prices starting at $59,000.

Learn About Licensing:

The first step to owning a home day care business is to learn what is expected of you when it comes to licensing. Since every state will differ and have different guidelines, the best thing to do is call your state Daycare Licensing Agency and find out what is required. Not all states will require you to have a license, but you will almost always be required to complete a registration. You will need to adhere to your state’s licensing and registration requirements, which usually cover factors such as the amount of physical space in your home, health and safety guidelines, fire safety, and training requirements.

Training and Education:

It’s likely that you will need to gain some formal childcare qualifications before you can be approved to start your own day care from home. You will need to check beforehand as the requirements will vary between states. You may also be required to gain additional qualifications if you wish to offer early years education as part of the service, or will be caring for special needs children, for example. An early childhood special education online degree is an ideal choice of qualification.

Come Up with a Business Plan:

Once you have determined that you meet all licensing requirements, it’s time to come up with a detailed business plan. Make a list of day care service providers in your area and their facilities, so that you can get started on a competitive foot. You will also need to consider factors such as marketing your day care, contracts between yourself and parents, your budget, health and safety plan, educational philosophy, and anything else that you, your state or your customers deem important for your day care.

Are you looking to start your own day care business? Let us know how you are getting on in the comments!