Daycare that open at 5: How do I find a daycare that opens at 5am?
How to Start a Daycare in Your Home – Get the Guide
- Getting Started
- January 28, 2022
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- Getting Started
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January 28, 2022
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Love kids? Ready to be your own boss? Then opening a home daycare might be just the thing for you. And there’s never been a better time to start a home daycare: families desperately need more child care options, especially infant and toddler programs.
We’ve helped hundreds of first-time Providers start a home daycare. Here are the top three reasons why people like you are opening home daycares in 2022:
- Work from home and take care of your own children at the same time
- Be your own boss, set your own schedule, and give back to your community
- Earn more money doing work you love
Ready to find out how you can open a daycare in your home? You’ve come to the right place. Click here to start NeighborSchools’ Guide to Opening a Home Daycare. Our interactive guide will walk you through the process step-by-step, starting with important details about the licensing process based on where you live (it’s different in every state!).
Just looking for general info? Read on – we’ve outlined the basics below, but if you’re ready to take the next step be sure to check out the guide.
Remember, you’ve got this, and we’ve got you. Let’s do it.
1. Get Licensed
2. Set Up Your Home
3. Establish Your Business
4. Find Families
5. Launch Your Program
Let’s walk through each of the steps. Keep in mind that this is a general overview, and that exact policies and details will vary by state.
But first, are you qualified to open a home daycare?
To get your daycare license, you don’t have to have a long resume of childcare experience or a Masters Degree in Early Childhood Education
All you need is real, valuable experience with infants and toddlers.
In many states, being a parent is enough, and many of our most successful providers are moms with young children at home. Others are early-childhood professionals who’ve been working with children for years.
We’re confident that you’ll be qualified to run your own home daycare. So, let’s dive into everything you need to do it successfully.
Part 1: Apply for a Home Daycare License
Each state’s licensing process is different. Some do everything in an online portal. Others are still using paper and pen. That’s why we’ve created state-specific guides—so you’ll know exactly what the requirements are to start your home daycare. Get the guide to learn how to open a daycare in your state.
In most states, like Massachusetts and New York, licensing takes 2 to 3 months. It involves online trainings, background record checks, and a home inspection. Plus, filing a lot of paperwork with the state licensing body.
It’s worth noting that states use different terms to refer to home daycare.
In many, it’s called Family Child Care (FCC) and you’ll apply for a Family Child Care License.
Part 2: Setup Your Home
Whether you rent or own your home, it’s important to begin setting up your space at the start of the licensing process. This is because your license is not just for you as the provider; it’s also for your specific daycare space, and you’ll need to meet a bunch of health and safety requirements.
By getting your space ready now, you’ll be able to move through licensing more quickly and can open as soon as you get your license.
Here’s what you’ll need to start a daycare in your home:
Children’s furniture
You’ll use kid-sized tables and chairs for lots of activities, including lunchtime and arts and crafts.
Equipment and toys for developmentally appropriate activities
Having tools and toys that support the growth of children in your care is crucial. Here are some ideas for different developmental areas:
- Gross motor skills: Large soft blocks and structures that kids can climb on or in
- Fine motor skills: Smaller toys that engage hands and minds, such as puzzles, play-dough, stuffed animals, dolls, and toy cars.
Be sure not to introduce anything that could be a choking hazard. - Sensory play: Water tables, sensory sand, pillows, scarves, and textured books
- Arts and crafts: Crayons, paints, paper, glue, and more. If you have a safe driveway area, don’t forget about chalk.
- Dress up and pretend-play: A kids’ kitchen, costumes, and puppets
Be sure not to introduce anything that could be a choking hazard.Nap time needs
You’ll be required to have a crib or pack and play for every individual infant in your care. For older children, you’ll provide a mat or cot, and you need to be able to space them out. Additionally, every child will have their own bedding, so it’s a good idea to have a specific storage area for nap time items.
Mealtime supplies
Every infant and toddler requires a highchair. You’ll also need plenty of kid-friendly plates, cups, and utensils.
Entryway items
Create cubbies or hooks for each child to store jackets, shoes, backpacks, and anything else they bring from home.
This is also a good spot to post key documents such as your license, CPR/first aid certification, emergency contacts, and evacuation plan.
Bathroom and changing station
Your daycare needs to include a bathroom, with a sink, step stool, and toilet for children who are out of diapers. The door should have a safety release from the outside so that kids can’t lock themselves in. Your changing station should include a sturdy table with sanitary paper, diaper storage, and a locking trash can or diaper pail.
Outdoor space
Whether it’s your backyard or a nearby park, having a designated outdoor area is important.
First aid kit
A complete first aid kit is required. Make sure it’s easily portable—you’ll have to bring it with you anytime you and the children leave the house.
Other health and safety requirements
This includes basics like having smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, exit signs, safety gates at stairs, and cabinet locks.
Other important details include getting a lead inspection, removing any cracked or peeling paint, securing furniture that could fall (such as a bookshelf or television), and regulating the temperature of your home’s hot water.
If you have pets, you’ll need up-to-date vaccination records for them before you can get licensed. Any litter boxes will need to be kept in a room that the children can’t access.
Step 3: Establish Your Business
Part of being a home daycare provider is being a small-business owner. But home daycares are different from many other types of small businesses. To be successful, start with a few key items.
Become a “Sole Proprietor”
There are different ways to establish your business. We recommend “Sole Proprietorship,” which is the most common way for small businesses in the US. As a Sole Proprietor, you own 100% of your business, and it isn’t taxed separately—your income and your business’ income are the same thing.
Plus, you don’t need to take any formal steps to set up as a sole proprietorship, which keeps it simple.
Apply for an EIN
A Federal Employer Identification Number (EIN) allows the government to track your business without using your personal Social Security Number (SSN). Parents will need your EIN for their IRS tax forms, which allows them to take advantage of child care tax breaks. Having an EIN means you don’t need to share your SSN with your customers.
Keep taxes in mind
When you’re an employee, your employer withholds your taxes and then you may get a refund during tax season. But when you start a daycare in your home, you’ll handle taxes differently.
You’ll have to work with a CPA to pay Quarterly Estimated Taxes. These cover your income tax, social security, and medicare contributions. You’ll start paying once you’re up and running with enrollments, based on how much profit you expect to generate in a calendar year.
For tax purposes, it’s important to start tracking business expenses immediately. But we recommend waiting 3 to 6 months to sit down with a CPA to discuss quarterly tax payments. Until you have a predictable income, it often doesn’t make sense to make estimated payments.
Get insured
Your homeowner’s insurance doesn’t cover your business. All providers should take out a separate General Liability insurance policy.
Imagine a prospective parent comes for a tour and slips on your stairs and injures herself. If they choose to sue you, you’re protected. These policies, which offer up to $3 million in coverage, are very affordable—usually about $50 a month.
Registering your business, like getting licensed, can be different in each state. To understand exactly what your state requires, be sure to download the free 5-Part Guide for your state.
Part 4: Find Your First Families
It might seem strange to begin advertising your business before you receive your license, but it’s an important part of launching your daycare successfully.
Today, most parents are starting their search for child care online. That’s why it’s critical to have an online marketing plan. When you choose to open your daycare with NeighborSchools, we’ll take care of all of this for you.
Tell your story
People relate to stories. And parents gravitate towards the experiences and events that have shaped your life. Take some time to think through your story and how you might share it with families. These prompts can help:
Why did you get started working with young children?
Who was your most memorable teacher?
Describe a child that’s had the greatest impact on you.
Set up online profiles
To make sure parents can find you when they’re searching online, you’ll want to have a website. It’s also a good idea to update your Facebook profile and set up a Google My Business account.
Spread the word
You can do this both online and offline.
Join local Facebook groups for parents and introduce yourself. Then create flyers and business cards that you can post on local bulletin boards and hand out at farmers’ markets, PTO meetings, or even your own child’s soccer game.
Get enrollments
When a parent’s interested, you should schedule a tour to show them around and discuss your daycare. After that, you’ll send a contract, get their deposit, and enroll their child in your program.
Part 5: Opening Day & Beyond
At this point, you’ll have your license and families ready to go. You’re set up for success. To make sure your business keeps thriving, there are a bunch of things to do on a regular basis once you start your home daycare.
Daily
- Keep a written record of attendance. You’ll take this with you whenever you and the kids leave the property.
- Maintain “Records of Observation.” If you see anything out of the ordinary, you should record it and discuss it immediately with the parents. This is for liability reasons.
This is for liability reasons. Weekly
- Create your program plans and make sure you have the supplies you need for your planned activities.
- Spend an hour a week reviewing and recording your business expenses. Don’t forget to keep receipts whenever you spend money for the program.
- Nap time on Friday is a great time to do a deep clean. That way, you can relax going into the weekend and know that your daycare will be clean for the new week ahead. But, remember, you can’t leave children unsupervised during nap time.
Monthly
- Conduct and log an evacuation drill. You and the children will all leave the daycare and assemble at a predetermined meeting spot.
- Test your smoke detectors.
Quarterly
- Complete and share progress reports with parents.
- Pay estimated taxes.
Yearly
- Complete your required hours of certified continuing education.
- Renew your pediatric CPR certification.
- Get updated permission forms from parents.
Ready to Open Your Home Daycare?
Starting a home daycare is a significant undertaking, but it’s also a rewarding career that will make a difference in your community. Learn more about how to start your home daycare in our video below.
Sources:
https://time.com/5902291/childcare-coronavirus/
https://www.sba.gov/content/sole-proprietorship
Bridget Garsh
Mom to Hudson & Brooks,
COO and Co-Founder
About NeighborSchools
NeighborSchools help working parents find the best home daycares for busy lives and precious little ones. Now more than ever, child care options are scarce, crazy expensive, and, in many cases, really stuffy and corporate.
NeighborSchools finally offers an alternative: fully licensed providers, with years of experience, caring for a small number of children, all right in the neighborhood. Every month thousands of working parents use NeighborSchools to learn about their options and find the right provider for them.
It’s completely free to browse daycares, see photos, read parent reviews, and try out MagicMatch, our fancy new technology that lets you see exactly which daycares have a spot for you.
Bridget Garsh
Mom to Hudson & Brooks,
COO and Co-Founder
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Child Care Licensing – Arkansas Department of Human Services
Child Care Licensing
Child Care Licensing
Overview
The Division of Child Care and Early Childhood Education (DCCECE) recognizes and supports professionalism within early care and education.
Use the links below to gain access to helpful resources and to learn more about how the Division ensures children have access to high-quality early care.
Types of Child Care Facilities and Programs:
These homes and centers are eligible to participate in state and federally funded programs.
- Registered Child Care Family Homes – Homes that care for fewer than 5 children. They are regulated by the “Registered Child Care Family Homes.”
- Licensed Homes – Homes that care for 6 to 16 children. They are regulated by the “Minimum Licensing Requirements for Child Care Family Homes.” Health and fire department approvals are required if care is provided to 11 or more children. City zoning approval is required where applicable.
- Licensed Child Care Centers – Facilities that care for 6 or more children from more than 1 family. They are regulated by “Minimum Licensing Requirements for Child Care Centers.” Programs that operate less than 10 hours a week are exempt. These facilities require health and fire department approval and are subject to city zoning.
- Out of School Time – These facilities are regulated by the “Minimum Licensing Requirements for Out-of-School-Time Facilities.” These facilities are center based child care programs that care for school age children only.
These facilities require health and fire department approval and are subject to city zoning. Location of Child Care Facilities by Age Type
- Infant/Toddler Map
- Preschool Map
- School Age Map
Who to Contact
- Child Care Licensing Area Telephone Directory
- For assistance call 501-682-8590
Licensing
The Licensing Unit is responsible for the enforcement of the Child Care Licensing Act for registered child care family homes, licensed homes, and licensed child care centers in Arkansas.
- Act 828 – effective 07/28/2021
- Application Process for Licensure as a Child Care Provider
- Apply for a Child Care License
Technical Assistance Forms for Providers
- 2021 Immunization Schedule
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- 2021 Kindergarten Readiness Indicator Checklist for Families
- Safe Sleep Booklet
- Disaster Evacuation Plan
Background Check Information
- Learn how to submit Background Checks here.
- Learn how to submit Child Maltreatment Checks here.
- Central Registry Training
- Background Check Video Tutorial
- Regulatory Check Training
DCCECE Address
700 Main Street Slot S-160
Little Rock, AR 72201-1473
DCCECE Phone Number
501-682-8590
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Adaptation to kindergarten | Choosing a garden for a child | Forbes Education
N.K.: Adaptation is a fundamentally important moment on which the entire subsequent stay of the child in kindergarten depends. Two factors are decisive: the behavior of the parents and the actions of the school . Under the condition of coordinated work of adults, absolutely any child can be adapted, and this experience will be positive. Kindergarten must be an expert in adaptation.
Anastasia Mironova: We start adaptation with a very short period in the garden (30 minutes to several hours a day depending on the child’s age) and then gradually increase the time. This is done in order to avoid emotional overload . The fact is that in the first days the baby can experience a very strong excitement from classes – he likes them, everything is interesting, new and so exciting! But this emotional state will decline very quickly, when the kindergarten turns into a routine, the so-called late adaptation will arise: the child will no longer want to go to the kindergarten, because he has already seen everything there, was in all classes, played all the toys.
At this point, parents often begin to look for the cause in external factors – they think that something has happened.
In order to avoid late adaptation, it is important to do everything gradually and as calmly as possible. For example, we agree that the parents will pick up the child after the dance class. After the dance, all the other children go to draw, and he also wants to go, but we say: “Today you have to go home, and tomorrow you will go to draw with everyone.” The next day after painting, everyone goes for a walk, and he is taken away, we promise: “You will go for a walk tomorrow.” And every morning the child is happy to go to the garden, because he knows that he can stay longer, he himself wants to continue. He does not have an overabundance of emotions, his desire to go to kindergarten is more stable and constant.
The second success factor is the support of the child by the same specialist throughout the entire period of adaptation. It is easier for children when in a new environment they have a familiar adult who helps to establish contacts, introduces teachers and the new premises.
Before the start of regular visits to the kindergarten, we just play together: a child, a mother (dad, nanny or other close person) and a kindergarten employee. This is how we establish a connection, look for an approach to the baby, choose a person who will help get used to the new environment. Subsequently, bringing the child to kindergarten, the parents transfer it to the very teacher who carries out the adaptation. Thus, next to the children are always “their” adults.
N.K.: There is another key factor without which adaptation can fail. There is a very close relationship between a child and parents, and a kindergarten should work not only with children, but also with mom and dad. Parents need to know exactly what will happen, how and why. This is the only way to build relationships based on trust and mutual assistance. Parents need to see with their own eyes that everything is really professional.
A.M.: We have a very detailed conversation with parents, ask a lot of questions, tell everything to the smallest detail. By their reaction, we understand the amount of work to be done. We know for sure that children will like us – there is no doubt about it. The most difficult thing is to be on the same side with parents, to help them if they are worried. We even have a joke about the fact that we do not adapt children, but their parents.
You can tell as much as you like how the child will be fine, but moms and dads need support themselves. For them, this is also a change, also separation. Perhaps the decision to send the child to kindergarten was not easy for them. There is a lot of information and it is not always easy to figure out how to do it right and what is better. In addition to their own fears and doubts, the influence of relatives is significant: for some, grandparents believe that it is necessary to take children to a nursery at 1.
5 years old for the whole day, while for someone, on the contrary, relatives are against kindergarten.
It is important to tell parents: “We will be with you, we will help, give advice.” To be honest, many people breathe a sigh of relief at this moment, because they do not have enough support.
MADOU “Kindergarten No. 5 “Spark” – 623900, Sverdlovsk region, Turinsk, Vostochny lane, 1
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