WAHM Forums

I spend most days at home and it gets really boring. I think I would like a couple of 'rugrats' to look after for a few hours. I might then want to earn some dinero doing that. :D

What do I need to do to get started?

It might be a few months before I start but I need to prepare now. I don't have children myself and I have a cat; does that pose a problem?

What all do I need to know?

Thanks for any advice! :)

First thing you need to do is check with the regulations in your state. They vary as does the process of getting certified/registered. It will take a few months to get everything done so I would start the process now if you would like to be doing it soon.

Thank you! :)

Hi there,

There are some good books on how to start a daycare in the business section. Have you tried Googling how to start a daycare? I'm a huge Google fan and Google everything. In fact, I just wrote a blog on how to use Google Alert to promote your business. I think if you don't mind staying home most of the time with kids then daycare might be a great option for you. I'm sure you can take them to the park and so forth. I have two kids so they are my daycare, lol.

Janette

p.s. I'm a fellow Apriori Beauty rep. Visit my blog and let's connect!

Thanks Janette! I like Google too. I used it to get info on licensing and regulations. Now I have a place to call so I'm one step closer.

p.s. I'm following your blog. :^)

Hi Crazycatmom,

BTW, your username makes me giggle because that's what I call my 8 yr-old who LOVES cats.

Thanks for the follow on my blog :). Be sure to subscribe to the email if you haven't. If you tweet, would love to connect there too.

Keep us posted on the daycare!

Janette
Janette Stoll (JanetteStoll) on Twitter (http://twitter.com/janettestoll)

That's cute!

Yeah I tweet a little. My name is Mikado9.

I'll keep ya posted on the daycare! :)

Again, check out the National Association for the Education for Young Children. The childcare referral and resource network in your state would also be helpful.
Good Luck
Dianne

Yep - definitely check on state licensing requirements first. You'll specifically want to ask them: "How many children can I have at a time WITHOUT being licensed?" Then there's usually different tiers of licensure after that with different names (i.e. home daycare/daycare center/etc. but all the names are different for each state.)

Then you'll want to find out how to structure your home so you can use it (and for what I know, your cat should be just fine.) You'll want to have areas of your home that are specifically OFF-LIMITS to daycare children (i.e. your bedroom, perhaps your children's bedrooms, etc.) Remember - this is first and foremost your home, and SECOND it's your place of business. If you tell your health & fire inspector all the areas you'll be using for your daycare (living room/kitchen/dining room/play room/bathroom, etc.) then they'll be able to add up all that square footage and you should have no problem getting licensed for an appropriate number of children.

Also - don't forget you can deduct a % of your mortgage/utility costs as a tax writeoff each year!

Having a cat is likely not a problem. You may need to keep food and litter box out of reach of children, and you'll likely need to have rabies shots documentation up to date.