Tips for Beginning Your Own In-Home Childcare

Are you considering starting your own in-home childcare business to earn money while being a stay-at-home parent? Providing care for children other than your own can be a rewarding experience, providing you with a decent income while allowing you the opportunity to watch your own children grow. However, starting your own childcare business can be challenging and you should have a plan. As a former in-home childcare provider, here are a few tips for you to consider to make this opportunity work for you.

Before you begin accepting children into your home you need to determine 4 things: your local and state laws, your childcare style, your schedule, and your temperament.

Local and State Laws

States and cities have their own licensing procedures. In order to be in compliance with the laws of your location, it is imperative that you thoroughly research what laws will pertain to you. Certain laws that may affect your business include how many children you can have in your home, in addition to your own. Some locations do not necessarily require you to have a license and not obtaining one can cut down on the red tape you will have to go through. However,keep in mind, being licensed gives families peace of mind. State licensing procedures can be found by contacting your state’s Department of Health and Human Services. For your local licensing guidelines you can contact your city hall.

Childcare Style

What kind of childcare do you wish to provide? Will you operate on a strict schedule that resembles the structured day of a stone and mortar, larger daycare center? Or will the childcare you provide be more flexible and homey? What kind of activities will you provide? Prospective parents will want to know how you plan to engage their children. Do not be afraid to be completely upfront when expressing your expectations of how your day, as the provider, will be. Being honest with prospective clients will help you avoid frustrations due to lack of communication.

Your Schedule

You need to determine the hours that you will provide childcare from the very beginning. Be upfront with this information to prospective families. Work situations will vary and to assume that everyone has 8-5 hours is simply not true. That doesn’t mean you need to be available 24/7. Determine a schedule that works well with your own family’s lifestyle. Do you have after-school obligations that require you finish providing childcare by 4:00 pm? If so, make sure families know this upfront so that your time and their time is not wasted with an unnecessary, pointless  interview.

Also consider if you will you offer part-time and full-time childcare? Or will you just offer one option? These are questions that parents will ask you. Do not adjust your schedule just to get a “job.” Ultimately, you will regret it.

Your Temperament

Children have a variety of temperaments. This obvious fact means that you need to determine your temperament in order to make an informed decision on how many children and what ages you will reasonably be able to handle in your home. Some in-home childcare providers prefer not to take infants, explaining why there is always a big demand for this age group. On the other hand, preschoolers require a lot of stimulation, they have boundless energy and you may find that your energy level will not match theirs. This is especially true if you have more than two children in this age group.

Finding Families

Once you have determined your childcare style and researched your local and state laws, it is time to start the process of advertising your services. Stayed tuned tomorrow. The next  article in this series will offer suggestions on how to find potential families.

Are you a stay-at-home childcare provider? What hurdles did you face in the beginning?