You say you'd like to get started in family child care? Wonderful! But where do you begin? This page will give you a basic plan for getting started.
Determine if there is a need for child care in your area.
Call several centers & family providers in your area. If all are full, or nearly full, there is probably a demand for quality care.
Call local elementary schools, pediatricians, and human services offices and see if many parents have been inquiring about nearby child care.
Is there a resource and referral program which serves your community? They try to keep tabs on child care openings, parents who are looking for child care, etc. They could probably give you a good idea as to whether or not your area needs another child care.
Get a copy of the regulations for licensing for your state (area). This can probably be done by contacting the Division of Family Services (or similar government agency). If you live in the US you can read the regulations at States' Regulations for Daycare Licensing.
Have you met, or will you be able to meet, the educational requirements?
Decide if you want to provide any "special" care (infants only, religious, sick-child care, overnight care, etc.). Find out if there are any special regulations for these types of care if you are interested.
Do you have enough equipment (or the funds to buy equipment) to meet the minimum required by your state?
Do you have enough funds set aside (or another income) to keep you going while your child care gets off the ground?
Think through what your policies will be, and what type of contract you will want to work up with daycare parents. Get these on paper. For help, you can read my Parent Handbook.
Decide what you will charge. Call various providers in your area, as well as your local Dept. of Human Services to get an idea of the going rate for child care in your area. Make your rates competitive, but not so low that you get discouraged easily.
Find out how to apply for a license/certificate in your area. Do so.
Gather some ideas of activities, crafts, etc. to do with the children. You do not have to buy expensive curriculum materials for this. An Internet search or your local library will provide you with a lot of good ideas (besides, you can use all the time you spend gathering this stuff for your tax purposes!). For starters, check out my Study.
Once you know about when your licensing interview will be (so that you can tell prospective parents when you will be open), you will want to start marketing your childcare and signing up families (they will want references, so if you've never done this before, try to get references of people who have observed you working with children -- at a center, in church, with Scouts, etc.).
Once your license is on the wall, open your door for business!
Join some sort of support group for ideas and encouragement, A local providers' Association.
*Submitted by Sherry