Do you love children? Maybe you have your own children, or you’ve spent time as a teacher or childcare provider in the past. If you have a passion for caring for little ones, as well as some basic experience, you should consider opening your very own childcare centre in your own home.
When you decide to start your own childcare centre, you should be aware that there are laws about where children can play, what you need to provide to the children, and how many children you can care for at one time. Research these requirements before you even start planning so you can be sure that you’ll be compliant. There’s nothing worse than getting all ready to open your business only to find that your entire plan is against the law!
This doesn’t mean you’ll have to go to university to learn complex medical terms and procedures, but you should know cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) for both infants and children in case of an emergency. To take it a step further, take a course that covers basic first aid so you know what to do if a child falls or is otherwise injured. With many children in your home all at the same time, someone is bound to get a cut or scrape sooner or later. Better to be prepared than to be left wondering what to do.
You’ll need liability insurance if you have other people’s children in your home, in case someone gets injured or something gets lost or stolen while the children are in your care. This protects you from being legally liable for medical bills or replacement costs.
A contract is a legally binding document between you and the parents. This lets them know what you’ll provide for their children while you are watching them, and gives them an opportunity to bring up any concerns. If you sit down and discuss the contract with the parents and they sign it, it is a legal understanding of what is going on while the children are under your care. If they would like changes to the contract, they can discuss that with you before signing and you’ll be fully aware of their concerns.
The only way to get business is to start advertising, and to start advertising through multiple outlets. If you have friends with children, word of mouth advertising could do wonders for you. Building a website is a great way to make your childcare centre look professional and to easily give information to potential clients. Another good advertising opportunity is putting up posters wherever parents might take their children: schools, doctor’s offices, supermarkets, etc.
There are two reasons that record keeping is essential to the success of a childcare business: taxes and safety of the children. You’ll need to have detailed information for tax purposes. You’ll also need to have information handy about the children, such as their age, parents’ names and contact information, and any information about medical problems including allergies.
If you’re ready to turn your nurturing nature into a work from home career, get started on opening your home childcare centre today!
