You considered the pros and cons of starting a home daycare, and it’s a no brainer, you decided a daycare business is right for you!
Congratulations! I know how excited you must feel right now.
When I decided to open my daycare, I remember feeling super excited too. But I’ll be honest, I also had a slight amount of doubt intertwined with all my excitement.
But you know what? I didn’t let my doubts overpower my excitement. I did everything I had to do to reach my goal and start my home daycare.
And best of all, you can do it too!
If you have the patience to care for children, and the thrive to build a business that provides an essential service to families, then yes, you can build a successful daycare business from home.
Getting a Daycare License?
Now, before you start investing in daycare equipment and loading up on toys, you need to look into child care licensing and regulations in your area.
Since every state has different requirements and regulations, you will need to inquire about your state’s exact requirements.
Yes, some states do allow daycares to operate legally without a license. In other states, having a daycare license is mandatory.
My advice to you would be to go through the proper channels and fulfill all the requirements and get licensed. Many parents look for licensed home daycares as it gives them an added sense of security when leaving their child in the hands of a stranger.
Obviously, over time your relationship and trust between you and your daycare families will mutually grow, but in the beginning, being licensed will give you the benefit of saying with pride that you are a state-approved or licensed professional caregiver.
This step can seem intimidating. But please keep in mind that most of these regulations and state requirements aren’t complex rules. If anything, they help make this job easier!
Also, a lot of it is common sense stuff and the bare minimum of health and safety practices you need to follow when caring for children in your home. In other words, licensing requirements and regulations will protect you and the children!
However, even after your state approves of your license, your town or county might have additional requirements for you to follow. They may be more specific about health, fire, sanitation, nutrition, local zoning laws, business permits, etc.
Contact whatever agency in your state or city is involved with childcare licensing and learn the specifics about getting licensed and starting a daycare business in your home.
The child care industry is a rewarding field, but it can also be stressful. So when you get licensed, only care for as many children as you can manage at any given time. Don’t feel forced to take the maximum number of children allowed by the license right away. Go as slow or as fast as you feel comfortable doing.
Remember, this is your business! Do what feels right for you.
General Links for Child Care Licensing
United States:
Licensing requirements are frequently updated in response to new legislation, data analysis, provider feedback, and in response to new research and industry trends. To find your state’s child care licensing agency, visit the National Database of Child Care Licensing Regulations website.
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