Work at Home Ideas: Child Care Provider

Before you start advertising and accepting children, it is important to know what you are getting into.  Being a child care provider takes a lot of time and energy. Your day starts before 7:30 and doesn't end until 5:30.  Your home becomes your office.  Will you have any energy left for your family? Before you take the big leap, volunteer at a daycare center for a few days.  If you live through that experience and still want to continue, here are some other obstacles you need to overcome: 

1. Licensing. You must be licensed by the proper county or state agency. These agencies also place restrictions on the maximum number (and ages) of children as well as facility requirements. Many states also require that you attend a basic training class (which is a good idea even if it's not required). The fastest way to find out all of the local permits required is to contact a Child Care Resource & Referral Agency (R & R) or local Child Care Association in your area.

2. First aid classes are required, CPR for children and infants is required.

3. Insurance. Usually your home owners insurance will not cover you and you will have to get separate "family child care liability and accident insurance" for your home business.

4. Bookkeeping. If you want to stay legal when it comes to taxes then you should set up a bookkeeping system and maybe get some professional advice. Determine all expenses, including insurance and equipment, ahead of time in order to help you set fees.

5. Background checks with the state law enforcement agency are usually required for anyone in your home over the age of 16.

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One government program that directly benefits child care providers is the U.S. Department of Agriculture Child and Adult Care Food Program, which reimburses regulated family child care providers on a monthly basis for the food they serve to their child care children - with no income restrictions. Your state or local regulatory agency can give you more information. 

National Network for Child Care - http://www.nncc.org 
This nonprofit organization provides numerous articles on starting and running a day care business, as well as lots of other information. 

National Association for Family Child Care (NAFCC) http://www.nafcc.org 

Benefits of $25/year membership fee: accreditation for family and group child care providers; quarterly newsletter "The National Perspective"; representation in national policymaking; accident and liability insurance offered for many states; national networking with providers, associations, and other organizations; public policy advocacy for children's and provider's issues; access to the resource publication department; updates on safety, business, and education issues; and discounts for your child care business. 

The American Association of Home Based Business is a non-profit organization for those who run a business from their homes http://www.aahbb.org/

Additional Resources: 

Operating a Family Daycare  by Heide Kaminski  A great read if you're considering taking care of little ones