Childcare services are always in high-demand as parents need a reliable person to look after their children while they work. If you have experience in caring for children and believe this could be your calling, there are lots of opportunities available. The best part is that you don’t need a lot of money or a large daycare center to get started. In just a few steps you could start an in-house childcare service for families in need. 

Decide on Services

The first thing you want to consider is the types of childcare services you’re going to offer. What is the age range of children you prefer to watch? What services will you provide throughout the day (meals, education, entertainment, etc)? What hours are you going to operate? How much do you plan to charge? You can look at a daycare near Chula Vista or near the area you live in to get some ideas on how to run your own in-house childcare service. 

Prepare Your Home

It is imperative that you provide a safe, clean, and healthy environment for the kids in your home. Therefore, you’ll need to get your house in order. You can start by making sure the home is clean and presentable from top to bottom. Then, decide where the children will spend the majority of their time. Make sure that this space is large enough and is equipped with things needed to care for children including sleeping mats, cribs, changing stations, potties, comfortable chairs, toys, and perhaps educational supplies. You should also make sure that your entire home is childproofed to prevent any accidents. 

Attend Health and Safety Training

Above all else, the safety and wellbeing of the children you care for are extremely important. Knowing basic health and safety practices can help you to prevent serious issues and/or resolve a problem that may arise. From a scratch or bruise to choking on a toy, just about anything could happen to kids. 

Attending health and safety classes can teach you things like first aid, CPR, and other essential procedures. You also need to make sure that you have all of your first aid supplies stocked up, you can find all of that at this source.

This is especially important if you plan on offering childcare services during the coronavirus pandemic. You could learn about COVID-19 so that you can be better equipped to prevent (or at least reduce) the spread of this virus. 

 Obtain A Childcare License or Certification

While there are some individuals who may not need a license or certification to start an at-home daycare center, it is highly recommended. When parents search for a daycare provider near them, they often prefer someone who can prove they have the necessary training and experience to care for their children. 

How and if you need to obtain a license will vary by state. Some will require you to attend an orientation, take training, or gain in-field experience. They may also complete a background check and inspect your home before giving their stamp of approval. Childcare providers who have taken the steps necessary to obtain a license prove to parents that they are thorough and serious about caring for children.  

Protect Yourself

Either before or after you’ve obtained your childcare license from the state, you should consider structuring your business and invest in insurance to protect yourself. Try as you may, not all things can be avoided. Should something happen to one of the children in your care, you could end up on the hook for any financial aspects (i.e. lawsuits, hospital bills). 

However, if your home daycare center is a Limited Liability Corporation (LLC) and obtains additional business insurance, should anything go wrong, your personal finances aren’t impacted. 

Advertise Your Services

After you’ve given great thought to your home daycare service, prepared your home for kids, and obtained the necessary training and licensing to operate safely from your home, you’re open for business. All that’s left to do is let others know that you’re available and capable of providing quality services to them and their children. 

You can start by creating a website or social media page and share your new home daycare services with followers. You can also advertise your daycare by creating flyers or postcards and passing them out or leaving them in businesses for interested parties to grab.

Of the many businesses you could start, becoming an in-house childcare provider is both emotionally and financially rewarding. This is especially true now when essential workers are in desperate need of responsible adults to watch their kids during the coronavirus pandemic. Following the above-mentioned suggestions will ensure that you get your at-home daycare center started off on the right track.