Raisinghappykids's Blog

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Opening an in-home child care center takes months of careful planning and organizing. But even if you are confident that you’ve thought of everything… you can be sure you haven’t. Dozens of tiny problems will pop up to plague you in those first weeks and months of operation.

Here are some helpful hints to help you anticipate possible problem areas, and keep your center or child-care home running smoothly.

In-Home Child Care Tips

Take advantage of any training programs that are offered. One family child care provider utilized her CPR and First Aid training to save a child who had stopped breathing.
Don’t try to do everything in your home by yourself. Delegate chores to other family members and expect them to carry out the responsibilities of managing a household.
You can’t be a super-mom and a super child care provider. Set priorities and recognize that everything will not always be perfect.
When conflicts arise, you do not always have to raise your voice.
Before taking a group of children to an unfamiliar site for a field trip, visit the location ahead of time so that you are familiar with parking availability, bathroom locations and directions so that time is not wasted.

Try to plan your field trips when it is not a peak time for traffic. Children can become unsettled when they are in a car for an extended period of time.
Be sure that you know how to use your fire extinguisher and that you have a planned fire escape route.
Childproof your home. Remove any items that might be fragile or dangerous if swallowed.
Crawl around on the floor for a few minutes and you will see many hazardous things from a child’s perspective.
Remove barrettes at naptime from a little girl’s hair if you think that she could remove them and be in danger of chewing on them or choking.
Tell the parents about any injury no matter how slight such as a bloody nose. You can be sure that the child will mention it to the parent and it will sound 100% more serious when the child relates the incident.
Balloons are not recommended. When the pieces break, they could be swallowed.
Plan your meals and snacks in advance. If you have to run out to the store each night for forgotten items, you will be wasting time and energy.
Contact your state licensing bureau and conform to requirements.
Buy a long extension cord for your telephone. You may be temporarily tied up on a phone call but with a portable phone or a long cord, you can continue to supervise the group.
Hire someone to come in to help you through times that may be very trying for you. Naptime and mealtime can be a little tough so perhaps a dependable neighbor could lend a set of helpful hands to keep things organized.

Permission is granted to reproduce this information provided full credit is given to Patricia Gallagher, author of Start Your Own At-Home Child Care Business ($19.95) and So You Want To Open A Profitable Day Care Center ($19.95). To order books, please purchase on Amazon. email yngsparro@aol.com

This information is not a substitute for legal or medical advice. You should consult all applicable national, state and county laws and regulations before you set up a child care business. Furthermore, in all matters relating to a child’s health, the parents and the child’s physician should be consulted.

I am the one holding my little “foster -sister.” Karen lived with us for about a year. My sister Jan is with me pushing the baby carriage.

That is me on the left side. No, we did not win! I was “expecting” my son back then. He is now 22-years-old.

Odds and Ends Box—This box should contain junk mail, lace
doilies, magazines, foil, used greeting cards, coupons, postcards,
ribbons, lace, yarn, paper bags, paper plates, pipe cleaners,
straws, crayons, paste, scissors, cardboard, and scrap paper.

Box of Boxes and Safe Cans—This box should contain boxes of all
sizes—from aspirin boxes to cereal boxes. It should also contain
coffee cans, soup cans, baby formula cans, and any other type of
can that strikes your fancy—provided it does not have sharp
edges.

“Let’s Pretend” Box—Create an opportunity for make-believe
activities with a box full of hats, ties, shoes, dresses, old jewelry,
and old pocketbooks. These items will allow children to act out
characters from a story you’ve told them or dress up for a “night
on the town.” Friends and relatives are usually pleased to donate
their treasures to the collection. (Keep a camera handy!)