How to Start a Daycare

We have had many visitors interested in learning how to start a daycare in California. Most of you will likely fall into the category of what the state of California defines as a “Family Child Care”. More specifically most visitors are considering what California deems a “Small Family Child Care Home”. This a a home that provides child care for up to 6 children (or 8 children if certain criteria are met). Please note that these numbers include any children that already live with you under the age of 10.

If you will be providing care for more children than stated above you may be classified as a “Large Family Child Care Home”. This is a home that provides child care for up to 12 children (or 14 children if additional criteria are met).

In addition to California daycare requirements, your specific city or county may have addtional requirements. Some of the cities that may have additional requirements include, but are not limited to:

Los Angeles
San Diego
San Francisco
San Jose
Long Beach
Fresno
Sacramento
Oakland
Santa Ana
Anaheim

and others.

You can learn more about how to start a daycare in california at www.HowToStartaDaycare.com

Daycare toys are an essential part of any daycare.

Your primary concern when selecting toys for your daycare should be safety. The greatest danger associated with toys are small parts that pose a choking danger. Blocks, marbles, and doll house accessories can be a danger to younger children. These types of toys should be stored in areas that are not accessible to younger children.

New toys are required to be labeled with the minimum age that they are appropriate for. One of the challenges in purchasing used daycare toys is that you may not have access to this information. If you purchase used daycare toys, you can try searching for the manufacturer’s website. They will sometimes provide the age requirement information there. Without that information, you will need to use your best judgment as to what age-group a particular toy will be safe for.

Saving Money on Daycare Toys

Outfitting your daycare doesn’t have to be an expensive process, and you can save a lot of money by following some of the tips below.

Some inexpensive sources of cheap daycare toys are garage sales and eBay. You can save a lot of money by purchasing daycare toys that are in a gently used condition. When buying used toys be sure that they are not damaged in any way that could injure a child.

Another source of used daycare toys equipment is schools. Public schools are prohibited from donating their old equipment, but private schools are not bound by this requirement. Contact some local private schools in your area and ask them if they have plans to purchase new equipment. You can offer to haul away their old equipment for free!

Introducing new toys to your daycare is another item that you should consider. Some children’s consignment stores provide a great opportunity to trade in your older toys and apply their value to the purchase of newer toys.

Selecting and purchasing toys for your daycare doesn’t have to be an expensive process. Use common sense and put your bargain hunting skills to good use!

You can learn more about how to start a daycare at www.HowToStartaDaycare.com

Creating a daycare schedule is an important step in the process of starting a successful daycare. A daily schedule gives structure to your day, and creates a more professional appearance to potential customers. A schedule also provides a sense of routine for the children and gives them an idea of what to expect next as the day progresses.

Here are a couple of things to consider when creating your daily daycare schedule:

1. Your Personality

Some daycare providers prefer not to have a strict daily schedule. I’ve met other providers that have a rigid schedule and all activities are planned virtually to the minute. You should strive to create a daily schedule that is somewhere in between these two extremes. Having a schedule in place creates a routine that the children can follow and shows the parents that their children are actively involved in activities throughout the day.

Try to be somewhat flexible in your schedule planning. You may have an activity planned that the children don’t find as interesting as you had envisioned. Flexibility will allow you to “mix things up” and switch to something that will keep them interested.

2. The ages of the children that you will be caring for.

In your daycare, you may choose to specialize in providing care for a specific age group such as newborns or after-school care for school-age children. In these situations, creating a daycare schedule will be a fairly straight-forward process and you can create a schedule with activities that focus on this specific age group. Creating a daycare schedule that will appeal to a wider age range will be a bit more complicated.

3. Any special training or abilities that you have.

If you have children of your own, then you already have some experience in entertaining children and keeping them involved in activities. Any special abilities that you have can also factor into your daily schedule. A friend of mine runs a successful home daycare and she also plays guitar. She added a block of time in the afternoon when she plays children’s songs on the guitar and has a sing-a-long with the children.

Your daycare schedule should be created with your personality and your particular circumstances in mind. Make it a goal to have a basic outline in place at the very minimum. Regardless of how carefully you have planned your day, remember to have a little bit of flexibility.

You can learn more about how to start a daycare at www.HowToStartaDaycare.com