Any in-home child care providers here?

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masondoggy

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I’m in the process of starting up in home child care in my home and could use any suggestions/advice.

I’ve got two kids starting tomorrow for the summer.
 
No advice, but I will pray that you have a great first day 🙂 Good luck!!!
 
masondoggy said:
I’m in the process of starting up in home child care in my home and could use any suggestions/advice.

I’ve got two kids starting tomorrow for the summer.
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Check into getting licensed and getting on the local state/YWCA list as a child care provider. Also, if you’re licensed portions of grocery bills, appliance purchases/repairs, ect. can be write offs. PM me for more details if you’d like.
 
I am not a child care provider, but prayers for you because you have a very important job.

I’ve prepared tax returns for providers before. To build a little on what gmarie said, keep a daily log of what children you have at your house each day and for how long. That will help you when tax time comes around. If you have any other specific tax related questions, I can try to answer them.
 
Hi,

I have been doing this for more than 5 years.

Create a contract that you can have each family sign, which spells out your rules, your discipline strategy, your expected payment arrangements etc. Having everything spelled out from the beginning can save a lot of misunderstanding later.

Get paid in advance. At least one or two will “forget” or won’t be “able to afford it”. You are providing a service and deserve to be paid.

Network with other home daycare providers. When you need to vent, they will completely understand. Feel free to use me for this purpose. See if you can make a deal to use one or two of these for backup care purposes, for example if you are sick one day they can take over your charges. If you can do the same for them, you can make a little extra money from time to time.

Expect an adjustment period from your own kids. Their behavior might go down the toilet temporarily. Try to find a few extra minutes a day to just spend time with them.

That’s all I can think of at the moment. If you have any questions feel free to message me.

Freda
 
CCM08 said:
Make sure you have access to good legal consul.
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Maybe you mean, she needs extra insurance for her home, a business insurance on her home in case something happens to a child or parent on your property. Most likely you’ll be fine, but sometimes things can happen.

Also, take an infant/child/adult CPR/First Aid class a.s.a.p. And remember, it’s better to be legit (if you plan on doing this for the long run) and legal than to do it under the radar, b/c if one parent has a complaint they can report you and then you’d have some serious issues to be facing.

Also, if you decide that you’ll want to take the children off the property (to the park, store, field trip, etc.) you not only need the parent’s permission, but you’ll also need additional insurance. Same goes for if you have an animal. You want a house as sterile and safe as possible for a home daycare.
 
No, I mean she needs to have a good lawyer on retainer. Daycares are among the most sued businesses in the United States. She has to have the insurance to become licensed, but that in no way reduces the need for good legal consul.
 
Don’t forget to add in your contract the specific time the child must be picked up by, with an additional fee for every fifteen minutes. Otherwise, if they say 5:00 you can bet you will have the child/children there until at least 5:30.:rolleyes:

And remember you have the right to choose who you are willing to provide these services to. Don’t just watch anyone, remember you will be having a long term relationship with these people, you need to be comfortable with them as well as them with you. Good luck!!👍
 
Also in your contract, include whether or not you require them to pay you while they’re on vacation. Also include whether you’ll require them to pay you while you’re on vacation. And give them a list of the days you’ll be closed (including the obvious holidays - Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas, New Years Eve, New Years, Memorial Day, Fourth of July, Labor Day - b/c some parents would bring their children even if they thought you were open those days).

Just to give you an example. My mom started out her business being open 5 days per week, and parents didn’t have to pay when they were on vacation (they had to pay when she was on vacation). 15+ years later, she now is open 4 days per week and requires parents to pay 52 weeks per year and she now takes 4 weeks off per year (one in spring, one in summer and the two weeks at Christmas/New Years).
 
Well, yesterday was my first day and it was EXHAUSTING. :eek:

More fun today, lol…
 
Hey guys, I could use some suggestions on inexpensive ways to entertain these kids (9 & 6) and affordable lunch/snack ideas.

Thanks. 🙂
 
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