Small Business Plans for Childcare Centers

Are you thinking of engaging into another business? Thinking of what type of business to venture into? What about opening a childcare management center. You can browse into different small business plans for childcare centers. Remember, parents nowadays are always on the rush on going to work and even work 2 to 3 jobs in order to sustain the family's needs. Most often, both parents are working and their kids are left behind with the babysitters who are paid on per hour basis. These parents are only after the welfare of their kids. Therefore, a childcare center would be a better business and can cater to the needs of the many working parents out there.

With Child Care Waterford, parents are assured of that their kids are in good hands and are well taken care of. There will be no fear or worries on what might happen with their children. With small business plans for childcare centers, you will be guided on what you should know before starting such business. First, knowing if there is a need to put a center, meaning if there is an existing demand for such service. You cannot put up a center, when all of the people living there are all single or married but do not have kids. When there is a demand, then it is all up for you to supply the service. However, take into consideration if there is an existing childcare centers. Be sure to know what are the services they are offering in order for you to formulate what unique services you can incorporate into for you to compete with other childcare centers.

An important thing to consider that you can get out from small business plans for childcare centers is the financing. Next is, where to get the needed capital in order to finance your business, it might be a loan from the bank, your savings or invite your families or colleagues to team-up with you and invest in such business. No matter how brilliant your business idea is, if you don't have the needed capital to run it, all of your hard work will be put to nothing. Be wise enough and think the best option where you can get the capital.

Before you start digging and trying to ponder to start a childcare center as your business, it is best to gather around small business plans for childcare centers. Weigh things over and discover which how to maximize your capital and convert it into a profitable business.

Types of Childcare Services

Before you start your own daycare, it is important to understand the meaning of childcare and the different types of childcare services available in the market. In general, childcare is the care of a child by a person outside the child's immediate family.

Childcare needs are met in many ways but generally fall into these three categories: Care in the child's home; care in a regulated childcare center; and care in the provider's home.

Care in a regulated childcare center

Regulated childcare (or daycare) centers are institutions that are bound to strict rules or legislations mandated by a government body. These rules or legislations exist to protect the safety and welfare of the children enrolled in these centers. Rules in relation to security, area per child, health, staff to children ratios (e.g. 1 teacher per 3 children), food handling, behavior management, and programming are just a few of the areas that a regulated daycare must adhere to. Without adherence to these rules, daycare centers will not receive a license to operate the childcare business. In addition, rules vary for each state or province. Therefore, it is important to refer to your state's or province's childcare government body responsible for licensing requirements.

Licensed childcare centers are also required to run structured programming for the children. A structured program consists of age-appropriate activities that develop the child's skills. In general, the selection of age-appropriate activities follows the center's learning philosophy such as Montessori, Reggio Emilia, Waldorf, etc. However, regardless of which learning philosophy the center adapts, age-appropriate learning activities are meant to develop the child's cognitive, gross-motor, fine-motor and other types of skills, with the goal of achieving specific developmental milestones.

Licensed childcare centers can be located in office buildings, commercial retail pads, stand-alone buildings, houses or in schools. In most cases, they operate between 7AM to 6PM and may employ several teachers to run the program.

Care in the Provider's Home

Care in the provider’s home is generally called Home Daycare, Family Daycare, or Day Home. A home daycare can be licensed or unlicensed. In general, licensing is required if the number of children cared for in the provider's home grows to more than the maximum specified by law. For instance, in some areas, you can only care for up to 5 children (including your own children) without a license. Anything over that, you must get a license to operate the childcare business. Home daycare licensing requirements also vary for each state or province. Again, refer to your state or provincial government body responsible for childcare licensing.

Care in the Child's Home

Childcare in the child's home is typically provided by babysitters or nannies. Babysitting is the occasional temporary care of a child during the absence of the parent. Babysitters, in general, can work for more than one family and are often called upon during emergencies (e.g. parent has to attend an emergency meeting for a few hours).

In contrast, a nanny typically just works for one family and has a fixed schedule. They can be classified as live-in nannies or live-out nannies. Live-in nannies will live in the child's home, while live-out nannies do not.

Unlike regulated childcare centers or licensed home daycare centers, babysitters or nannies do not usually provide any form of structured programming.

With over 20 years of experience in the childcare field, The Scholars Group provides daycare operators all the advertising and management tools they need in one place for free !. These tools include:

Online Directory - a directory service for operators to advertise their services to parents

Biz Advantage – comprehensive daycare management software