Home daycare...Need your input!

So I'm starting my own home daycare. For those of you who are seeking care, what do want or expect in your home daycare provider? I will have a very small group. 3 under the age of 7 and two over the age of 7. Most likely my 3 under the age of 7 will be a infant a two toddlers. What are you looking for. I'm just starting out and I have older kids so I had to buy a lot of things. I have a pretty good start on toys but no out door toys and my yard is partially fenced in. But in the spring I will be buying a swing set and we will finish the fence. I live up North so it will be getting to cold to play out side before we know it! I just need to make some money from my daycare to invest in it. If that makes any sense. Please give me your input!

Jackie

  I did home daycare for over 2 years in my own home.

Are you going to be stater certified?
If so usaully the ratio will not allow one person to infanta and todds just one or the other.
Are you certified in CPR and first aid?
Do you have any past experience in a daycare of childcare setting?
Will you provide USDA certified meals? If so will you be reimbursed?
IF not  how much do you charge if a parents packs a childs lunch as compared to not.
if state certified how olften are you inspected.
do you care extra insurance for the business in your home for the daycare and well being of the children.
Do you have all of your knives, sharp obects, chemicals put away at all times?
will you allow visitors into your home during care? ie ... your friends??

LOL.. Seriously those are all things that I think about no matter what when i look for daycares.

Some come close.. some dont..

I recommmend being certified thru the state and carrying extra insurance to protect yourself.

Hey yes I'm certified through the state. With being certified I can have 3 kids under the age of 7 and 3 kids over the age of 7. If I have 3 kids under the age of 2 I can only have a total of 5 kids.
Yes I will have insurance for my daycare. I'm infant and child and adult cpr certified. I took SIDS and Shaken baby classes. I will be part of the food program.And I will serve a well balanced meal as stated in the Food program. All knives chemicals medications are kept high behind a child proofed cabinet. There will be no visitors allowed during my daycare business hours. At times I might have a story teller come in or some kind of fun professional in during the day...in which parents will be notified before hand.

Jackie

I don't know a whole lot about it, this is only our second daycare lady in the last 5 years.  I love her!  She is licensed, she also home schools her older daughters.  She is so organized and that is what I liked at the very beginning.  She goes by the book on everything, from the right forms for the food, I guess she gets reimbursed from the state by offering healthy food.  Can't remember the name of the deal.  She doesn't have tons of toys, but enough for everyone at different age ranges.  She also is so caring and I know that she sits and rocks Zach alot and doesn't have so many kids that she is overwhelmed.  That is very important to me. 
So I guess the short answer for me is to be licensed, insured, and keeps up on all the safety training and baby proofing the house.
Also that she has enough time for each kid and not a mad house at the max limit. 
Also being super organized with everything. 
She does alot of neat projects and activities so they aren't just sitting in front of the TV, they also get time outside everyday as long as the weather is safe for the little ones.
Good luck with everything!
Chrissy

I will be certified through my state and will carry insurance for my daycare separate from my home insurance. I'm an organized person and like a very neat home. I have several state mandated forms that will need to be filled out and a legally binding contract. I'm also part of the food program.I dont want a huge number of kids either. I love to snuggle and rock babies :) I'm also very musical and love to sing and teach the kids songs. I was in plays my whole life so I think it would be fun to incorporate plays and make believe and I love dress up!! I plan on having many crafts too. The kids will be having out door play and this spring there will be a swing set. Right now I have little bikes and a little tykes slide...but will be getting more fun out door stuff :)

Jackie

SO ??Im confused in one post you are certfied, and in the very next you said you will be?

I did my home daycare thru the military which in almost all other places, states and so forth are the most strict. They almost have to be.  I had montly training, state and military certified. and also had monthly unannounced visits.

It is not easy to have a daycare in your home. you basically lose all your privacy. What use to be your home is now up to 6 children new home during the day.

Also my one question to you is are you counting your children in your ratio?? I have 2 and one on the way. In almost ALL states they count your children in the ration weather or not they are there all day or only after school.

I would daycare if i had to again because i know the rules and regs but its not something I would do for years.  Well unless i opened up my own center outside of my home.

I'm in the process of getting my certification. I have my home study on Monday. I posted this becaue I'm just starting my home daycare. My kids are older....10,14,15 and 18. The three older kids are my step kids. Because of their ages they are not counted in my numbers. Here children over the age of 7 who are related to you are not counted in your numbers.

Jackie

The reason for this post is I'm starting my own daycare and was looking for input. I wanted to see what everyone is looking for when they put their kids in daycare ;)

If I were ever to put my kids in daycare, I would want the following.  

First and foremost, I would run a criminal background check on the person/people watching my children.   I would also want recs from other parents on the care their children had been receiving.  I understand you are just starting and don't have parent recs, but keep in mind, these are things that I would want.   Just because you are not there yet, doesn't mean you wouldn't have a fantastic daycare.  

I would want the person to be certified in both in infant and adult CPR.   I would want them to have some sort of degree either in early childhood education or child development, etc.  

I would want them to be a non smoker and others that live in the house to be non smokers.  

I would not want them to have any pets.  

I would want the place fully child proofed.  

I would want an area that separates the older children from the infants when they nap.  

I would want only a handful of children under the persons care (like no more than 5 at a time at a home daycare)  

I would want an accounting of what my child did during the day to ensure that they were not just plopped in a pack n play or swing for the day.  

I would want to know protocol for what would occur during a weather emergency.

I would want to know protocol for what would occur if one of the other children were to become ill.  Would they immediately be sent home to their parents?  Would I be notified if a child came down with some sort of illness?  


Most importantly, I would want them to love my children as if they were their own and I would want my children to feel comfortable being around this person/people.    

I am sure I could come up with other things, but this is what I could come up with off the top of my head.  

Part of my certification is that they do a full back ground check through the FBI and local agencies. I will be able to provide that back ground check for the parents. Not only do they run that on me but they run it on everyone in the house over the age of 10. I have many references that I provided to the state and I can also provide to the family. I was a nanny for 4 years and I worked in a daycare center for 4 years. All of which I have references for.

I am CPR certified in Infant, Child and Adult CPR.I also took SIDS and Shaken baby classes. But I do not have my Early Childhood degree.

I do have 2 cats and have provided all their current vet records with vaccinations. I'm super anal about having a clean house, so you would never know I had cats. My cats are super friendly and even allow my daughter to dress them up LOL!

As part of my certification I have a home study. In which they come in and verify all the baby proofing. I have gates at all stair cases. All plugs In's have the plastic little covers in them. No sharp corners on furniture. The county is VERY specific on the baby proofing. I have a 40 page packet that tells me everything the house has have and baby proofed. I have a separate daycare room for toys and play and a separate sleeping area. I'm only going to have 5 kids that I watch:) I have a daily sheet that shows all activities, food, nap and potty schedules for each child that day. Each baby under the age of 2 will have it's own pack and play to sleep in. And their own bedding. Kids over the age of two will have their own pillow sleeping bag and cot.

In my packet shows all the protocols for weather and illness. The state is very strict and has guidelines for when a child needs to go home and when they are able to come back to daycare.

I love kids and the only reason I'm doing daycare is because I enjoy it so much. I'm always the person my friends come to if they need someone to watch their kids. I love to cuddle and rock and sing songs and give MANY hugs and kisses. For some reason kids love me. They gravitate towards me. In all honesty I'd rather be around kids than adults LOL!! I love being a Mom and would have no problem treating other kids like my own :) Thanks so much for the input!!

Jackie