Running a home daycare may sound like something simple, just watch some kids and then send them home at the end of the day. Sounds pretty simple right? Well, running a home daycare is not as easy as you’d think it is no matter how much you like children. If you are considering running a home daycare, here are some tips that will help you understand all the work you’ll need to put into it.
You do need a license if you are going to watch a certain amount of children.
Each state is different with the licensing, for example, in Illinois you need to have a license if you are watching more than 3 children at one time. But not all states have the same rules so do some research on licensing in your state.
You need to have a large house or apartment.
You can’t watch a lot of children and only have a small amount of room for them to play in. You’ll also need:
-Plenty of toys and games for kids.
-Positive children’s movies.
-A working telephone.
-Children’s books.
-And you’ll need to have snacks to give the children.
You don’t want to only have fun toys and shows for the children to watch, you want to be sure that you have plenty of educational activities that will help the children learn new things while they are in your care.
If you have a child for over a certain amount of time, you’ll need to feed the child actual meals, not just snacks.
You need to have plenty of time.
Not all parents are going to want you to watch their children at the same times, so you could have a different child at all hours of the day. So be sure that you have plenty of time and that this isn’t just a part time thing you want to do.
You need to have patience.
You need to be sure that you have enough patience to take care of multiple children, if not than this is not the job for you. You also have to like children. If you have kids of your own, be sure that you know the laws of how many children you can watch by yourself without needing an assistant, your children are included in that number.
Running a home daycare isn’t a simple thing to do, but if you really like kids and you don’t have a problem cleaning your home everyday, than a home daycare could be a great job for you.