How to Start a Home-Based Day-Care Business

by Shari Steelsmith

Overview

Everything you need to know to run a profitable and satisfying day-care business from your home.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780762760855
Publisher:	Globe Pequot Publishing
Publication date:	01/11/2011
Series:	Home-Based Business Series
Edition description:	6th Edition
Pages:	336
Product dimensions:	7.40(w) x 9.10(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Shari Steelsmith and her husband are the parents of three children—two teens and one launched. A full-time mother and freelance writer, Shari is a columnist for parentingpress.com and the author of Go to Your Room! Consequences that Teach, the board-book series Feelings for Little Children, and Peekaboo and Other Games to Play with Your Baby. 

Table of Contents

	Acknowledgments	ix
	Introduction	xi
Chapter 1	Family Child Care--Is It for Me?	1
	The Benefits of Family Child Care	1
	Is This for Me?	2
	Kinds of Family Child-Care Providers	3
	How Is a Family Child Care Different from Other Kinds of Care?	4
	Styles of Family Child Care	6
	Do You Have the Room?	7
	Take Inventory of Your Skills and Experience	9
	Are You Willing to Run and Maintain a Business?	12
	Outfitting a Family Child Care on a Budget	16
	The Three Most Common Reasons a Family Child Care Doesn't Succeed	18
	Visit a Provider	20
Chapter 2	Starting Out	21
	Where to Start	21
	The Next Step: Licensing and/or Registration	22
	The Basic Components of Licensing	26
	Planning to Make a Profit	45
	It's Not Really as Hard as It Sounds	49
Chapter 3	Policies and Procedures	51
	Enrollment Records and Policies	51
	Setting Your Fees	53
	Termination Policy	58
	Hours of Operation	59
	Holiday Schedule	59
	Vacations	60
	When the Children (or You) Get Sick	60
	Meals	62
	Guidance or Discipline	63
	Other Policies You May Wish to Consider	64
Chapter 4	Your Daily Schedule	81
	Age-Mix of the Children	81
	Your Background and Training	82
	Your Temperament	82
	Devising a Daily Schedule	82
	Mealtimes: An Essential Part of the Day	82
	Naptime	90
	Free Play	91
	Structured Time	99
	Special Events	105
	Storytime	109
Chapter 5	Fun Activities for Children	115
	Language Activities	116
	Science Activities	119
	Learning Games	122
	Movement Activities	125
	Cooking and Snack Activities	127
	Music Activities	129
	Art Activities	132
	Personal Safety Activities	135
Chapter 6	Positive Guidance Tools	143
	Children's Developmental Ages and Stages	144
	Discipline/Guidance Techniques	147
	Increasing Good Behavior	152
	Decreasing Difficult Behavior	155
	Fostering Good Social Skills	162
	Where to Go When a Child Needs More Help Than You Can Give	165
	Ten Common Guidance Problems	166
Chapter 7	Back to Business	175
	Generating Enrollment	175
	Screening Parents and Children	186
	Setting Up Your Office	186
	Computer and Printer	190
	Using the Internet as a Resource	191
	Record Keeping	195
Chapter 8	Solving Common Problems	219
	Problems with Parents	219
	Problems with Your Family	227
	Problems with a Multi-Age-Mix of Children	231
	Minimizing Interruptions	233
Chapter 9	Planning for the Future	235
	Small Versus Large License	235
	Your Physical and Emotional Well-Being	236
	Planning for a Substitute	237
	Hiring an Assistant	239
	Increasing Your Fees	246
	Networking: The Importance of Being Well Connected	249
	Planning for Accreditation	251
	Setting Goals	253
	A Word About Professionalism	258
	A Wish for Success	260
	Appendix	261
	Publications	261
	Mail-Order Catalogs for Publications and Other Products	266
	Software	268
	Professional Organizations and Associations	268
	State Child Care Home Pages/Information on Licensing	270
	Sample Forms and Worksheets	272
	Index	285
	About the Author	292