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Start & Run a Home Daycare » (REV)

Book cover image of Start & Run a Home Daycare by Catherine M. Pruissen

Authors: Catherine M. Pruissen
ISBN-13: 9781551805696, ISBN-10: 1551805693
Format: Paperback
Publisher: Self-Counsel Press, Inc.
Date Published: November 2003
Edition: REV

Author Biography: Catherine M. Pruissen

Book Synopsis

Child Care is a much sought-after service today. If you love working with children and want to run your own business, a home daycare could be the perfect choice. The initial cash investment can be minimal, and the demand for safe, nurturing care for children is always high. Providing quality child care and making a profit isn't child's play. Caring for children is as challenging and multifaceted as parenting itself. In addition, you need to master record keeping, licensing requirements, and all other tasks associated with running a small business. This book will help you get started right and keep your daycare running smoothly and successfully. From deciding whether a home daycare is for you to planning healthy, appealing meals, from keeping the books to keeping the children happy, Start & Run a Home Daycare provides the information you need to build a thriving business caring for children.

	Acknowledgments	xvii
	Introduction	xix
1	Is Child Care for you?	1
1.	The Entrepreneurial Spirit	1
2.	The Business of Child Care	2
3.	Why Daycare?	2
4.	Evaluating Yourself and Your Situation	3
4.1	Step 1: self-evaluation	3
4.2	Step 2: family evaluation	6
4.3	Step 3: situation evaluation	9
2	Assessing the Need for Child Care	12
1.	Determining Your Objectives	12
2.	Creating a Questionnaire	13
3.	Collecting the Data	13
3.1	Mailed questionnaires	13
3.2	Telephone interviews	13
3.3	In-person interviews	19
4.	Estimating Costs	19
5.	Analyzing Your Data	20
3	Daycare Licensing	21
1.	Group Size	22
2.	Caregiver Qualifications	22
3.	Program Outlines	23
4.	Physical Environment	23
5.	Health and Safety	24
6.	Nutrition	25
7.	Parental Involvement	25
8.	Administration (Operating Procedures)	25
9.	Getting Your License	26
10.	Unlicensed Daycare	27
4	Setting Up Shop	28
1.	Legal Advice	28
1.1	Finding a lawyer	28
1.2	Your first meeting	28
1.3	Keeping legal costs down	29
1.4	The Child Care Law Center	29
2.	Naming Your Business	29
3.	Your Business Structure	30
3.1	Sole proprietorship	30
3.2	Partnership	31
3.3	Incorporation	31
4.	Insurance	31
5.	Your Project Log	33
5	Money Matters: Your Start-Up and Operating Budgets	37
1.	Your Start-Up Costs	37
2.	You Need Money--Where Can You Go?	42
2.1	Relatives and friends	42
2.2	Banks and other lending institutions	42
2.3	Government	44
3.	Your Operating Budget	44
4.	Estimating Income	44
5.	Estimating Expenses	45
5.1	Food costs	45
5.2	Supply costs	45
5.3	Equipment replacement costs	48
6	Setting Your Rates	54
1.	Local Rate Standards	54
2.	Your Expenses	55
3.	Your Time	55
4.	Your Quality of Care	55
5.	Late Fees	58
6.	Absenteeism	58
7.	Holidays and Vacations	58
8.	Rate Increases	58
9.	Bad Accounts	59
10.	The Rate Sheet	59
7	Setting and Stating Policies	63
1.	What Age Group Will You Care For?	64
2.	How Many Children Can You Accommodate?	66
3.	How Will You Handle the Illness of a Child?	66
3.1	Communicable diseases	67
3.2	Administering medication	67
4.	How Will You Organize Transportation and Field Trips?	67
5.	What Kind of Behavior Management (Discipline) Will You Use?	68
6.	What Kind of Supplies Will Parents Provide?	71
7.	Who Will Act As Substitute Caregivers?	72
8.	Who Will You Release the Child To?	72
9.	How Will You Encourage Parental Participation?	73
10.	What Are Your Emergency Procedures?	73
11.	When Will You Provide Care?	74
12.	What Meals Will You Provide?	74
13.	Your Policy Statement	74
13.1	Purpose and philosophy statement	75
13.2	Trial period	82
13.3	Illness	82
13.4	Transportation and field trips	82
13.5	Behavior management	83
13.6	Supplies	83
13.7	Subsitute caregivers	83
13.8	Releasing the child from care	83
13.9	Parent participation	84
13.10	Emergencies	84
13.11	Meals	84
13.12	Child abuse	84
8	Finding Customers	85
1.	Flyers	86
2.	Bulletin Boards	88
3.	Newspaper and Newsletter Advertising	88
4.	Using the Yellow Pages	88
5.	The Internet	89
6.	Marketing By Association	90
7.	Word-of-Mouth Advertising	90
8.	Your Logo	91
9.	Publicity	91
9.1	Radio bulletin boards	91
9.2	The news release	92
9.3	Keep it up	94
10.	Referral Agencies	94
11.	The Marketing Activity Sheet	95
9	The New Customer	98
1.	Handling Those Telephone Calls	98
2.	The Personal Interview	99
3.	The Information Package	102
10	Program Planning	106
1.	What Children Need	106
2.	Creating a Daily Schedule	108
3.	Choosing Activities for a Child's Development	108
4.	Weekly Activity Chart	111
11	Play	119
1.	What Are Learning Centers?	120
2.	Housekeeping Center	120
3.	Art Center	121
4.	Construction Center	123
5.	Quiet Center	124
6.	Book Center	124
7.	Sand And Water Center	125
8.	Music Center	125
9.	Other Centers	126
9.1	Math center	126
9.2	Science center	126
9.3	Camping center	126
9.4	Infant center	126
10.	Outdoor Play	127
11.	Staying Organized and Having Fun	128
12.	Toy Libraries	129
13.	Games	129
12	Health and Safety	131
1.	Why Caregivers Have to Worry about "Little" Illnesses	131
2.	Preventing the Spread of Germs	132
2.1	Hand washing	132
2.2	Diapering	133
2.3	After using the toilet	133
2.4	Food preparation	133
2.5	Other helpful hints	134
3.	Immunization	134
4.	Recognizing Communicable Diseases	134
5.	Parent Communication	135
6.	The Hazard Zone--Your Home	136
6.1	Falls	136
6.2	Poisoning	136
6.3	Drowning	140
6.4	Choking	140
6.5	Burns	141
6.6	Motor vehicle accidents	141
6.7	Other dangers	141
7.	Outdoor Safety	142
8.	Fire Safety	145
13	Nutrition	146
1.	The Food Guide	146
2.	Menu Planning	147
3.	Mealtimes	149
4.	Getting Children to Eat	149
5.	Infant Feedings	151
6.	Special Diets	152
14	Children With Special Needs	153
1.	Making the Decision to Care for Children with Special Needs	154
2.	Handling the Issue with the Parents of Your Other Children	154
3.	Readying Your Home	154
15	Parents: Partners in Child Care	156
1.	Starting Out on the Right Foot	156
2.	Keep Them Involved	157
3.	Problem Solving	158
16	Keeping Records	160
1.	Financial Records	160
1.1	What is a business expense?	161
1.2	Expense records	162
1.3	Revenue records	162
1.4	Your business account	164
2.	Child Records	165
3.	Facility Records	165
4.	Employee Records	165
17	Child Abuse	173
1.	Your Responsibility to Report Abuse	173
2.	What Constitutes Abuse or Neglect?	174
2.1	Physical abuse	174
2.2	Sexual abuse	174
2.3	Emotional abuse	174
2.4	Neglect	174
3.	Signs of Abuse or Neglect	174
4.	The Abusive Parent	176
5.	Reporting Abuse	176
6.	Telling the Parents	178
18	Finding and Hiring Employees	179
1.	Writing a Job Description	179
2.	Recruiting Employees	180
3.	Interviewing Applicants	181
4.	Trial Period	181
5.	Benefits and Incentives	182
19	The Out-of-Home Daycare	184
1.	What Kind of Daycare Do You Want to Operate?	184
2.	Finding a Location	185
3.	Legal Legwork	187
4.	The Director of Your Center	188
5.	Other Staff	189
20	Caring for the Caregiver	192
1.	Managing Your Limitations	193
2.	Taking Time for You	193
3.	Join a Caregiver Support Network	194
	Appendixes
1.	Government Offices	197
2.	Child-Care Organizations and Associations	204
3.	Internet Resources	206
	Bibliography	208
	Samples
1.	Child-Care Needs Assessment Questionnaire	14
2.	Cover Letter for Questionnaire	18
3.	Food Cost Analysis	46
4.	Supply Cost Analysis	49
5.	Equipment Replacement Cost Analysis	51
6.	Average Daycare Rates	57
7.	Rate Sheet	61
8.	Transportation Permission Form	69
9.	Policy Statement	76
10.	Flyer	87
11.	News Release	93
12.	Telephone Information Sheet	100
13.	Child-Care Agreement	104
14.	Daily Schedule	109
15.	Weekly Activity Chart	118
16.	Child Medical Form	137
17.	Medication Permission Form	139
18.	Weekly Menu	150
19.	Monthly Expense Record	163
20.	Expense Summary	164
21.	Monthly Revenue Record	166
22.	Child Information Sheet	167
23.	Medication Administered Form	169
24.	Accident, Injury, and Illness Report	170
25.	Daily Information Sheet	171
	Tables
1.	Child Development Chart	112
2.	Activity Idea Charts	114
3.	The Four Food Groups	148
4.	Signs of Abuse or Neglect	175
5.	Staff Responsibilities and Qualifications	191
	Worksheets
1.	Child-Care Provider's Self-Evaluation Quiz	4
2.	Family Evaluation Quiz	7
3.	Situation Evaluation Quiz	10
4.	Project Log	34
5.	Pricing Start-Up Equipment	40
6.	Start-Up Budget	43
7.	Food Cost Analysis	47
8.	Supply Cost Analysis	50
9.	Equipment Replacement Cost Analysis	52
10.	Estimated Operating Budget	53
11.	Average Daycare Rates	56
12.	Writing a Purpose and Philosophy Statement	81
13.	Marketing Activity Sheet	96
14.	Safety Checklist	143
15.	Location Checklist	186

Subjects

Business Books

Small Business

Home - Based Businesses
Education & Teaching

Educational Levels & Settings

Child Care
Parenting & Family

Family - Assorted Topics

Parenting - Reference

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Author Biography: Catherine M. Pruissen

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