Moving dayhome to a business location

[adorable ages]

Hello, we are a newer unlicensed day home in Calgary, Alberta. We have been operating for 3 months and are still faced with great demand. My question is what are the regulations or restrictions if we were to purchase a separate location to run the business our of. We would like a home with walking distance of school our kids attend and is our main source of business. Currently it is me and my wife working together as daily care provider team. My main concern is potential government issues or agencies. Thank you all.

[Lee-Bee]

Why would you move it outside of your home? You'd still be limited to the same number of children (5 children per house) no matter how many staff you have so paying rent at a different location seems pointless.

I'll also note that 3 months in you may have a lot of interested families but you have yet to hit a rut of families leaving and no new families needing care.

Essentially to move to a business location you are no longer a home daycare and have to follow the strict DNA quidelines. They will need to come and ensure you have the right number of toilets, at the right toddler height, sinks at toddler height and on and on. It is not a task I would suggest to anyone 3 months into this career!!

I'd say sit back, enjoy your new home daycare and wait a couple years before considering any huge and drastic business moves. Also, please ensure you are following current laws and regulations. It's great you and your wife are a team but the government doesn't care and you still only get 5 children in your home.

[Lee-Bee]

I'll note my number of 5 is for Ontario it may vary a bit in BC but from what I see on here most provinces fall in between 3-7 kids allowed per house.

[Suzie_Homemaker]

Hello, we are a newer unlicensed day home in Calgary, Alberta. We have been operating for 3 months and are still faced with great demand. My question is what are the regulations or restrictions if we were to purchase a separate location to run the business our of. We would like a home with walking distance of school our kids attend and is our main source of business. Currently it is me and my wife working together as daily care provider team. My main concern is potential government issues or agencies. Thank you all.

Alberta has the most generous ratios for all province. In Alberta in-home provider is allowed up to six NOT including your own . The example they give is a provider who has 3 children can have 6 dayhome children , total amount 9 . Be clear though, it is not 6 each for you and wife. It is 6 client children for your address regardless of the number of adults looking after them.

If you move to separate location which is not your house, then you are no longer operating an in-home day care. Instead you are operating a day care centre. With this you will need licensing, staff qualifications, and all the elements that every facility is required to have.

You will indeed have all the government regs to follow.

I found this : http://www.humanservices.al berta.ca/family-community/child-care-providers-licensing.html

Essentially if you care for seven children or more, you need to be licensed.