Opening daycare & have a lot of concerns/questions

Hi Everyone!

I am currently in the early stages of planning starting to open a home daycare(operational starting January). I currently own a home but it is unsuitable for a daycare setting(too small & unfenced yard etc). We will be purchasing a new home within 2 years and will be looking to accommodate the daycare. In the interim my empty nester mother has graciously offered to use her 2700sq ft home & since she will be retiring next year she will become my assistant(she is a neonatal nurse practitioner) so I couldn't ask for a better assistant! When my home is appropriate, the business will then move into my home. I am currently off work with my 6month old son & am enjoying myself incredibly and with lack of quality daycare in my small town, I've decided that I will not be returning to work.

We will be converting 800sq feet of space as the designated play/craft area. Any suggestions on essential stations or equipment for the play area? And cost effective Storage ideas?

We will also be having a separate sleeping area with area for quiet/story time & nap time. Not knowing the ages of the children that I will be watching how do I know if I need playpens vs mats? If I take on younger kids is it out of the question to ask them to provide the playpen if their child requires one still?

Backyard play area - What are your kids favourite items? Any inexpensive ideas for creating a shaded area?

Again with unknown ages what are essentials for feeding time? Boosters vs high chairs etc

Has anyone had trouble filling spots if they refused to do before & after school transportation? I feel the start up cost may be too great at first to invest in a quad stroller or purchasing a van to transport. This may change as I become established.

Is there any online websites/references that can help with documentation possibly templates for - contracts - safety procedures & packages for interviews etc?

I know this is a lot but any help or suggestions in any of these areas is greatly appreciated. I would like to spend the next 4 month acquiring equipment & creating educational activity plans, meal plans, contracts etc

I plan to start small taking 2 kids at first & slowly work my way up from there as I become more established.

Thanks for any feedback/advise you can provide!
:D

First off - welcome to the forum, and hopefully after reading many of the threads you'll find some other ideas for your future home daycare! I would suggest that you start to write a manual for your home daycare. If you have any questions about that, please PM me, and I'll try to help!

We will be converting 800sq feet of space as the designated play/craft area. Any suggestions on essential stations or equipment for the play area? And cost effective Storage ideas?
What I find that my kiddies like: play kitchen, shopping cart, push toys for babies, ride-ons, table and chairs (kids sized), etc.
Storage ideas - have a closest (walk-in would be amazing) that you can put in shelves. Every toy then should have it's own box, labeled.

We will also be having a separate sleeping area with area for quiet/story time & nap time. Not knowing the ages of the children that I will be watching how do I know if I need playpens vs mats? If I take on younger kids is it out of the question to ask them to provide the playpen if their child requires one still?
I ask that parents provide playpens, and I will provide cots. Parents also provide sleep stuff - blankets.

Backyard play area - What are your kids favourite items? Any inexpensive ideas for creating a shaded area?
I bought a metal swing set for $120 at Zellers around Easter time last year. Then bought some used baby swings to attach. The toddler loves my cube slide (bought used). I just bought a used choo choo wagon that the kids love being pulled around during our walks. I don't have much else, as we have an acre lot to explore!
For shade - you can always buy those shade tents for $100 - right now is a good time to buy as they're trying to make room in the stores for winter stuff.

Again with unknown ages what are essentials for feeding time? Boosters vs high chairs etc
I just picked up booster seats (again used). We don't have a ton of space for high chairs, and remember, you have to store them!

Has anyone had trouble filling spots if they refused to do before & after school transportation? I feel the start up cost may be too great at first to invest in a quad stroller or purchasing a van to transport. This may change as I become established.
Remember that if you're using a vehicle to transport, that you need extra insurance.

Is there any online websites/references that can help with documentation possibly templates for - contracts - safety procedures & packages for interviews etc?
Google search: home daycare templates, or you can PM me for help!

Look into how many children you're legally allowed to take.
For instance: In Ontario, we're only allowed five children under the age of 10 and not including our own.

Good luck to you!

Hi and Good Luck on your venture. I think some of your questions really can't be answered without knowing where in the country you are located? For example if you are in Ontario my understanding is that due to the full day JK/SK people only need childcare till their child is three so you may want to invest more in highchairs/playpens as you will be looking after young children.

For toys and areas as you have the space, I would do a kitchen area, a tool area, a baby area(little fisher price people, soft blocks), dress up area, maybe a sand water table.

For shade in the back yard you could buy a Gazebo you can usually get a good one for between 100-200 maybe cheaper used. I would get some ride on toys, balls , sand box(with lots of sand toys) slide. In the spring you should really shop at yard sales I got alot of good stuff from them or used baby stores as you get reciepts so you can use those for tax time.

Thanks for the responses!
Play and Learn - Yes I am in ontario, and am ensuring to research and adhere to all provincial guidelines & laws. I am not planing on using my vehicle to transport(currently own a car - not big enough anyway), but worried if I take on a part-time after school, I may be stuck Bundling a few little ones in a stroller in -25 weather! I'm not sure it will be worth the effort or $ as the walk to school is 15min.

Momplus6 - great idea about the used store, Ive been going to mom to mom sales to purchase used items but you don't get a receipt for taxes.

I'm glad I found this website, I'm sure it will be very helpful in the coming months & beyond!

Thanks again

For the receipt issue....write up a spreadsheet. Have the date, the person's name (address/phone number), what you bought and price. Keep that handy for income tax time.

Also, places to look for used items: www.Kijiji.ca and garage sales. Try to get the best price!

If you're not comfortable bundling up your dck (daycare kids), then don't accept b/a school kids!

Where abouts are you in Ontario?

Hi and welcome!! First, it's most important to make you space warm, welcoming and fun, no matter the size! I have a main floor playroom in my townhouse and a small back yard but took a lot of time to set it up!!! My best find for outside is a big playhouse from Kijiji for $40, all 4 kids can fit and love it! I invested in a 4 person wagon and it has been worth every cent! Like everyone has said, kitchens, tents,balls and table sets are all great basics and can almost always be found cheap on Kijiji in excellent condition. I opened in May, and what I did was set up a very basic room for parents to see, and told them I would add age appropriate toys when I knew the ages of the kids. Good luck! Ask lots of questions, the ladies here are very helpful!!

Welcome to the forum. What part of Ontario are you in? I am in Ottawa. One concern to look into is the location of the daycare. If the house is not your residence I am not sure if legally you can provide care from there. In the sense that your mom is the one opening her home for daycare and entitled to the expenses to be claimed such as utilities, etc. Then she is hiring you as the teacher. Is your mom's house in the same area as where you plan to buy a house? If not it will be like starting all over again to find kids, get your name established. Our childcare association has some good info on starting up a daycare and things to consider. Look at the following websitehttp://ccprn.com