Opening Private Day Home

Hi, I'm thinking of quitting my job as a Nurse Manager and opening a Private Day Home. I need less stress in my life and love children.

I have a few questions as I'm not sure what all I need to get started.

1. Do you need a business license to be a Private Day Home
2. Do you collect income tax on your earnings like any other job?
3. Is it okay to have pets when having a private day home?
4. Thinking of running from 0600-530 with late pickups case by case
5. How much money did you have to spend to get everything you needed for it. Toys, furniture etc.
6. Do you have parent sign a contract or have a deposit?

Sorry for the all the questions!!

Hello Nurse, It depends where you are located regarding a license. I am in Ontario and no license is required though I do belong to a registry whose standards I had to achieve to become an advertised provider with them. You can take courses with a daycare registry on how to become a provider. If you are in the states, it seems like if you have more than 2 children in your care, you must become licensed.
Yes, you pay income tax on your earnings. Usually when you file, but some people have to make quarterly payments to revenue canada.
I have 2 cats who do not ever mingle with the children. As loving and cuddly as the cats are, they are still an animal and can be unpredictable.
Your hours seem long. It is easy to burn out in this industry too. My hours are 7:30-5:30. It is a 10 hour day and long enough. Any longer and I wouldn't have the energy to take care of my family and myself!!
The money question really depends on your current set up now. Is your basement finished? You have to decide how many children you want to care for, ages, and then provide nap equipment (playpens, mats, bedding etc.) feeding equipment (highchairs, table/chairs utensils etc.) craft supplies, toys, cds for kids music, decorations etc. etc.
Yes, you must, must have a contract. How else would the parents know what your rate is, when to pay etc. Also have a parents handbook with your policies.
Read through this forum. The have provided excellent info for you to learn from and have expanded on all of your questions. Good luck, we are with you :)

Thank you.. Im in Alberta. I decided to go with 6-630 bc a few people I know cant find child care before they start work at 7.

Congratulations ~ you've take then first most important step to having a successful business plan .... RESEARCHING your business, creating a plan, budget and so forth ;)

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Originally Posted by Nurse

1. Do you need a business license to be a Private Day Home

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I would start your research here cause it depends on how big a private childcare you want in Alberta ;)

http://www.child.alberta.ca/home/1159.cfm

and this section of their site has lots of publications on the various options and rules

http://www.child.alberta.ca/home/1151.cfm

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Originally Posted by Nurse

2. Do you collect income tax on your earnings like any other job?

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Everything you need to know about the 'tax requirements' for a home childcare business can be found here on the CRA ... you would be technically self employed and responsible for your own income tax.

http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/tx/bsnss/tp.../menu-eng.html

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Originally Posted by Nurse

4. Thinking of running from 0600-530 with late pickups case by case

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Admital .... but IME Beware of BURN OUT ... we all start out with these wonderful ideals about offering special services to clients ... but there is a reason why they are 'hard to find' for families because offering them burns out providers and the reality is that while you have to care for your own children 24.7 caring for other peoples children is TOTALLY DIFFERENT it is way more draining both emotionally and physically and as much as you love children you will be grateful to see closing time come each day .... IMO if you want to catch the 'early birds' than focus on that but I would aim to keep your business hours 10 hours max with 9 hours being ideal for a child to be in care for ... I know you are a in the nursing field and use to shift work however working 12 hour days 5 days a week 50 weeks a year will quickly exhaust you! There is a reason why nurses get so much time off between shifts ;)

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Originally Posted by Nurse

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5. How much money did you have to spend to get everything you needed for it. Toys, furniture etc.

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Totally depends on your home, age groups you want to serve and so forth ... my advice to newbies is to find out if your community has a toy lending library and if so than I would focus on the 'staples' of what you need everyday with furntiture and than with toys just get a few staples as well and than 'borrow' the rest that way you get rotational options but are not having to STORE all those toys when not in use!

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Originally Posted by Nurse

6. Do you have parent sign a contract or have a deposit?

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Yes a contract protects both you and the client by clearly defining expectations around financial commitment and service provided. Always get paid IN ADVANCE of care so you never end up working for free ... I also choose to take a two week security deposit to ensure that if a payment bounces or someone 'bolts' I have two weeks of fees in my savings account to use towards finding new client to replace them.

Hope that's helpful and keep asking questions and search the website for key topics ... the more knowledge you have going forward the more successful your endeavor will be ;)

Wow thanks for all the awesome advice and info!! At the moment I do not have any kids as we need to do IVF :( I may change my thought on hours and focus on the peeps that work 7-3 (nurses/hca) as there is no place where I live that offers this.

I def want all my ducks in a row before I start this exciting new step in life.

I am also nurse from Alberta debating whether to start a dayhome. I was thinking just a couple days a week as I work as an RN casually. I want to keep my RN hours up. Are you keeping up on your RN hours or you running a full-time dayhome?

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Originally Posted by CC's Daycare

I am also nurse from Alberta debating whether to start a dayhome. I was thinking just a couple days a week as I work as an RN casually. I want to keep my RN hours up. Are you keeping up on your RN hours or you running a full-time dayhome?

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Im thinking of going casual and pick up some shifts on evenings or weekends depending if my husband is working away or not.

Just keep in mind that 6 - 6:30 with someone elses kids is a long time! It is high stress because of some of the parents you have to deal with. So, just make sure you make a solid desicion on how long you really want to work, don't base it on how much you need to make, base it on how much your sanity can handle.

I wish you all the best in your new adventure.

I have def reconsidered my hours. i was like I think Im crazy and would burn out!! I was going to wait till the New Year to start.. But Hubby says to quit my job and start in 2 weeks!!

Hi there.
I just started researching on starting my own home daycare. I am currently in university working towards my bachelor in commerce; I am taking everything at home, online. I am getting married in November and my fiance has just started his welding apprenticeship. I couple months ago I got a part time job at a jewelry store here in town to help save up for the wedding, I am extremely enjoying working at the jewelry store but I would like some more hours and to make some more money as I still have at least another 4 years of schooling and I don't want to put our lives on hold until then. We would like to renovate our home and I would like to start having children in the next 3-4 years.

I found the information that everyone provided very helpful, but I would still like to hear more.
How many children do you have in your home? - I am thinking I just want babies and toddlers.
What do you charge an hour?
Do you charge extra for late pick up?
What does your contract look like?
Do you take any holidays?
Do you provide meals? Or do the children bring packed lunches?
Also for naps, can they be in the same room?
Do you do planned activities?

Any information would be great! thanks in advance!
Please share any information that you maybe struggled with when you opened your daycare.

Mary.

There are rules about having childcare in your home. Where you live in Canada will make a difference on how many children you can care for, what ages the children can be and what you need to do to meet the provincial requirements. It will also determine the fees that you can charge.

How many children do you have in your home? I have 5. That is max I am allowed in my province. Some province allow more, some allow less. Check your regs for your province.

I am thinking I just want babies and toddlers.Again, check regs for age limit restriction. In PEI, we are allowed 5 but not have more than 2 children under 18 month (infant) and we not have more than 3 in total of infant and toddler (up to 35 month). This mean if I want all 5 of my allowed children, no more than 2 infant+1 toddler and other 2 children must be older than 35 month. If I limit to infant and toddler only, the max I could have is 3. No exception. Check your provincial regs. The will fine you heavily or shut you down if you over ratios.

What do you charge an hour?
Day care is charged per day, week or month. Per day is most common. Not common to do per hour. Here, average fees is $32-$35, so the most I earn if full is 5 x my daily rate. But remember business expenses. After expenses, the profit is about $25 per child. So, $25 x 5 = $125 a day. Someone else said 9-10 hours with children in house. But after they go, you clean, disinfect, prep for next day so it really 12 hour a day. $125 / 12 hours = $10.42 an hour. After expenses. But we still pay tax on income like everyone else. And if we have vacancy, then this hourly rate is less until at capacity again. If I have sibling group who move away, then my income goes down to 3x$25 = $75 = $6.25 an hour until I have those vacancy fill again.

Do you charge extra for late pick up?
I do as deterrent. $1 a minute. Enforce it or someone will take advantage. Make it expensive or someone will think it cheap option for babysitter into evening. If only charge $5 every 30 min late, no big deal for parent to have 2 hour supper date after work. It only cost them extra $20 if you do that.


What does your contract look like?
Like any other contract in the World. Has names of people agreement between, you and parent. Spells out agreement clearly. Days of care, beginning when, hours of care, payment due, how much, what included in fees (snack, lunch, milk), what not included (diaper, wipe, formula milk), what if they not pay, how much notice needed from either side, reasons for instant termination.


Do you take any holidays?
Yes but I limit the number of day so parent know up front how many day off they agreeing to and I give lot of notice.

Do you provide meals? Or do the children bring packed lunches?
Registered provider here must provide morning snack, lunch and afternoon snack. Unregistered not have to provide but beware. Some parent forget meal, some parent not bring much, some parent bring microwave meal for heating which pest if 5 meals reheat for 3 mins, that 15 mins from first child eat to last and chaotic.

Also for naps, can they be in the same room?Again regs for different province. Here, under two and over 2 must be separate and nap room must not be in activity room.

Do you do planned activities?Yes, this daycare not babysitting. Structured day, outside time 2 times a day if not -20 or colder, letters, numbers, outings, library,


Please share any information that you maybe struggled with when you opened your daycare. Get contract in writing before child start and enforce it. If you not enforce contract, parent will think it valueless and not pay any attention to it either. You cannot be everything to everyone. Decide what your business boundaries are and stick to it.
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For help with your contact, forms, information on policies and insurance etc check out www.homedaycarebusiness.weebly.com