Clueless Daycare Newbie!

Hi there! Since the birth of my 1st son almost 4 years ago I have been entertaining the idea of opening my own home day care.

We have the perfect location and great set up at our house.

Over the last few years things have been beginning to turn sour at my place of employment and I feel like I am finally ready for a change!

I am due with my 2nd child this spring and once my maternity leave ends I want to officially open a home daycare.
I have already applied for a license with my city. Who would be able to find children for me. And also have friends who have shown interest in bringing their child here. Although of course I am nervous to give up a full time career to just starting over again!

My past experience is in the social services field so I have experience working with people.

But I feel like there is so much I need to know!
such as...

• How will I file income tax now?
• Will I need to pay in at the end of every year (taxes)?
• What does the canadian government or my city have to offer in terms of "helping out" (food? supplies?) if any!
• Do I have to have insurance?
• Unpaid sick time?

so many questions! My city didn't give me many details since it's so far away but I like to be prepared!

What are the up sides? What are the down sides?:)

Any advice or information would be greatly appreciated!

first bit of advice i have is not to provide care for friends, family or neighbours.

I am not sure what you mean by applying for a license with your city ? I see that you are in Ontario and if so, then you don't need any kind of license. You have a choice of going private or going through a licensed agency. If you go through an agency, they will help you find clients and help provide equipment, but they will also take a portion of your pay. I don't know where in Ontario you are, but here in Ottawa, we have the CCPRN, which is a really great source of information, training, resources, etc. You can look on their website for more information as well. I highly recommend talking to some daycare providers in your area as you will get a ton of info. I did this before starting and the ladies I talked to were amazing and helped me so much. It was in their interest as well to make sure I knew what the average rate was and that most of them charge for vacation time, etc. Established providers don't want newbies to come in and undercut them on rates etc.

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Originally Posted by gramma

first bit of advice i have is not to provide care for friends, family or neighbours.

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Why do you not recommend this?

I also do not recommend providing care for family or friends. It is very hard to keep a business relationship with them and if something goes wrong, you can lose a friend or worse, a family member! It is also easy for them tp unintentionally take advantage of you because you are a friend ("oh, she won't mind if I'm a few minutes late, she's a great friend"). I do not befriend my daycare families for this very reason (until they no longer have kids in my care).

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Originally Posted by sunnydays

I am not sure what you mean by applying for a license with your city ? I see that you are in Ontario and if so, then you don't need any kind of license. You have a choice of going private or going through a licensed agency. If you go through an agency, they will help you find clients and help provide equipment, but they will also take a portion of your pay. I don't know where in Ontario you are, but here in Ottawa, we have the CCPRN, which is a really great source of information, training, resources, etc. You can look on their website for more information as well. I highly recommend talking to some daycare providers in your area as you will get a ton of info. I did this before starting and the ladies I talked to were amazing and helped me so much. It was in their interest as well to make sure I knew what the average rate was and that most of them charge for vacation time, etc. Established providers don't want newbies to come in and undercut them on rates etc.

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Basically I am registering with the city so I guess that would be going through a licensed agency. They told me my other option was registering with the ministry. Or just not registering at all.

I am just a little bit out of Ottawa. I guess I am just shy to ask daycare providers all the details. Since the only ones I really know is where my son has gone to daycare while I worked! and I haven't really told anyone yet that this is what I am trying to do.

I know that there are some local workshops offered and I am sure if I call back to the child services in my city they would tell me more but she was kind of like "we'll worry about that when we get closer to the date" but like I said before I like to be organized and not surprised ;)

I looked up the CCPRN they have a lot of great resources! thank you for sharing. Wish I was a little closer to utilize them!!

Thanks for the advice Sunnydays. This is something I will have to keep in mind for sure. I defiantly do not want to be taken advantage of or lose out on friendships.

Hello and welcome! Here is a really great link to answer any tax questions you may have...http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/tx/bsnss/tp.../menu-eng.html
I am not licensed, so can't answer to how licensing is helpful in terms of resources, sorry.
Re: Insurance...My understanding is that although you are wise to have both daycare related home insurance & auto (if you plan to transport little ones), it is not actually a requirement.
As for unpaid or paid sick time, your contract is yours...you decide on what dys you wish to be compensated for (vacation, sick, stat. Etc.)...I am assuming that you still have your own contract if licensed? Perhaps others can answer to that? I too am just outside of Ottawa (about an hour), if I can be of further assistance let me know:)

Welcome to the forum MommyLisa. I'm in Ontario and not registered, just a self-employed woman who has built a successful business on her own. But with a lot of help from a few wonderful caregiver friends. You need mentors and people to lean on when you have questions, issues and concern. That's why we are here so ask away.

The most important thing I learned over the first few years of business was to prescreen and screen like a maniac during interviews so that I only accepted great families into care. In my first year I took in families that I shouldn't have and I learned a lot of lessons the hard way.

I also learned that you need to have a great contract and business policies and stick to them. You make the rules and you run the daycare and if you do all of that the right way you will attract the right kind of clients who match your parenting philosophies and morals and standards and you will be happier than you ever were working for somebody else. Or is that just me?

Oh yes, and a website is invaluable.

I second the website and the contract. I created a website before I started my daycare and everyone who contacted me commented on how great my website was and how they really wanted to come for an interview because of it :) And a contract is a MUST! This forum is great for advice and information. It has helped me soooooo much!

Here is a great place to start. It is supplied by an association in Hamilton, but is relevant for Ontario. Happy reading:)
http://thechildcareproviderconnectio...StartupKit.pdf

I am with two agencies in Ottawa. If you P.M. me your email address I will email you what I like about them and what I don't if you like.

get a deposit so they can't skip out on paying you.

Thanks for all the great advice! It seems right now there is so much to take in I don't know where to start!! but I'm checking out all the links everyone has provided! :)

For those of you who aren't licensed why did you choose that route?

I was really debating which way to go.. although I have already submitted my request for a licence. But that is not set in stone yet.


What is the big difference between the two?

I wouldn't want to be licenced because I would have a boss. Being self-employed is wonderful because you make the rules and run the daycare they way you like without anyone looking over your shoulder and making the rules. Others who are registered can give you the other point of view.

I didn't go with an licenced agency because I didn't want them to control my fees and take a cut of the fees. I also did not want to be stuck with their ratios (2 kids under 2 and 3 under 3 and your own kids count in your numbers...you can only have 5 including your own under 10). Privately, we are allowed to have 5 daycare kids plus our own kids and it doesn't matter what their ages are. I like having control over the ages I feel comfortable with and it allowed me to fill my daycare much more easily.

You have received some great tips here. I would add to make sure to get a rider on your home insurance to cover having daycare children there. If anything goes wrong and your insurance company didn't know you ran a daycare, they can refuse to cover you. You could lose your home over something like this.

Thanks for all the advice. I am defiantly looking for that "be my own boss" feeling so thanks for sharing.

I think I like the idea that they "find" the kids for you. I'm scared I won't be able to find any clients. But I did want to make a website and advertise (if I decided to not work under a licensed) But I hate the restrictions of certain ages. That may make things difficult.

Well I have 1 year to decide. She said if I change my mind no problem. So if you don't go license you basically just jump into it yourself?

Has anyone started of going through an agency then switched to just being themselves?


And will let my insurance know for sure! that's scary..!