Thinking of opening a DayCare

Hey Folks, just signed up and I am looking for a little info on opening a small daycare/babysitting in my home. I live in Alberta. have one 7 year old. I am wondering what is required to do this.
1. Do I need a city licence/permit?
2. Do I need to have first aid
3. Do I need to have a AED in the house
4. Do I need to have safety items such as eye wash station
5. Insurance? mandatory or optional?
6. Is run of the house allowed or do I have to have a specific area set aside?
Guess I'll just start with these questions, thanks for any insight you folks can give.

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaddyDayCare

Hey Folks, just signed up and I am looking for a little info on opening a small daycare/babysitting in my home. I live in Alberta. have one 7 year old. I am wondering what is required to do this.
1. Do I need a city licence/permit?
2. Do I need to have first aid
3. Do I need to have a AED in the house
4. Do I need to have safety items such as eye wash station
5. Insurance? mandatory or optional?
6. Is run of the house allowed or do I have to have a specific area set aside?
Guess I'll just start with these questions, thanks for any insight you folks can give.

Child care rules are set on a provincial level so what you are required to do will not necessarily match the requirements of those of us in other provinces.

I have found this resource for you so it might be a good starting point but I would recommend making a call to your provincial department and double checking your understanding.

http://www.humanservices.alberta.ca/...day-homes.html

Alberta actually permits for much higher numbers of children than any other province.

In terms of insurance, regardless of whether or not you are required to have it in Alberta, I would strongly recommend it. Many home insurances company's will void your cover if they find out you have an undeclared home based business. For the sake of a few hundred dollars a year, which can be claimed as a business expense, why put yourself in a situation where a water tank bursting in your basement of a weekend, renders you without cover for the damage? Get the insurance.

In terms of the run of the house - it's few provinces that dictate the number of rooms that can be used but I would strongly recommend that you don't literally give the children the run of the house. All children have to be in your line of sight at all times. You are being paid to supervise someone's child, so you had better be there 100% of the time. This means no popping into your kitchen to start family supper, no quickly stripping a bed while the children play. Insurance or not, unsupervised children who get hurt = negligence and no insurance covers negligence.

Its an open house concept, so no walls separating the living room/kitchen/dinning area. Whole house is on one floor, no stairs. With under 5 kids provincial input is not required I am told by them. Just wondering about other people who in Alberta who have opened a day home about the above mentioned items. But I think you are correct in the insurance area.