Tweet
If you have your daycare outside if your home, can you tell me a little bit about how you were able to accomplish that? Did you start at home and grow into the need for a bigger space? Did you start off with your own separate space? I think I would feel more comfortable being a provider if I had a separate space, but I have no idea where to begin! How much money did you initially invest in your space? Thanks in advance for any advice!
-
-
Hi!
I just found this. I hope somebody can help you.
-
Thanks for the link! That's basically what I've been finding...that I need to have a large amount of money, along with a great business plan. I think I will start in home, and see if the need (or desire!) is there for a bigger place. If so, I will just have to save up for one and do lots and lots of research! Going to take time, patience, and money, but I think I can make it happen eventually!
Comment
-
I started at home. We grew from me having just a few kids, to my husband retiring and joining me as we expanded to group daycare and 16 children.
We gave as much room as we could to the kids, but it did become a squeeze.
Five years ago, we bought our home in the next city over. Our adult son stayed behind in the old home, turning just two bedrooms into his space. A bedroom and a living room. The entire rest of the home got turned over to day care. It has worked out well for us as someone has to live in the home in order for it to licensed as a home group day care.
The old living room is now an indoor "garden room" I am painting murals on the walls of trees and flowers and woodland creatures etc. It's been good for the kids to be able to stretch and climb when the weather isn't good enough to go outside. We have two slides and log cabin there and a picnic table.
The master bedroom is a classroom/playroom.
The dining room is a lunch room/craft room, The den is still a den, with our books, a couch, rocker recliner, TV, etc.
Another bedroom is a nursery with cribs for the babies.
The kids have their own bathroom just off the playroom with shelves for diapers and a large changing area built over the no longer used bathtub. My husband also put shelving up in the shower stall for extra storage!!!
I love shutting the door to the day care and going home to glass nicnacs on my coffee table and not one single outlet cover or baby gate to be found!!!:
:
Comment
-
I live about 7 miles outside of our city. I worked at Head Start for several years when I decided I wanted to open a family child care business. No way in a million years would I have dreamed of running one out of my own home (tons of respect for those of you that do
). I know that actual home based is the way 95% of providers do it, but it just isn't me.
I started looking for smaller houses that were in good locations and had the right set up or floor plan for what I had in mind. I found one that was perfect but it needed a bit of work (which is what made it affordable) so DH and I bought it.
My DH is an amazing carpenter with years of experience remodeling and building exerience so I was super lucky in that area as he made our daycare home even more perfect than my original vision!
My own kids were young so they came to work with me. As they got older, they started going home after school. This cut down on my kids ever having to share any of their toys and/or personal space. When my children were in their teens, I hired them as yard maintenance and helpers so they even made a few $ themselves. My DD babysat every family I had in care and made a small fortune during those years as the families/children all knew and loved her. (She is a nurse now and is my sub when I need one.)
I do drive 15 miles round trip to work each day, which is awesome for down time, reflection or daily planning. But like Meeko, I am able to close the door and walk away from anything work related at the end of each day. I am also not "at" work while on vacation or the weekends. I have zero issues with parents calling after hours because all my parents know that unless it is an emergency, call the daycare and leave a message there. My home is my home and work has NO place there.
I would never do it any other way! I think one of the biggest issues family day care providers have is separating work life from family life. Having a dedicated space eliminates that issue all together. My families can't come early (I am NOT there) and they NEVER pick up late because even the mindframe of the parents I have is different when they know I want to leave work and go home each day too.
Having a separate space makes doing my taxes pretty easy too.
If you have any questions about finances and such, PM me if you want as I would rather not discuss that kind of info on a public forum...kwim?
Comment
-
So jealous, BlackCat and Meeko!!!!Comment
-
I currently rent our home. It has an upstairs 3 bdrm apartment and a basement 1 bdrm apartment. We used to to the daycare in the upstairs part of the home and rent out the basement. Once the tenants moved out, I took over the basement.
We plan on buying our own home in the near future, but I am going to continue to rent the house, move the daycare back upstairs and and rent out the basement to cover the main cost of the house.
This way my home is my home and I'll have lots of space for my daycare. It will **** having to wake up so early go to work as opposed to 15 mins before I start, but I think it will be worth it!
Comment
Comment