Daycare in your Basement

[JeepGirl6]

How many of you have your daycare in your basement of your home? Can you please post or send me pictures. Do you have centers? Infant area? Preschool area? I have had my In Home Child Care opened for 4 years now. My husband and I are going to start a family and we are currently looking at moving to a different house. The house is actually only 5 minutes down the road from me so I am pretty sure I will be able to keep all of my current children I care for. We just kind of feel like in our home now the daycare kinda takes it over, the parents have to walk through our kitchen and dining room(can see into the living room) to go up to the 2nd floor of our home to the daycare rooms, my husband just feels when he is sitting in the living room he has no privacy. They basically walk throughout our entire home to get to the daycare rooms. We are thinking the next house we would like to put the daycare in the basement, it is already 1/2 way finished and the finished part is 465 sq feet so its even big enough until we get the rest of it finished. The basement door would be just left of the entry way into the kitchen so the daycare parents would no longer have to walk through our entire home to get to the child care area. Its not a walkout basement though which I wish it was. Where I live you dont have to be licensed unless you plan on caring for more than six children, I plan to stay under 6 children. Having the daycare in the basement will make it so our house isnt the daycare anymore to us. There are glass block windows in the basement, if I have a lot of lighting will this be ok to parents do you think? Any advice/opinions would be appreciated, thanks

[Meeko]

Mine is in my basement. I have pics on the decor thread. I have a separate entrance for parents and nobody has to go upstairs, so our family area stays private. Our family room is used, but not too much. We have dedicated space for the kids. I used to do daycare in another facility until this past August. I am LOVING being at home, yet still able to walk away from work at the end of the day.

[itlw8]

IN MO it must be walk out glass block window do not open so are not an acess in case if fire.

Ceilings have to be high enough for fire regulations

So before you proceed check your regulations. minimum you need an egress window if you are not walkout.

[nanglgrl]

My daycare is also in my basement and there are pictures in the decor group. I like not having daycare families in my living space. They come through the side door which leads to the basement.

[cheerfuldom]

IN MO it must be walk out glass block window do not open so are not an acess in case if fire.

Ceilings have to be high enough for fire regulations

So before you proceed check your regulations. minimum you need an egress window if you are not walkout.

she's not licensed so regulations are not a concern here, right? although I would try and find a home that accommodates safety concerns as best as possible!

[cheerfuldom]

my daycare is in my basement. parents come in and head straight downstairs. they cannot see the majority of the living space and thats how we like it

[Sdcp16]

how do you see pictures in the decor group? I'd love to see your set ups!

[countrymom]

I only wish. I would love to have a basement period but I can't because of water levels. But I would make sure that you have 2 seperate ways to get out, I like those ecgron windows (they don't make them in canada because I went looking) I'm thinking of adding a barn door (sliding) to seperate the rooms so when the parents drop off they won't see the rest of the house.

[bunnyslippers]

Mine is also in my basement. I have a play area, a circle area, a table area. The kids all nap down here at naptime. I have a wall of pack and plays, and I move them around the room at naptime. I have a bathroom down here, as well as a microwave and fridge. The daycare kids never go in my living area, for any reason.

If I could change one thing, it would be a separate walk out exit in my basement. Right now,the parents enter my front door and head downstairs. I have a coded lock pad on the front door, so they let themselves in and out.

[Rubysmom]

I have daycare in my basement. The only time we go upstairs is to send the preschooler to bus. My husband finished the basement with daycare in mind. We have a bathroom, kitchen with dishwasher, frig and toaster oven, and a walkout to backyard. I have a baby area, dramatic play area, block/cars area and a few little tables near puzzle shelves and art area. The areas are divided by Ikea shelving so I can see over them and yet there are distinct centers. The other half of basement is storage, mechanical room and my office.

[melilley]

I would love to have a daycare in my basement...away from personal space! Please, please make sure there are 2 exits out in case of fire! I am just over protective in this area because a year ago we had a house fire (everyone was ok) and to this day I worry about my kids and their friends playing down in the basement (we too have glass block windows) without an egress window. Good luck with the basement daycare and starting a family!

[SunshineMama]

Does anyone know how much it costs to have a egress window put in?

I would like to do my basement for daycare but dont have an egress window.

[Childminder]

My dh put ours in for about $1500 and the quotes we got for someone else to do it ranged from $3500-$4500.

[melilley]

My daycare is also in my basement and there are pictures in the decor group. I like not having daycare families in my living space. They come through the side door which leads to the basement.

I love your little loft, it looks so cute!

[nanglgrl]

I love your little loft, it looks so cute!

Thank you! It's the favorite area to play in most of the time.