Family to Group in Michigan

[MsLaura529]

So, there is a daycare in the area that apparently gave it's notice today that they are closing down in 3 weeks. I have received 3 e-mails and 2 phone calls of people that are frantic. Right now, I have one full-time opening UNTIL March when a current DCG's sibling will begin. I have told the people that and two families still want to interview with me for that spot.

It got me thinking about possibly switching to Group care instead of just Family. I would never want all 12 kid (which group would allow), but just to give me that room for 7 ... would it be worth it? I looked it up on the state's website, trying to figure out what would be required and couldn't really find much except for a Zoning Approval.

Does anyone have experience in switching. Is it a lot of extra money, work, time?

Thanks for any help.

[snbauser]

I don't know the rules for your specific state but I did the same thing as you are considering and am now back to family care. I was group (here called Center in a Residence) for about 3 years. I don't know if I would go back to doing it again because here you have to follow the same rules as a center including sanitation inspections and some of their crazy rules, fire inspection and some of their wacky rules, etc. There is also the ratio's to look into. When I did it, my take home wasn't a whole lot more than what it is now because of paying employees, taxes, extra insurance, workers comp, etc. The only way I would even begin to consider it for the future would be when my dh retires and he can be my assistant. Even then, I would probably only enroll enough to cover our health insurance since he carries that now, and only enroll enough that ratio wise it would only require one person.

[Margarete]

Requirements vary a lot by state. For here in California our licensing fees are a bit higher, but the main expense would be having to have an assistant if you have over 6 kids under 5. Taking on just one more child wouldn't cover the cost of an assistant, and wouldn't make it financially worth it... but there are other reasons to want an assistant, and have that flexibility to take on more kids.

[Maria2013]

When I did it, my take home wasn't a whole lot more than what it is now because of paying employees, taxes, extra insurance, workers comp, etc. The only way I would even begin to consider it for the future would be when my dh retires and he can be my assistant. Even then, I would probably only enroll enough to cover our health insurance since he carries that now, and only enroll enough that ratio wise it would only require one person.

ditto that

[melilley]

I know here, the rules for group and family care rules are the same, but it does cost more to get the group license. Also, if you don't have the required square footage per child, I know that you can get a license for more than 6, but under the 12.

I don't have any experience in switching, but there are a few family providers around her that either went up to group or have opened small centers. Some have done very well and others have closed down.

But as pp's have said, I'm not sure if it would be worth it financially, especially if you want to have only 7 or so. By the time you pay another person, take taxes out, insurance (I'm not sure what MI requires you to have if you have employees) it may not be worth it.

[SunnyDay]

You would have to have an assistant when you were at 7 kids, and deal with all the hiring, payroll, etc. that comes with that.

You would have to renew your license every 2 years instead of every 3 and pay more for the renewal. When you first get a group license you actually have to do a renewal 6 months later, and pay the renewal fee.

You would have to have zoning approval.

I think you would find that it would not be worth it (coming from someone who is licensed as a group home )