Daycare Center Requirements California

[Calikate]

Hi there just wondering what the requirements are to open a daycare center

Also would I be allowed to buy a house to run a daycare out of that is seperate from my main dwelling?

I live in california

[Margarete]

If you do not live in the home, you could not qualify as a 'Family Child Care Home' you would have to apply as a center.... Then you may have to jump through other hoops. Does zoning allow for commercial use of the home, you may need to get a variance from the city. (Family child care is considered residential use)
Requirements are a lot different for a center vs family child care. Center 'directors' need more education/ experience, maybe someone else can help with more details.

[Margarete]

Here is a link to the different requirements

http://ccld.ca.gov/PG487.htm

and the regulation highlights for a center

http://ccld.ca.gov/res/pdf/CCCRegulationHighlights.pdf

[Calikate]

Thank you for the info!! :hug:

My mom and I are opening a daycare in the home we are building, My mom with have a little apartment attached to the house. We are planning to open a large home daycare, with her acting as my assistant. So looking into the future I am just wondering how we could have a location that we don't actually live in. I guess possibly my mom could open one in a house, and have the address as her primary address? I am trying to find a way to have a separate location without doing all the requirements for a center.

Thoughts?

[Margarete]

As long as her apartment is attached, that should work. I don't know if it needs to have an entrance from her 'apartment'. I do know that it can't be detached. Separate day care space is allowed.
The other thing to be aware of is that the 'owner' can only have substitute care for 20% of the time... so that means your mother would need to be there for at least 80% of the time (either of the day, week, month).
I know another provider who lives at the day care home during the week, and goes to another house on the weekend (that another family member also lives at). That works because over 50% of the time she is staying at the day care home.
This can and may be verified, so be sure you do it right however you decide, but there are lots of ways to make it work.

[Calikate]

The house we are building, her unit is attached so it is a flowing part of the house, So I don't think that would be a problem?

So much to learn and figure out!

So we will be living together and running the daycare together when it first opens.

I am thinking down the road when we have a steady income we could buy a smaller house in the same neighborhood (to keep the same clients) that she could live in and we could use the entire space (besides a bedroom for her) for a daycare rather then a smaller space in house with me my husband and daughter that will be our first location. I am just wondering if this would work?

In that case, would it better for her to apply for the license and me to act as the assistant?

sorry if this sounds complicated, so much to consider.

[Starburst]

Thank you for the info!! :hug:

My mom and I are opening a daycare in the home we are building, My mom with have a little apartment attached to the house. We are planning to open a large home daycare, with her acting as my assistant. So looking into the future I am just wondering how we could have a location that we don't actually live in. I guess possibly my mom could open one in a house, and have the address as her primary address? I am trying to find a way to have a separate location without doing all the requirements for a center.

Thoughts?

I think if you live on the same property or have the same address that it counts.

However, something that you may not be aware of is that you're supposed to either have experience working as an administrative, director, or teacher at a center or at least 1 year experience operating as a licensed small family child care home before you can expand to a large family license (I guess they want to make you are serious about it before having more than 6 or 8 kids at a time).

http://www.dss.cahwnet.gov/forms/english/LIC279A.pdf (it's age 3)

[Calikate]

Thank you for all help!

Yes there is a couple routes I think we can take:

We can either run a small one for a year before opening a large family home daycare.

We were told that we could apply for an exception as we have both worked in childcare. My mom and I both have been working as nannies ( me to an actor, my mom to an athlete) My mom has been working as a nanny for 20 + years and myself for over ten. So we were told it would depend on who was our representative, but because we have been working in childcare for so many years we may be able to apply for the exemption.

So just trying to figure out everything! But this forum is by far our greatest resource.

[Starburst]

The house we are building, her unit is attached so it is a flowing part of the house, So I don't think that would be a problem?

So much to learn and figure out!

So we will be living together and running the daycare together when it first opens.

I am thinking down the road when we have a steady income we could buy a smaller house in the same neighborhood (to keep the same clients) that she could live in and we could use the entire space (besides a bedroom for her) for a daycare rather then a smaller space in house with me my husband and daughter that will be our first location. I am just wondering if this would work?

If you plan on making the new house an actual center than she wouldn't be able to live there. If you make it a home daycare then it would need to be in her name since she lives there. I knew a provider that did daycare in a house owned by her sister in law (who is also her assistant) and the provider legally has to live there for a certain amount of time out of the week or month (not sure which). They stay at the house they bought before daycare on weekends (not sure why they can't do daycare there). And licensing will actually check (ask neighbors, possibly investigate any suspicions).

In that case, would it better for her to apply for the license and me to act as the assistant?

If you plan on still doing daycare in your home after she moves than you might want to put it in your name. If you want the daycare to move with her and not continue child care on your own and she wants to do a large care home then it might be better if it's under her name- though she would still need to re-apply for a new license because they don't transfer location or to another person.

sorry if this sounds complicated, so much to consider.

my answers above in purple

[Calikate]

Thank you so much!! Very helpful.

The other option is always of course, to get a degree in early education, so that I can open a center, but I am trying to see if there is a way around that.