Do You Have A Separate Space For You Daycare?

[EntropyControlSpecialist]

I use almost the entire downstairs. Entryway leads into room 1, which leads into room 2, which leads into room 3 which as a door outside. The kitchen it right off of that. I do wish I had another little bathroom in the back area. Hmmmm...I wonder how much that would cost.

[Meeko]

I have a walk-out basement with it's own entrance under my carport. Nobody goes upstairs. They don't use my front door either. I have 1500 sq feet on each floor.

[kitykids3]

I used to have my home and daycare together in a 950 sq. foot lower duplex. It was cramped.
I bought my house 4 years ago and I love it and can now have separate spaces. It's a polish flat so it's kind of like a duplex but it is single family. Downstairs is daycare and upstairs is my living space. Both levels have 2 doors, one to the front and one to the back yard. It's great because daycare has it's own 2 entrances and no one has to see my living space. I have a dining room and play room and two nap rooms for daycare and a separate room that has a toilet. I had a sink installed and have a fridge down there and kind of turned the utility room into a small kitchen with a counter and cupboards. I prepare meals upstairs where the stove is and freeze ahead of time and then I just pop it in the microwave downstairs at lunch time. I was lucky to find this house when I was looking and that it was only a mile from the old place and something I could afford. Love love love having separate space. It's about 670 sq. ft of space just for daycare.

[LoraJenkins]

My daycare space use to be in my livingroom. Since my daughters moved out I have 2 separate rooms and a bathroom just for daycare space. It is SO nice not to have toys snd stuff in my livingroom! At the end of the day, I close the bedroom doors and can relax. It makes a world of difference!

[Unregistered]

We added a large two story addition off the back of our home. Second floor is a bedroom. It was the best decision ever. Parents come to the back door and do not walk through the house.

I have two rooms. One large room for playing and napping - one smaller room for eating, table toys, puzzles and sensory table with oatmeal. Kitchen is off the smaller room. I can see the kids while I cook. Also, the larger room has a bathroom.

I clean up at the end of the day and the day care doesn't exist till the next day!

[Josiegirl]

Maybe in my next life. But then in my life life I'd like to come back as an heir to the Gates family.
I have a small home, you enter the front door into the living room, go straight into the kitchen, then through into the playroom. Bedrooms and bathroom are off the living room and bedrooms. I do NOT like the set-up but it is what it is. Dcps aren't too bad about it. In all my years I've only had one that was nosy and intrusive.
However, the dcks are the sneaky ones who get into stuff and I do NOT like that!!!

[childcaremom]

I have a classic 70's style split foyer home. You walk in the front door and there are stairs leading up, and stairs leading down. The daycare is down, and my house is up. I know that, for me, I could not run a daycare in my living space. I know a lot of providers do it, but I can not.

Having it separate does several things for me:

1) allows me to come upstairs with my DD various times during the day. ( I have staff that can run the downstairs)

2) Means my kitchen doesn't have to be spotless at all times, I don't have to worry about parents snooping etc.

3) The mess stays down stairs. My house is always in the same condition I left it in the morning.

4) I leave the daycare at 5pm, and don't see it again until 8am. I love that I can come upstairs at the end of the day and not look at the daycare area, toys, etc. My DD's toys are mostly in her room, or blend with my decor, so when I'm relaxing, I feel like an adult, in an adult space.

The only thing I don't like about my set up is that I don't have a walk-out to the back yard for outside play. I am seriously considering having one put in, so we don't have to drag the kids up the steps and deal with the awkward entryway that my house has.

I know for me, that having it separate makes it, rather than breaks it. YKWIM?

This is our house. I love that it is out of the way. No way would I be able to do daycare without a separate area. We do use the upstairs (family) area for meals and snacks and art, and use the bathroom b/c we don't have one in the basement (on my wishlist!).

We go outside from our patio doors upstairs and if we are out when parents come they walk around the house to pick up there. I keep the front door locked so they can't get in. Parents see the house during the interview and then don't come back in once their child starts. I always meet and greet at the door and bring child to door if we are inside during pick ups. Normally we are outside, though.

I understand the front door busy-ness. I make sure that I don't have drop offs during the time my kids are trying to get out the door. I haven't had a problem with parents making small adjustments to their drop off times and this way my kids can get out the door without all the traffic from dcfs.

[countrymom]

I have a 2 storey house. So all the bedrooms are upstairs and then we have the main living area. I've posted pics of my set up, and that use to be our living room and spare front room. I'm changing the entrance way from the back to the front so everyone will have to go to the daycare room and no one will see the rest of the house. I'm deciding if I want to add a pocket door to close the area off. We also have a family room on the main floor and thats what we use. I will be closing off the back and making it into a true sun room so we will have more personal space.

a question for the op, but can you add a door to the downstairs, I think they call it a great entrance. This way everyone would only enter thru that door, and I think it would be cheaper than building an addition.

[Blackcat31]

I have a completely separate space for my child care too.

It's 7.5 miles from my house.

BEST thing I ever did.

I have MAJOR respect for those of you who run the show from your homes.

NOT something I could ever do.

[SilverSabre25]

I wish I had separate space. It's something I desperately wish for but with my home, doubt will ever happen. Even just *some* space that was truly separate would be nice.

[countrymom]

I would love to have a seperate house, this would be great.