Starting Out with an Infant Only Facility...

[JourneeDirector]

Hello all,

So I have decided to open a daycare center catering only to infants to start off. With this being said I wanted to ask if anyone had any tips on how to achieve a profit to grow the center in the coming months and if you could give any money saving ideas. Thanks for your time.

[LysesKids]

Hello all,

So I have decided to open a daycare center catering only to infants to start off. With this being said I wanted to ask if anyone had any tips on how to achieve a profit to grow the center in the coming months and if you could give any money saving ideas. Thanks for your time.

First I would find out what your state regulations require... they vary so much state to state.

[JourneeDirector]

lyseskids,

Thanks for your comment. I actually have gone through all regulations and in the process of finding my building. Just wanted to see how others were able to still support their family during start up(I'm a single mother of 3). Hoping for some tips and tricks from people who have been in business for a while or anyone who has been in a similar situation.

Thanks!!

[Sugar Magnolia]

I could chat with you at length about this topic. If you could pm me, I will provide you my email address. I have opened a center and am contemplating this very idea for my next center.

[Unregistered]

I currently am a legally unlicensed home daycare (slowly pursing licensing), and primarily doing infant and toddler care (I can have 3 kids). I charge $175/week full time. If I'm full I gross $8.75 an hour, before expenses/taxes/etc.

It would be extremely difficult to charge parents an affordable fee, AND pay employees even minimum wage, just providing infant care. Centers that provide infant care often have to charge a significant amount, which means parents frequently pull their infants if they can find a spot in a lower cost family daycare, or can find a relative to watch the child.

Really, I suspect many centers run their infant programs at a loss, in hopes that by providing infant care the parent will keep the child at the center so they'll make up the losses once they're in the preschool program with 1:10 ratios and such.

[LysesKids]

lyseskids,

Thanks for your comment. I actually have gone through all regulations and in the process of finding my building. Just wanted to see how others were able to still support their family during start up(I'm a single mother of 3). Hoping for some tips and tricks from people who have been in business for a while or anyone who has been in a similar situation.

Thanks!!

I have done infants only ( under 15 months) and infant toddler care (under 24 months) in my home for 10 years (a few different states)and have done childcare for going on 16 years... I would never try and do an infants only center for the reasons already mentioned; it's hard enough trying to keep full now. Believe me a few parents have asked me to try and expand with help - NO WAY.

[JourneeDirector]

Thank you guys for your responses!!

[Cat Herder]

Georgia is wonky and defies logic a bit.

Family providers can only have 3 infants while the same person can have 6 in a center.

I guess center kids have fewer needs?

Can you live on the tuition of 3 kids minus overhead? Can you afford to pay 1 adult per 6 kids while paying for a centers overhead?

I don't think I could. The older toddler and school age rooms is where the money is.

[Nisaryn]

Hello, I run an Infant only program but I am a family day care home. As others have said on here it would be really difficult to run an Infant only program right off the bat...this is something I would pursue after you already have an established program with a variety of ages. All of the Infants I have came to me for 1. It's cheaper to find care at an in-home daycare for infants and 2. I run a fantastic Infant program and get a lot of recommendations.

As an infants only home, however, I do charge quite a bit more than other home day cares BUT not as much as a center costs.