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A fellow provider/friend and I are considering merging our two home daycares. I am looking for suggestions or tips. We will be running the daycare out of my home, she will be bringing her 3 children (2 in part time preschool) everyday, my 2 kids will be part of the daycare only on school breaks and summers. Any ideas on splitting income, the cost of daycare supplies, etc.? Thank you!
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You will probably have to go bigger than a childcare for family home. Check with your CC&R and see what they say. Best place to start! Also, a friend and I were going to do that and the first thing my husband said was to get a lawyer to help us figure out all types of stuff. Then an accountant to keep track of all the books. My friend and I seriously mulled it over for awhile and then decided not to do it as our friendship was worth more than a business.
Here are some questions to ask yourselves: You will fill in for you if one of you are unable to come to work. Or if you have an emergency where you have to leave suddenly.
How much do you need to make in order to have it successfully run (buy supplies, insurance, carpet cleaning, normal wear and tear, toys, etc.)
How much do you need to make for the above plus to pay each of you a fair salary.
Will you both be owners or one an owner and one a co-owner? Willl you be liscensed as a corporation? Do you need a big vehicle so you are able to transport children?
Like my husband said a lawyer and an accountant can go over questions you may have never thought of. Then you can really decide if this is what you want to pursue or not.Each day is a fresh start
Never look back on regrets
Live life to the fullest
We only get one shot at this!!
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Nothing kills a friendship for women faster than sharing a kitchen, money or men.
Yep, I made it up
...but it is still true. 
My advice: Think hard about it and come up with an amicable escape plan, first.- Unless otherwise stated, all my posts are personal opinion and worth what you paid for them.Comment
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I would never do this. What benefit would you receive when she is bringing 3 kids with her and you have to have the burden of doing it in your home? This sounds like a really bad idea. You'd be better off to do it yourself and hire an assistant. I tried to do this with my sister and it ended up being a bad idea. We split the income but I had so much more to do since it was in my home.Comment
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I should probably clarify--we are both currently licensed and I have had a daycare in my home for the past 3 years so I am used to the wear and tear on my house (although it bothers me). The reason why I see it as a plus for me (despite the fact that my two kids will be at school full time) is that I need the flexiblity of being able to take them to/from school everyday. Also I am getting burned out and like the idea of having another adult around to help with things and talk to throughout the day. I see this as being a relatively short term arrangement (which we have talked about) because I am currently going back to school for my MA degree. Does that change anyone's opinion or still a bad idea?Comment
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The only way to do this is to hire her as an assistant. Only one person holds the license, you hold all the legal responsibilities of the business and the home. What if one of her kids gets hurt? Who's insurance? Yours. Hiring her as an assistant makes taxes easier. Don't do this any other way.Comment
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