How to Start a Home-Based Day-Care Business, 5th

by Shari Steelsmith

• ISBN13: 9780762741762
• ISBN10: 0762741767
• Edition: 5th
• Format: Trade Paper
• Copyright: 2006-12-01
• Publisher: Globe Pequot

Summary

Including guidance on both the financial and educational aspects of running a home-based day-care program, Shari Steelsmith's book offers tips for successful business management as well as advice on caring for children. Suggestions for establishing and maintaining a home-based business, communicating effectively with children, and remediating potential problems are also included.

Author Biography

Shari Steelsmith is a full-time mother and freelance writer focusing on parenting, educational, and family-related topics. She writes weekly Tip & Tool articles for the Web site, www.parentingpress.com.Shari is also the author of Go to Your Room! Consequences That Teach, Understanding the Angry Child, the board book series Feelings for Little Children, and several other titles.

Table of Contents

Preface	vii
Family Child Care---Is It for Me?	1	(20)
The Benefits of Family Child Care	1	(1)
Is This for Me?	2	(1)
Kinds of Family Child-Care Providers	3	(1)
How Is a Family Child Care Different from Other Kinds of Care?	4	(2)
Styles of Family Child Care	6	(1)
Do You Have the Room?	7	(2)
Take Inventory of Your Skills and Experience	9	(3)
Are You Willing to Run and Maintain a Business?	12	(4)
Outfitting a Family Child Care on a Budget	16	(2)
The Three Most Common Reasons a Family Child Care Doesn't Succeed	18	(2)
Visit a Provider	20	(1)
Starting Out	21	(30)
Where to Start	21	(1)
The Next Step: Licensing and/or Registration	22	(4)
The Basic Components of Licensing	26	(18)
Planning to Make a Profit	44	(5)
It's Not Really as Hard as It Sounds	49	(2)
Policies and Procedures	51	(32)
Enrollment Records and Policies	51	(2)
Setting Your Fees	53	(5)
Termination Policy	58	(1)
Hours of Operation	59	(1)
Holiday Schedule	59	(1)
Vacations	60	(1)
When the Children (or You) Get Sick	60	(2)
Meals	62	(3)
Guidance or Discipline	65	(1)
Other Policies You May Wish to Consider	66	(17)
Your Daily Schedule	83	(34)
Age Mix of the Children	83	(1)
Your Background and Training	84	(1)
Your Temperament	84	(1)
Devising a Daily Schedule	84	(2)
Mealtimes: An Essential Part of the Day	86	(6)
Naptime	92	(1)
Free Play	93	(8)
Structured Time	101	(6)
Special Events	107	(4)
Storytime	111	(6)
Fun Activities for Children	117	(28)
Language Activities	118	(4)
Science Activities	122	(2)
Learning Games	124	(3)
Movement Activities	127	(2)
Cooking and Snack Activities	129	(3)
Music Activities	132	(2)
Art Activities	134	(4)
Personal Safety Activities	138	(7)
Positive Guidance Tools	145	(32)
Children's Developmental Ages and Stages	146	(3)
Discipline/Guidance Techniques	149	(5)
Increasing Good Behavior	154	(4)
Decreasing Difficult Behavior	158	(7)
Fostering Good Social Skills	165	(3)
Where to Go When a Child Needs More Help than You Can Give	168	(1)
Ten Common Guidance Problems	168	(9)
Back to Business	177	(42)
Generating Enrollment	177	(11)
Screening Parents and Children	188	(2)
Setting Up Your Office	190	(1)
Computer and Printer	191	(3)
Record-Keeping	194	(25)
Solving Common Problems	219	(16)
Problems with Parents	219	(8)
Problems with Your Family	227	(4)
Problems with a Multi-age Mix of Children	231	(3)
Minimizing Interruptions	234	(1)
Planning for the Future	235	(26)
Small versus Large License	235	(1)
Your Physical and Emotional Well-Being	236	(1)
Planning for a Substitute	237	(2)
Hiring an Assistant	239	(7)
Increasing Your Fees	246	(3)
Networking: The Importance of Being Well Connected	249	(2)
Planning for Accreditation	251	(1)
Setting Goals	252	(6)
A Word about Professionalism	258	(1)
A Wish for Success	259	(2)
Appendix	261	(28)
Publications	261	(5)
Mail-Order Catalogs for Publications and Other Products	266	(1)
Software	267	(1)
Professional Organizations and Associations	267	(2)
State Child Care Home Pages/Information on Licensing	269	(3)
Sample Forms and Worksheets	272	(15)
Frequently Asked Questions	287	(2)
Index	289	(7)
About the Author	296