Do I need a license to babysit 2 kids in my home in Miami?

Question

I've tried checking on line with different sites, but mostly they talk about day care centers. Is there a min/max # of children when you need one? I'm looking for someone who actually knows. If anyone knows specifically, please answer. I'm a stay at home mom of 2 and wanted to earn some extra income. I know I can handle 2 more kids but probably no more than that as I would need additional help.

Answer 1

My aunt has a house in DE and she does have a license,but for a couple kids,i don't think you really need to worry about it,you just have to be very carefull they don't get hurt,cause then there would be an investigation,and you don't want that,you could loose your house in a law suit,now if you had a license and one got hurt,or god forbid killed,from electric or a bad fall,hey you are licensed,there would be nothing the authorities could do.I was gonna mail you more info,but couldn't,so be sure all recepticals (wall outlets) are child proof,all sharp corners have rubber things on the corners,no pesticides,guns,poison stuff and so on are any where where a child could get into.

Answer 2

You do not need a license to do in-home day care, but you are supposed to register with the state.  Registration is fairly easy and informal, especially by comparison to licensing.  For example, there is no requirement for the state to inspect your home.  Of course, many (probably most) people who do in-home day care don't even bother with that, but it is something to consider.

Maybe more important than registration, however, is to check your homeowner's insurance policy.  Some companies will not cover you for anything that happens to the children you are caring for.  Since the day care is being provided for money, it is a business, and some insurance companies require you to have a rider on your policy.  

This is very important, because kids do get hurt.  Even kids who are watched carefully get bumps and bruises, and eventually some kid will break an arm or something.  You definitely need to have insurance to cover your liability.  Don't rely on the fact that you know the parents or that they seem nice.  Things change in a hurry when something bad happens to a child.

Even worse, if the insurance company finds out that you are operating a business in your residence, they could decide that you violated the terms of the policy.  Then, when the next hurricane blows off your roof or you have a fire, they could say, "So sorry.  You're not covered."  Stuff like that happened throughout Mississippi and Louisiana after Hurricane Katrina.

The state provides a pamphlet on what parents should look for in choosing a good day care program.  But if you haven't come across it, you should look at it as well.  It provides a good check list of the kinds of things you need to think about in setting up a day care program, even for just two kids.:

http://nrc.uchsc.edu/RESOURCES/ParentsGu...

I hope this helps.  Good luck!!