Start A Daycare Center?

Question

I'm a teen and a future entrepreneur. My major in college will be entrepreneurship or business management. As an entrepreneur I would like to open a daycare center (not in home). If I wanted hire employees, do the office work, and plan activities and such at the center but not "teach", what other education would I need?

Answer 1

Child care centers have directors who are in charge. The requirements vary by state, so check it out on your state's website.

On my website, I have a lot of resources for people wanting to open a child care center.

http://www.the-preschool-pages.com/links

Answer 2

I would get some kind of early childhood education.

Answer 3

You would need your ECE to be the supervisor. If you are the owner/operator...you don't require it.

MANY daycare centres run out of money before they open so you should work with a consultant to ensure you KNOW what you're getting yourself into. There are loads and loads of policies to follow and you are obligated to follow all recommondations made by the health department, fire department, ministry of child and social services...sometimes that means buying specific (costly) equipment, sometimes that means moving a wall (contractors)....the last client I worked with needed to add a sprinkler system to their daycare (AFTER all the other work was done....she was devestated....ran out of cash...).

If you're very serious about this....volunteer at a local daycare (DO NOT TELL THEM YOUR FUTURE INTENTIONS) and see if you really really like the environment. Once you're almost done school...evaluate how much $$ you can invest and hire an agent. I suggest you buy a small already established childcare centre (facility already approved, staff is in place...) If things go wrong...at least you have a business to sell. That's my 2 cents...lol...good luck!!!!

Answer 4

If you have the early childhood background, it will help.  It will help you to know what kind of people to hire as well as what kind of things you will need in your center.  You also won't necessarily need a director if you have the education.  You might just need an assistant director to carry through the everyday business.  But this can save you money if you can be the director, however this may require you to be on site, and this might not be what you want.  Good luck.  I would let the teachers plan the activities.  They are the ones who will carry them out, so let them do it.

Answer 5

Laura covered many good points.  :-)  You can tell that she has had a lot of experience.

I would also suggest purchasing a child care center already instead of working from the ground up...it's very expensive to start from nothing :-)  And a lot of start-up costs.

Check out your licensing in your area...it will tell you what education requirements there are for your staff (including you).  Directors need to have credits/experience in early childhood or a bacherlor's degree...etc.  However, if you only wish to be owner/operator you wouldn't need the degree.  Child care centers do not make a lot of $$$ especially, at first opening, and if they want to keep good staff and have an excellent program.  Often times the owner plays another role in the center and that helps even the costs a bit more.  I guess you could be the director and not one of the teachers but you are back to needing credits/experience or the education degree/early childhood endorsement.  I've also seen it done where 2 people went into the business together.  One was the Kindergarten teacher of the day care and the other did the business side of it...and very seldom did you see her in the room...she did some of the runs to the school/field trips, did breaks if she had to, but stayed in the office most of the time.  Good luck.  Great idea to start thinking about it now.

Answer 6

-Management and finances.

-if you are planning activities and curriculum then you will need an early years childcare qualification and Foundation Stage training.

-First Aid, Food Hygiene, Safe Guarding Children.