What steps are needed in starting a 3/4-year-old daycare; teaching phonics/time/crafts, etc. for pre-K?

Question

What is the max number of children to consider? Helpful information re insurance coverage...any info on what companies may be better than others; can I be selective with age preference (pre-school vs. babies) if I am operating under a state license? I raised my children with a structured-type setting; day trips to tot lots and parks, reading books, music interaction, phonics, etc. Aside from Sesame Street, television was not encouraged except for children's movies for relaxation. Any suggestions from people who have been this route and can advise? Pros? Cons? Thanks.

Answer 1

there is a lot to consider. start out by thinking about if you want to try going at it on your own or with a partner or two. you'll need to look into your state's guidelines for ratio numbers. in PA, we can have one teacher to 10 preschoolers (3-5 year olds). the ratio is much lower for babies, 1 and 2 year olds.

being a private run day care, you'll can be as selective as you'd like in choosing who goes to your school. before you start accepting children, make sure you have your guidelines for acceptance set up so parents can say you're being unfair. if the children have to be 3 when they start, don't bend on it!

i don't know what state you're in, but you need to look into what the state's requirements are for operating a day care. where i live, the state requires that you register with them if you watch over a certain number of children (maybe it's 5? i forget). plus, parents will be MUCH more likely to attend if you're licensed by the state.

do you have a degree? CPR/First Aid Certified? thing like that are essential. in PA, you'd have to take a blood borne pathogens training and fire safety training yearly and be certified in pediatric first aid.

in my four years of teaching preschool, i must say that i have rarely used tv. in fact, my classroom doesn't even HAVE a tv this year! the only time we've watched anything is a video with the police officer on dog safety! kids aged 2-7 already spend an average of 3.5 hours a DAY watching tv. they don't need it at school!

i'd talk to some people in your area who have opened their own child care services and see what they have done. ask them about insurance and other expenses. NAEYC accreditation will make you stand out above the rest, but you must have your degree and the accreditation costs money. i sent my daughter to a NAEYC preschool and wouldn't have had it any other way.  look into your state's requirements. make a list of your personal pros/cons. look into state and federal grants for opening your own preschool to help with expenses.

here's a website on how to start a daycare:

http://www.fabjob.com/daycareowner.asp?a...

good luck!

Answer 2

If you are doing a home daycare, you should get certified by the state. Most states or areas have organizations for home daycare owners to join. If you are going to create a whole daycare, you need space, teachers, a philosophy, a teaching license or degree in child development is helpful.

It is much more lucrative to have older children. If you have babies, and have over a certain number of children, you are expected to have one teacher for every four babies. If in home daycare, your state will have specific guidelines as to how many children you can have per adult.

If you are going professional, you should check out NAEYC accreditation, because being accredited schools have stricter guidelines, but are also likely to have waiting lists instead of openings.

Smart thinking on insurance, unfortunately I don't know anything about that topic.

You should check out the Reggio Emilia teaching philosophy. It is a great way to create meaningful, child-directed curriculum that will guide students' investigations towards expectatios without forcing "lessons" on them.

Hope this helps! Good luck!