About Home Daycare Licensing

If you're considering starting a home daycare, there are many steps you'll need to take in order to make it a reality. You'll need to obtain equipment and create space in your home for the children. In order to protect yourself and your future customers, you may want to create a contract for parents to sign. Above all, you need to obtain a home daycare license.

Identification

While there are plenty of babysitters who operate businesses in their home without being licensed, in most states, there are legal limits as to how many children can be in your care before a license is required. Some states regulate a certain number of kids, while others limit the number of families from which the children can come. Specifics aside, 43 U.S. states require licensing for in-home daycare facilities. The process can be daunting, but since a home daycare can be a lucrative venture, it may be worth your while.

Geography

Every state has its own rules in regard to home daycare licensing. Seven states in the U.S. have no regulations or licensing requirements for in-home daycare facilities. These include Arizona, Idaho, Louisiana, New Jersey, Ohio, South Dakota and Virginia. Other states, like Florida, allow individual counties to govern licensing rules. So, in Florida's case, only certain counties actually require licensing for home daycare facilities. States like New York and Vermont only require a daycare license if the provider is caring for more than the allowed limit of unrelated children, while states like Michigan require licensing (on varied levels) for any number of unrelated kids.

Features

Those states with regulations for in-home daycare facilities require that you meet licensing regulations for both health and safety. Since daycare licensing requirements vary from state to state, the best thing you can do to find out the specifics for yours is to contact your state's licensing agency. They will put you in touch with the appropriate licensing office or agency. The agency will then usually mail you a packet containing all of the requirements for home daycare licensing as well as the forms you'll need to get started.

Benefits

While obtaining a home daycare license can be tedious and sometimes stressful, it has many benefits. For one, it can certainly aid in the marketing of your home daycare facility. Even though a license is no guarantee of proper care, having one can put a potential customer's mind at ease. Another significant benefit is that licensing opens the doors for additional funding and assistance in the form of grants and government programs. One such program, available in most states, is one that offers providers assistance with food for daycare children. Licensing also gives you the ability to accept children whose parents receive government assistance for daycare.

Considerations

Those states that require home daycare licensing also require background checks for anyone who will be in contact with the children while they're in your care. Licensing will not take place until your background check is complete. The check will be run under your name, as well as any aliases you've used in the past, such as a maiden name. Your driving history may also be checked, especially for providers who will transport children. Some states also check your credit and financial status. Your educational records and address may also be checked, as well as your employment history.

Resources

• Child Care Aware: Resources State by State
• National Resource Center for Health and Safety in Child Care and Early Education
• Daycare Resource Connection