How to Start a Day Care in Wisconsin
Starting a day care in Wisconsin is no different from starting any type of business, and it is easy with the right knowledge and personnel. There are two types of day care facilities in Wisconsin: a group child care center and a family child care center. Group child care centers are day cares with nine or more children, and a family child care center only houses four to eight children. The Wisconsin Department of Children and Families deals with licensing and registration of day care centers.
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Instructions
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Create a small business plan. Write up a two-page description of your intent for the day care. Include the general purpose, location in Wisconsin, hours of operation, prices you will charge and staff you might hire. Also include how you plan to market your day care or how your customers will find out about you. Include any relevant trends such as how many new families are moving into the neighborhood and how many competing day cares are established in the area.
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Determine the type of day care you are starting. Decide on the number of children your day care will serve. The Wisconsin Department of Children and Families recommends you involve other agencies and members of your community in the decision process.
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Request a "Family Child Care Business Start-Up Worksheet” from the Department of Children and Families. They will assign a child care technical consultant for free to help you prepare for an initial licensing study, and they will provide a checklist of items you need to complete before you submit the application for a license. They will also be the first to inspect your day care before you are licensed.
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Enroll in the required courses. Any person providing care in the state of Wisconsin needs to complete two noncredit courses before he or she is licensed. One course is in early childhood education called “The Introduction to the Child Care Profession,” and the other course deals with operating a child care business. It is called “Fundamentals of Family Child Care.” You can take both through the technical college system or the University of Wisconsin System.
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Obtain insurance. If you have any pets, such as dogs or cats that will be allowed in the areas accessible to children while they are present, the state of Wisconsin requires that you get liability coverage that specifically includes pets.
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Develop written policies and procedures. Include daily activities of children, fees and enrollment information and child guidance techniques including ways to manage crying, fussing or upset children. You will distribute these procedures to parents and staff and submit them along with your day care licensing application.
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Obtain and fill our application form. The child care technician consultant will provide you with a day care licensing application. Submit the completed form along with other required information such as a “Background Information Disclosure” form for yourself and any caregivers who are 12 or older. As of July 2010, a licensing fee of $60.50 is charged every two years, with an initial 6-month provisionary license costing $15.12 plus $10 for adult members of the day care applying for licensure.
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