How to Start a Family Daycare in Ohio

Running a daycare home can be a fulfilling career.

Two agencies in Ohio license daycare businesses: the Ohio Department of Education (ODE) and the Ohio Department of Job & Family Services (ODJFS). The ODJFS licenses or certifies some daycare homes. The ODE does not serve daycare homes.



Ohio has type A and type B daycare homes in Ohio. Type A homes serve four to 12 children. Type B includes licensed and unlicensed daycare homes; unlicensed type B homes serve one to six children, licensed type B homes more than six children. If an unlicensed daycare home receives public funds, it must become certified by ODJFS.



The three resources for planning a daycare home in Ohio are a local Small Business Development Center, the ODJFS and the Ohio Association of Child Care Providers.

Things You'll Need

• Space set apart for childcare
• child safety items
• diapering area
• potty chair
• high chairs or feeding tables
• age appropriate toys
• cots or cribs
• fence for yard
• outdoor toys
• child gates
• fire extinguisher

Instructions

Preparing for Licensing or Certification

1. 

   Install safety covers on all electrical outlets.

   Prepare the daycare area and contact local fire and health departments for inspections. Cover electrical outlets, put locks on cabinets and put hazardous items out of reach of children or locked away. The home should have fire extinguishers, smoke alarms and a fire escape plan posted. Set up play areas indoors and outdoors and put a fence around the play area. Purchase age appropriate indoor and outdoor toys and furniture for sleeping and eating. If there are any safety or fire hazards, the inspecting agencies will inform the homeowner. Changes can be made and the home reinspected. If the home uses well water, the local health department will test it. If the water does not pass, the health department will require the daycare owner to use bottled water exclusively.

2. 

   Childcare providers must be free of communicable diseases.

   Download the ODJFS childcare manual and read through the forms and regulations. Create a checklist. Visit the county Department of Human Services (DHS) to get help with the certification or licensing process.

3. 

   Ohio requires many hours of training for childcare providers each year.

   Get all staff and household members checked for communicable diseases, including tuberculosis. The county DHS will do background checks.

4. Be sure employees are trained. Training, required by Ohio, is provided by the DHS. All providers should be at least 18. Type B providers must take and complete the "Health and Safety in Family Day Care" course within three months. They must also complete 12 hours within the first year. After the first year, six hours per year are required to maintain certification until the provider has completed 30 hours. Type A providers must complete 15 hours the first year and continue until 45 hours are completed. The DHS county director can provide exemptions when evidence of equivalent training is provided.

5. Fill out an application and all necessary forms. While waiting to get the certification or license, create a marketing plan. Consider acquiring extra accreditation to increase the success of the marketing plan. The National Association for Family Child Care and the National Association for the Education of Young Children are two agencies that accredit daycare homes.

Marketing the Daycare Home

1. Take ideas to the local Small Business Development Center and create a business plan. Learn about any grants or special loans that might help the business grow.

2. Create press releases and brochures. Create a website and Facebook page for marketing and for parent-provider communication. Write the philosophy of care and a bio. Include any special training or experience, especially early childhood degrees or diploma programs. Sometimes parents want to see that a person is already a loving parent, so parenthood is a great credential to include. Send brochures to the HR departments of local businesses or, even better, deliver them in person.

3. 

   An open house is a great way to kick off a new daycare business.

   Hold an open house. Distribute the press release to local media and follow up with a phone call. Reporters may seek an interview or attend the open house. Ask friends with children to come and play with the toys. Put balloons and a sign on the lawn. Invest in a caterer to provide snacks. Post your license and any extra credentials prominently.

4. 

   A grand opening is a second chance at special marketing.

   Plan a grand opening once children have been enrolled for a while. Make it special, similar to the open house. Hire extra staff for the day so one person is free to interact with guests. Plan special activities for the children.

Tips & Warnings

• Visit playgrounds and talk to parents.

• Create a system for keeping informed about child product recalls.

References

• Ohio Department of Job & Family Services: Childcare in Ohio
• Ohio Department of Job & Family Svcs.: Childcare Center Manuals
• Ohio State University Fact Sheet: Becoming a Child Care Provier

Resources

• Ohio Small Business Development Centers: Find a Local Center
• National Child Care Association: Ohio Association of Child Care Providers
• National Association for the Education of Young Children
• National Association for Family Child Care
• Ohio Department of Job & Family Services: Child Care Licensing Field Offices Supervisor Contact List