| One tough decision you have to make when | | | | and finished my day at 6:00 p.m. |
| starting a home daycare business is what your | | | | This accommodated several different families with |
| daily schedule will look like. What hours should you | | | | different schedules. However, it was really tough |
| be open? When should you serve snacks and | | | | on my own family. My children were woken early |
| meals? How should you structure your day? | | | | by the noise of the daycare families, and when |
| These can be hard questions, but this guide can | | | | they returned from school they still had two or |
| help you think through the factors that should | | | | more hours of time with the daycare children |
| affect these decisions and help you establish the | | | | there. After much consideration, I cut my hours |
| right schedule for your style of care. | | | | and moved to a day from 6:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. I |
| The first decision you need to make before | | | | did lose one daycare family because of my |
| getting started is what hours you will care for | | | | change of hours, but it was what my family |
| children. There are several factors that should | | | | needed. Keep in mind that some parents work |
| affect this decision. You need to consider the | | | | very unusual schedules. Nurses, doctors, |
| needs of your family as well as the needs of the | | | | firefighters, police officers, etc. have different |
| families you will care for. If you have your own | | | | hours than the 9-5 job. You will need to decide |
| children that are school age, this decision becomes | | | | whether you can accommodate these schedule |
| a little more complicated. You need to consider | | | | requests. |
| whether you drop off and/or pick up your | | | | Once you establish your hours of operation, you |
| children from school, the before and after school | | | | need to decide how your day will be structured. I |
| activities of your children, the homework | | | | stuck to the regulations of the food programs |
| schedules of your children, how far the bus stop | | | | and provided two snacks and one meal to the |
| is from your house, and the school schedule. | | | | children in my care each day. I chose to provide a |
| If you need to be available to drop off and/or | | | | morning snack, lunch, and an afternoon snack. So |
| pick up your own children from school or from | | | | the children that came early each morning were |
| extra-curricular activities, you need to take this | | | | required to either eat breakfast at their home |
| into consideration when establishing your hours for | | | | before coming or bring their breakfast with them |
| daycare. If you have a large vehicle with plenty | | | | to eat at my house. If you have a lot of children |
| of seat belts and you get parental permission, you | | | | eating at the same time you may need to |
| can take the daycare children with you to do this | | | | stagger eating times to accommodate this. |
| running around. Some parents don't want you | | | | Personally, I served breakfast between 7:15 a.m. |
| driving their children around, so this may limit the | | | | and 7:45 a.m. I told parents that if they wanted |
| clientele you take in. | | | | their child to eat breakfast at my house they had |
| You must have a seat belt for every child you | | | | to be there by 7:30 at the latest. Choose a time |
| carry in your vehicle and they are not allowed to | | | | for morning snack that is about midway between |
| ride in the front seat. You also need to get | | | | breakfast and lunch. I served lunch between 12 |
| WRITTEN parental permission to transport | | | | and 12:30, so I served morning snack at about |
| children from other families. If you aren't going to | | | | 10:00. I ended up serving afternoon snack twice |
| be able to transport the daycare children, you will | | | | each day. I served the younger kids between 3 |
| need to have other arrangements worked out for | | | | and 3:30, and I served the school age kids at |
| your own children. Maybe a friend can take them | | | | about 4:15. You will probably need to have at least |
| to school or other activities, or they could ride the | | | | one nap time during the day. If you have infants |
| school bus. | | | | you may have two or three nap times. Plan these |
| If you need to accompany your children to the | | | | at a time when you can keep any children who |
| bus stop, take into consideration the distance of | | | | aren't napping engaged in a quiet activity. |
| the bus stop from your house. You will need to | | | | You can also plan outside play time during nap |
| bring not only your children to the bus stop, but | | | | time, weather permitting. Just make sure you |
| also all of the children you care for. If you have | | | | bring the baby monitor with you outside! Once |
| to walk more than a block or two to get to the | | | | you have these necessary parts of your schedule |
| bus stop, this can be a huge task. If you are | | | | established, you can decide which optional |
| caring for older children, ages 3 and up, walking | | | | activities to put in. Personally, I left the rest of |
| that distance won't be too difficult. | | | | my schedule pretty open. We tried to go outside |
| However, if you are caring for one or more | | | | after snack time each day. Sometimes I would |
| infants or toddlers, this could be a big issue. | | | | plan a craft activity, but not daily. Sometimes we |
| Consider the weather in your area. Does is snow | | | | would do some educational activities, but not daily. |
| there and get fairly cold? Do you have a lot of | | | | I left large chunks of time available for free play. I |
| rain? Does it get very hot? You will have to be | | | | did build several clean-up times into my daily |
| taking out these little ones daily to the bus stop in | | | | schedule. We cleaned up before eating, before |
| all sorts of weather. In my case, the bus stop | | | | going outside, and before going home. This kept |
| was about ¼ of a mile from our house. I | | | | the mess from getting too out of hand. I tried to |
| knew that I couldn't get the children there every | | | | keep the scheduled parts of my day as |
| day. So I called our bus barn and requested that | | | | consistent as possible for the sake of the kids |
| they put in another bus stop at the end of my | | | | (and me!). Kids need consistency and they love |
| driveway. | | | | schedules. But they also need unstructured time. |
| I explained my situation to them and let them | | | | Try to allow for both in your days. |
| know that between my children and my | | | | The final consideration for your child care schedule |
| neighbor's children, we would be putting at least 5 | | | | is time off for you. If you are doing daycare year |
| children a day on the bus. The bus barn agreed to | | | | round, you will need to be able to take some time |
| investigate the location, since bus stops have | | | | off. You should write some vacation time into |
| certain regulations that they must meet. After | | | | your contract. Keep in mind that you will not be |
| heavy consideration they agreed to put in a bus | | | | paid during your vacation time. You don't need to |
| stop for us. It certainly saved me a lot of hassle! | | | | designate specific dates in your contract that you |
| You will also need to consider your children's | | | | will be off each year. Just write in that the |
| homework load. If your own children need a lot of | | | | provider may take one week, two weeks, |
| assistance with homework or they need a really | | | | whatever, of vacation time each year, and that |
| quiet location for homework, completing their | | | | you will let parents know the dates AT LEAST |
| homework with the daycare kids there is going to | | | | two weeks ahead of time so they can arrange |
| be difficult. | | | | for alternate care for their children. You really |
| Will they have enough time to do homework once | | | | should let them know a month or more in |
| the kids leave? Will you have enough energy to | | | | advance. You may also need to take personal |
| help them? The final consideration is the school | | | | days occasionally. |
| schedule itself. You need to consider school | | | | You should write these into your contract as well. |
| vacations and how that will affect the number of | | | | If possible, try to provide an alternate care |
| children in your house. Remember, a licensed | | | | provider in your home for these days. That way |
| provider can only have six full time children and | | | | parents aren't forced to find care for their |
| two before and after school children. The | | | | children. You will need to pay the alternate |
| occasional day off of school probably won't | | | | provider of course, but you may not have to pay |
| matter. But times like Winter Break and Spring | | | | him or her everything you would make in that |
| Break can become a larger issue. | | | | day. |
| The other consideration for your hours of | | | | Establishing a good schedule for your child care |
| operation is the needs of the families you will care | | | | business can literally make or break your business. |
| for. What hours do you need to be open in order | | | | Your schedule will affect you, your family, |
| to accommodate the schedules of the parents? | | | | daycare parents and daycare children. It will be |
| What hours are you willing to be open? To give | | | | nearly impossible to find the perfect schedule. |
| you an example, I live in a rural community. The | | | | Choosing a schedule that accommodates most |
| large city where most of my child care parents | | | | situations will be as close as you can get to |
| worked is at least 40 minutes away. So I needed | | | | perfect. Conflicts will arise, but that is normal. Just |
| to take into consideration not only the hours my | | | | remember to be firm about your hours and your |
| daycare parents worked, but their commute | | | | schedule so that parents aren't dictating that for |
| times as well. Because of this, I had a long | | | | you. You are the business owner and know what |
| daycare day. For awhile I began care at 6:00 a.m. | | | | is best for your business and your family. |