Daycare Business Plan

Kionte’ R. Newsome

Assignment 1: Childcare Center Business Plan

American Public University

Sunshine & Smiles Daycare Center Outline

Identify the resources you are using to develop your plan.

Identify all staff that will be working at the center in any capacity. List the education requirements, if any, of the staff.

1. Google.com
2. Child Day Care Center Class “A” Minimum Standards
3. Louisiana Pathways Child Care Career Development System
4. Childcare Aware: Marketing Your Program
5. Government Daycare Center Grants

Identify the necessary licenses needed to open a daycare center.

1. A bachelor’s degree from an accredited 4-year college or university and proof of at least 10-12 credit hours associated with child care development && 6-12 months of experience in an early childhood setting or similar setting.
2. An Associates of Arts degree in early childhood education or similar area of education from an accredited college or university && 6-12 months of experience

Describe the age range of the infants and/or toddlers that you will serve.

1. A license will be issued on an initial application when the following items have been met and written verification is received by the Bureau of Licensing.

Explain the child to teacher ratio that you will use in your center

1. “The Infant Classroom” will range from 2-month old to 1 year old’s
2. “Pre-Toddler Classroom” will range from 1 year old to 2-year old’s
3. “Toddler Classroom” will range from 2-year old to 4-year old’s.

Describe the furniture and other materials needed.

1. In the Infant Classrooms, one teacher for three infants. Three teachers to a classroom.
2. In the Pre-Toddler Classrooms, two teachers for 14 students or one teacher per seven students
3. In the Toddler Classrooms two teachers for 14 students or one teacher per seven students

Tell how you will structure your daycare center.

1. For safety purposes: first aid kits (one in each classroom), smoke detectors (in every room in the facility to include: classrooms, bathrooms, hallways, etc.), carbon monoxide detectors (Each classroom bathroom & kitchen), fire extinguishers (located in each classroom, out of children’s reach, kitchen, hanging on hallway walls), an emergency preparedness kit, and an emergency plan.
2. For cleaning purposes: cleaning supplies, bathroom supplies, hand sanitizer, and a plan for regularly sanitizing both toys and furniture. Some toys and areas will need to be clean regularly and others once a month or as needed.
3. Furniture to include cribs, changing tables, cabinets, round tables, small chairs, highchairs, nap mats, stepping stools, etc.
4. Play materials to include, outdoor jungle gym, sandbox, toys that contribute to gross/fine motor skills, for example blocks, dramatic play, for example, dress-up costumes, bookshelves, books,

Identify what makes your childcare unique from all of the other childcare centers in your city

1. My daycare center will be structured very professionally. On the staff side, the staff will remain very respectful to the children and adults at all times. Anything less than that will not be tolerated nor accepted. We will follow a strict curriculum similar or matching the department of education standards for curriculum.

Will you lease or own a location?

1. The first unique indicator about my childcare center is the appearance of the outside of it leading into the inside. My vision for the outside of my center is bright colors, I want it to look very inviting! I would like the same vision for the inside of the facility. A childcare center should look very welcoming to the children and parents and I believe that a child care center should be full of life and bright colors.
2. I want the walls throughout the facility and classroom to be painted bright colors and I want my staff to be very welcoming. I want each child to be greeted with a welcome song, one that they can also sing along with. I believe that by this, it will make the child and their parent more comfortable with them attending daycare. A lot of the daycares that I have observed do not have a very welcoming outside of their facility. It comes off very dull and unwelcoming.

What insurances are necessary to open a childcare center in your city?

1. I believe that money is one of the most important factors to consider when deciding to lease or own a business. I would rather lease the location first and within six months to a year, I would then decide if I would like to purchase.

Are permits necessary?

1. Commercial liability insurance to ensure medical coverage for children in the event of accident or injury. I would also be responsible for payment of medical expenses of a child injured while in my facility’s care. Documentation shall consist of the insurance policy or current binder that includes the name of the child care facility, physical address of the facility, name of the insurance company, policy number, period of coverage and explanation of the coverage (Department of Social Services Bureau of Licensing, 2017).

How will you secure funding for the childcare center?

1. A Building permit; only issued if approved by State Fire Marshall
2. Use and Occupancy permit; allows beginning usage of the building for a Child Care Center

How do you plan to market your childcare center?

1. I will set a goal and budget that I want to spend in terms of finding a building and all of the additional expenses I will need funding for. A piece of the money to fund Sunshine & Smiles Daycare will come from savings over the years.
2. Government Daycare Center Grants will also help secure funding for Sunshine & Smiles Daycare
3. Grants to Include: Community Development Block Grant, Community Facilities Grant Program, and Child Care Development Block Grant

How will you assure the infants and toddlers are safe while in your care?

1. Firstly, I would find out where the parents in the community go to get their information. I think that a large part of my marking will be on community groups online. I think a large margin of the communities get their information from social media, Facebook, for example. I want to focus on communicating through social media, as well as, posting flyers, signs, and speaking directly to parents. I also believe public schools are a great place to try to reach out to parents about Sunshine & Smiles Daycare. I want to create brochures, flyers, business cards, pens, magnets, and possibly t-shirts.

Identify the goals you would like to achieve with your childcare business process. Describe realistic and attainable goals.

1. I will assure that the infants and toddlers enrolled in my daycare are safe by providing security cameras throughout the facility. I will ensure that each staff member has a secure background checks and drug tests and meet all of the proper requirements before providing them with employment.

Does your state require specific training for your employees?

1. Realistic goals to include: I am going to open my daycare facility three months after marketing is complete. I am going to have a full functioning daycare with students by three months after the grand opening.
2. Attainable goals to include: I will pass all appropriate requirements to open my daycare facility. I will learn how to better communicate my marketing plan according to surveys from parents. I will establish a curriculum for my students.

Identify your hours of operation.

1. 12-120 clock hours of instruction in approved core knowledge (CDA) subject areas
2. CDA credential or early childhood education degree from accredited college or university.
3. Assistant Directors & Directors need 60-90 clock hours in approved core knowledge (CDA) subject areas and approved Administrative Training Categories
4. If none of the above is applicable, a requires amount of experience and proof is required

6:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m

References

Daycare. (2016, January 23). Daycare Supplies Checklist. Retrieved March 07, 2017, from http://mybrightwheel.com/daycare-supplies-checklist/

Department of Social Services Bureau of Licensing. (2017). Louisiana CHILD DAY CARE CENTER CLASS A MINIMUM STANDARDS. Retrieved March 07, 2017, from https://www.daycare.com/louisiana/state-a.html