Own a Daycare Blog » work http://www.ownadaycare.com/blog Just another WordPress weblog Fri, 12 Mar 2010 14:00:28 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 en hourly 1 Going back to Work and Daycare Issues http://www.ownadaycare.com/blog/going-back-to-work-and-daycare-issues http://www.ownadaycare.com/blog/going-back-to-work-and-daycare-issues#comments Sat, 18 Jul 2009 05:14:47 +0000 Mary http://www.ownadaycare.com/blog/?p=717 Related posts:]]> A few months after giving birth, it is normal for a parent to want to go back to work for random reasons. Sometimes it is the need to earn money that drives a mother to work again. During these times, one of the biggest problems that parents encounter is looking for someone who can take care of their child once they are off to work. It is evident that you cannot give your parents, the kid’s grandparents or other relatives the responsibility to look after your child. So the answer to this problem is going to a day care facility or hiring a nanny. However choosing the best solution between the two options given is a difficult task. You should consider a lot of factors in choosing what is best for your child.

One of the advantages of day care facilities over hiring nannies is the fact that your child will be able to interact with other kids his age and with other adults as well in a day care center. These interactions are important to enhance the social skills of the child.

However, whichever solution you picked, you should not make decisions easily. You should be able to evaluate properly the people you will choose to look after your child. For day care facilities, you should check them out personally and judge for yourself if their staff is well trained to handle kids. Asking other parents about the performance of a particular day care could also be done.

For nannies, you should ask recommendations from people who have hired nannies for their kids. After asking around, the potential people for the job should be interviewed for you to be able to judge their personality and for you to know how they would handle sample situations in dealing with your child. Going to an agency which provides nanny services is also a good option since the agency has already made background checks on their nannies and you can be sure that they are quite well trained.

Making sure that your child receives the utmost attention and care that he needs when you are not around is not an easy task. It is something that should be given priority before you decide to go back to work. Making the decision of what to choose between a day care center or a nanny and deciding on which facility you should enrol your children or which agency to hire a nanny should be done based on the recommendations from friends and credentials that you have evaluated yourself.

See: How to start a daycare center

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]]> http://www.ownadaycare.com/blog/going-back-to-work-and-daycare-issues/feed 0 Fund Raising Events: How To Make One Work For You http://www.ownadaycare.com/blog/fund-raising-events-how-to-make-one-work-for-you http://www.ownadaycare.com/blog/fund-raising-events-how-to-make-one-work-for-you#comments Tue, 24 Feb 2009 01:54:11 +0000 Mary http://www.ownadaycare.com/blog/?p=282 Related posts:]]> Characteristics: Good and Bad
Since day care fund raisers can be very difficult to organize and plan, the organizers will need to apply a genius day care fund raising idea to utilize and make the activity successful. For better and positive results, organizers should stick to the tried and tested ideas for a day care fund raising activity as new and untested ideas might jeopardize the fund raising activity. Next, the organizers should device ways and steps to help them achieve their plans of holding a day care fund raising activity. Steps such as which sponsors to approach and how to approach them, or how to broach the plan to the day care children’s parents are very important.

A lot of day care fund raising activities settle for tacky, unheard of ideas, only because the organizers want to be different. But these unheard of ideas usually bring in unfavourable results. The bad thing is that it’s not just the day care that suffers, but the children more importantly. It is so very difficult to come up with a new and good idea for a fund raising activity. But whatever the case may be, there are certain characteristics of what a good day care fund raising activity should be. What are these characteristics of a good day care fund raising idea? Add to that, what are the fund raising ideas that would usually work on normal and regular fund raisers but does not work for a day care fund raising activity? Some great fund raising activity ideas are sale, benefit dinner, yard sales where the children and parents can participate as sales persons.

Look for the Best Bargain
Just like with most fund raising events, the best day care fund raising activity idea always does not require the organizers to shell out cash in the planning stage. Most day care centres always use fund raising activity sales in order to come up with funds for the day care centre maintenance cost and the children needs, like playground facilities water and food. This applies if the items to be sold in the day care fund raising activity were gotten by the organizers for free from contributions and donations. In other words, these items were donated by sponsors or individuals. If this is not the case, then the organizers will have to shell out cash up front to pay for the items to be sold in the day care fund raising activity. In this arrangement, the organizers will have to come up with a mark-up range or percentage. For every sale made, the organizers should take back the cost of each item and give the profit, to the day care centre director as funds donated for the day care centre and its children enrolees.

This can be a good idea if the day care centre has enough funds, but in this case, failure becomes an option, particularly because there is a good chance that the organizers might not be able to sell all the items. And history states hat they will not sell all of the items. Thus sending all their efforts, and if ever, the children’s and parents’ efforts as well, down the drain.

Donations are Good
Facts show that the best way to hold fund raising sales is to sell items that were collected through donations. The perfect example, parents can bake goodies from their homes and bring these to the organizers. The baked goods can be pies, tarts, dough nuts etcetera. These goodies are given by the parents to the organizers for free as donations. In this scenario, the day care will not need to spend cash up front. The organizers of the day care fund raising activity can also ask for used items from the children’s parents. Clothes, toys, books, gadgets, furniture, among other things, may be dropped off on a particular day, and then sold on the day of the day care fund raising activity.

Organizers can also seek the help of professional fund raising organizers. It is normal practice that these professionals collect a certain percentage of all the revenues gathered from the day care fund raising activity. Their professional fee will be strictly taken from the revenue and not from the day care centre’s share of the funds produced. The day care’s share is its’ own and will go to its’ bank account for the care and maintenance of its facilities and salaries or allowances or personnel.

Considering Safety Is Good
The organizers are advised to come up with children-safe ideas and activities for the fund raising activity as these activities will certainly involve the day care fund raising activities’ target market, the children. Ones a child’s safety is compromised, the organizers should be held responsible and should assume responsibility. Safety precautions should also be considered for the parents. As with the children’s safety, the organizers should be held responsible in case a parents’ safety has been compromised. The organizers again should assume responsibility. With parental advice and strict watch, a benefit dinner can be a good idea for a day care fund raising activity, where the day care facility is transformed into a small restaurant and the children serve as waiters, waitresses and chefs to their parents and paying guests. In this scenario, a uniform amount is paid by each guest.

The time and date are of important value and must be greatly considered by the organizers for the day care fund raising activity. Weekends are the best times as parents are usually free from work and the day care facility is free. Weekends also means that the invited public are free to attend the fund raising activity of the day care centre. The time and date of a day care fund raising activity are major factors to the success of the day care fund raising activity.

Finally, the activity or activities should be enjoyable for the children and their parents. It should also be educational for the children and allow the parents to spend quality time with their children. The fund raising activity is for the children and for their benefit after all.

See: How to start a daycare center

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]]> http://www.ownadaycare.com/blog/fund-raising-events-how-to-make-one-work-for-you/feed 0 Childcare Insurance http://www.ownadaycare.com/blog/childcare-insurance http://www.ownadaycare.com/blog/childcare-insurance#comments Thu, 08 Jan 2009 01:20:34 +0000 Mary http://www.ownadaycare.com/blog/?p=127 Related posts:]]> Daycare centers is a flourishing business as more and more parents work full time and as such they have to leave their children to the care of somebody else. Once children are brought into a daycare center, they become the center’s responsibility. The center has liability should anything happen to the children under their care like a child getting hurt in play or in activities.

Insurance is very important in a daycare center. It is important both for the owner and the business itself. A liability insurance will cover any accident that may befell any child within your premises during the time that they are under your care and responsibility. Your business and your personal resources could be wiped out entirely should an accident occur in your daycare center that is not covered by any insurance. The cost of litigation and the possible damages you have to pay could be more than what you can afford.

Experienced daycare providers know how to protect themselves from liabilities. They require parents to submit the child’s medical records so they will know if the child has allergy or any serious illness that will require treatment or special attention. Parents are required also to submit the immunization record of the child with the doctor’s signature. These are all intended to avoid any problem that may question the center’s liability thus avoiding future lawsuits. However, accident when children are involved in any activity could not be entirely avoided. This is when a liability insurance comes in handy.

Most states require childcare center to operate only if they have liability insurance. They are well aware that the owners of childcare centers may not be in the position to handle the financial obligation in the event of an accident involving one or more children. A home based child care center has a very limited capitalization and failure of the owner to pay for hospital bills of children who are involved in accidents will be disastrous to both the childcare center owner and the parents concerned.

Insurance liability coverage has its limits, depending on what kind of coverage you get and how much you pay. You will pay more for a higher insurance coverage. Anything that is beyond your insurance coverage will be your own responsibility. If your insurance provides only for $100,000 coverage per child and the child’s hospital bill is $120,000, you will have to pay for the $20,000 difference.

The cost of liability insurance will depend on the kind of coverage you will choose and the number of children enrolled in the daycare center. Different insurance companies offer different amount of premiums but make sure you deal only with well-established and reputable insurance companies. It is also a good idea that you seek legal advice before getting an insurance policy. Your lawyer can explain to you some confusing legal terms and can help you decide on what kind of insurance coverage will be best for your daycare center.

See: How to start a daycare

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]]> http://www.ownadaycare.com/blog/childcare-insurance/feed 1 Effective Daycare Management http://www.ownadaycare.com/blog/effective-daycare-management-2 http://www.ownadaycare.com/blog/effective-daycare-management-2#comments Sat, 20 Dec 2008 01:37:13 +0000 Mary http://www.ownadaycare.com/blog/?p=30 Related posts:]]> Operating a day care business entails a lot of work and sacrifice. The long list of things to be done never seem to end. Aside from the business planning, area designing and marketing to obtain clients, management of the business is also an essential factor in the daily tasks for the business. Here are some ways to effectively manage one’s day care business.

1) For the child. The area within one’s home or office has been designated for the business of the day care. In this designated area, a play area has been designed and created for use by the children. To effectively manage the business, one needs to allot a small area for work on running the business. It is in this area that one manages the tax payments, paperwork for the personnel, regulatory matters and marketing. This serves as your business nerve center.

2) Separate life. Since this is a home based business, one needs to make a separate calendar for personal and professional business. If one mixes up things, then the result would be being unable to address issues as a business person rather than a private person. Another option is opening a separate bank account for business income and expenses. This would ensure that there would be no commingling of funds. Separation must also include telephone and PC usage so that there would be no mix up in the expenditures and usage of items.

3) Time manage. Being unable to properly manage one’s time would result in time being wasted. One needs to be disciplined about the time spent and one must keep watch over how time is spent. Scheduling activities for the day care and seeking out assistance from other family members would help make life a little easier. Also important is one needs to allot time for the management of the business and for rest and recreation. One needs to recharge every so often if one looks after several bundles of joy.

4) Personal time. The misconception that if one works from home one is readily accessible for visits from family and friends. This can clearly affect the scheduled timetable one has for the business. Thus one needs to inform these loved ones that even if one is at home, one is still at work and only the venue changes. Make them realize that as a business professional, one needs the time to handle the business and avoid further distractions. Once this happens, have them leave a message and a promise that one will get back to them when one is free from work.

Effective management of the daycare business can be done if one has the desire for it. Having a space for children and for work, making a separate life between business and personal matters, proper time management and having personal time would be the factors to consider to make this happen. This personal development, together with cooperation would make one an effective manager of one’s own day care center.

See: How to start a daycare

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]]> http://www.ownadaycare.com/blog/effective-daycare-management-2/feed 0 Daycare – An Easy Start-up http://www.ownadaycare.com/blog/daycare-an-easy-start-up http://www.ownadaycare.com/blog/daycare-an-easy-start-up#comments Tue, 16 Dec 2008 01:09:24 +0000 Mary http://www.ownadaycare.com/blog/?p=17 Related posts:]]> Childcare has changed in the last twenty years. Some would say that running a day care would be fun. This is an appealing option for those who do not wish to leave home for work. People have differing reasons why opting for a work from home business is quite appealing. One of the reasons would be having young children and spending time with them during their growing years is a paramount concern. Having children to rear would move people to start a day care because two issues are addressed: caring for children at home and bringing in income for the household. But this kind of business is amiable only to a certain type of individual. This consideration is much harder to fathom. The motive force must be the love of children, not only one’s own but for others who leave the care to them for most part of the day. Having other children to look after is a taxing job, and some may not be able to handle the demands of the job. This does not mean one is a bad individual, but this is a big factor in opening a day care. So the first piece of advice is do not start something that one cannot sustain for a long period of time.

We expect that the earlier part of this editorial has provided the reader very meaningful and useful data with regards to the subject matter. To those who are contemplating of setting up a daycare you must know that there are lot regulations that you need to be aware of. If you a have a small number of children, you are only babysitting but add even just one and you are already considered legally a daycare. This only indicates that you are required by the government to secure a certification stating that you have complied with the rules, initially the center inspection. In addition there are also federal and state regulations and laws that you need to abide by.

As mentioned earlier the first inspection that you need to pass is the center or location and its facilities. A visual inspection, as well as a stress rest of the day care’s facilities, to see if the facility can withstand the rigors of the children’s activities, undertakes this.

Second will be the student and teacher ratio. For every five children, one teacher should be assigned. If you have eleven children, even only one in excess of five children, a third teacher is already required by state and local authorities.

Third test would be the review of the activities of the day care. These include examination of the learning modules as well as the meals served in the center. Knowledge content and teacher qualifications need to be addressed. As for the meals, the nutritional value of the food served would be scrutinized to determine if they pass the legal requirements.

So as one can see, a day care is a start up that is not easy. Many requirements need to be complied with in order that one would be allowed to operate. Love of the children does not hack it anymore in childcare. Teachers, facilities and food are always matters for review before implementation would be allowed.

See: How to start a daycare

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]]> http://www.ownadaycare.com/blog/daycare-an-easy-start-up/feed 0 Home Daycare Business http://www.ownadaycare.com/blog/home-daycare-business http://www.ownadaycare.com/blog/home-daycare-business#comments Fri, 12 Dec 2008 01:23:11 +0000 Mary http://www.ownadaycare.com/blog/?p=9 Related posts:]]> Working from home is a great way to spend time with children yet still have the financial capacity to be able to live comfortably. As a husband, this may seem to be an unpopular choice, especially when one spends a great deal of time with mommies. But the emotional rewards far outweigh the financial benefits. One can have the flexibility to choose the day’s activities without need for re scheduling of office work.

One way to make all these grand concepts feasible is starting a day care facility. Home day care facilities seem to be appealing to them as they are with children at home, so why not expand it and make it a rewarding chore. One has the experience for it anyways, after all one tends to one’s own children all day everyday. Besides, it would be great experiences to have kids interact with others. With these in mind, one knows deep inside once can make this work.

One needs to really discern if one wants to enter this realm of day care. Can one handle more kids with the same needs and varying temperaments? Admittedly, one’s own children are already a handful. So why would one want more work, and this time with other people’s children. Many have experienced many soiled diaper runs and changing toddler’s clothes while running around the house.

And the wildfire syndrome. One child affects another and thus if one cries all the others start to follow suit. And often, one tries to be the loudest as if to show that more anguish is in me. This crescendo of crying oftentimes breaks down even steel willed individuals. And if not moody, one becomes mischievous and as one child does it, others would copy cat it. Just like a wildfire.

When playing, one would be forced to run around to keep up with the bundle of energy still fragile to the outside world. There’s the reasoning out, the disobedience or just plain mischief. And yes, things get broken and knees scraped and heads bumped. It’s play action all the time.

In daycare, can one handle it? Toilet training is a minimum requirement. But one has to take care of all the other aspects. The Mischief. The Wildfire syndrome. And the running and jumping and disobedience that comes with kids their age. Parents become tired with their own offspring, would it not be magnified when one undertakes the woes of others? Can one really be on play action for all the kids under one’s care and supervision?

So daycare is not just about soothing naps and play times and reading time. It’s about controlling whirling dervishes able to reason out and mess up an otherwise idyllic existence. One can do this, with the following tips.

a) Keep hazardous material away from children’s reach. Like on the roof or under lock and key away from the day care area.

b) Cover all soilable house material. Spillage will be a common occurrence do a chamois couch is a definite no-no in day care.

c) Be prepared physically and mentally. Learn to drown out crying to focus on the real issues.

d) First Aid must always be within arm’s reach.

e) Pray. It helps.

See: How to start a home daycare

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