Starting My Own In Home Daycare 2022 Quick Guide

January 4, 2022 Megan Brooks

Are you looking to start your own business? Here is the perfect Quick Guide to help you start an in home family child care daycare.

Starting your own business is exciting and scary at the same time. Right now, families are in need of care. It is the perfect time to start your own in home daycare. It is so rewarding at the end. You get to change children’s lives by teaching them and helping set them up for their future.

When I opened up my own in home daycare I had decided to walk away from the corporate world. I was an Assistant Director at a large daycare company that had centers all over the US. I was ready to be my own boss and run a business the way I knew best. You also get to set your own prices and be in charge of your income. There is no more worrying about getting that 1%-5% raise that you wait all year to possibly get. You are in charge of your income, hours, work environment, etc.

I have put together a quick guide that shows the steps you will have to go take to become licensed in the state of Ohio. This will allow you to open up your own in home daycare here in Ohio. (If you do not live in Ohio your state may vary). It is always good to reach out to your local job and family services to find out what your process may be to become a licensed in home daycare.

Step 1: Find out if your living space is eligible

Attached is the URL link for all the licensing requirements to be able to become a Type A or Type B FCC. Again, these are for the state of Ohio. If you do not live in Ohio than you should be able to pull up your local guidelines and rules.

https://emanuals.jfs.ohio.gov/ChildCare/FamilyChildCare/Rules/

Step 2: Complete Pre-Application Checklist

First, you will make an OPR account on (https://registry.occrra.org/). This is where you will complete your background check, upload any CPR, Communicable Disease, Child Abuse and Neglect, and so much more. This is going to be an important website, so I recommend bookmarking it and saving your login info. Next, you will want to complete the following courses before you apply:

Communicable Disease (6hour course)
Child Abuse and Neglect (6hour course)
CPR
First Aid
Pre-licensing Training for Family Child Care Providers (6hour course)
ODJFS Child Care Transportation Training 2020-2021 (if you plan on transporting at all)
Fingerprinted
Submit for a background check on OCCRRA’s website (fingerprints have to be done first, wait 24-48hrs to complete before applying for a background check). Anyone who is 18YEARS or older that resides in the home will have to complete fingerprinting and a background check.

Step 3: Gather Documents

Before you take the time to apply, you will want to make sure you have all the proper documents gathered because you cannot complete the application without them. It is important that you complete everything they ask for because they will keep sending back the form to be fixed and resubmitted. This will hold up the process even longer for you. The following documents are needed here in Ohio to become a Type B in home provider, which is what I am.

Verification of high school diploma
Medical Statement (JFS 01296) – This is different then the child medical statement
Plan of Operation (JFS 01250) – This is where you will provide all your information, enrollment information, layout of your home (inside and outside), and information in regards to what you’ll be providing (transportation, meals, overnight stay, etc.).
Adjudicated a delinquent child statement (JFS 01174) – This is a form that states no one under 18 years old in the home is a convicted felon or has pleaded guilty.
Written Information (Policy and Procedure handbook) – This is the part that does take up the most time. (See rule OAC 5101:2-13-07 for all the information that is needed). If you refer to JFS 01312, this form does a good job of visually showing you an outline of what is needed to be written in your handbook. This is a great tool to use right from the start.

Step 5: Create an OCLQS account/Submit Application

Once you have completed all the following things listed above, than you are ready to create your OCLQS login and begin the application process. All communication is done through this website. If you get a message that corrections need to be made, you will complete them on this portal. Go to the following website https://oclqs.force.com/oclqs_home and from there you click REGISTER AS ODJFS USER and follow the steps. This is another website you’ll want to bookmark and save your login credentials for the future. You will use this for all important state documents, licensing visits, violations, etc.

Once you login you’ll click CREATE AN APPLICATION. It will ask you a series of questions about your home, the program you want to create, etc. You will also upload all the documents needed in the portal to submit. There is an application fee of $25 that will need to be paid when you submit the application.

After the application is submitted, someone from your local county job and family services will get into contact with you in regards to the application, revisions that need to be submitted, etc.

Step 6: Prepare Your Home

Once you have completed the application you will want to begin to get your home ready for your pre-licensing visit with a specialist from your local county. This is where the specialist will visit your home to make sure that you are complying with the Family Child Care licensing rules. You will want to make sure all cabinets and doors have child locks on them, outlet covers covered, all smoke detectors and carbon monoxide meters working (you need one on all floors). Your Plan of Operation, Written policies (family handbook), and disaster plan all written out and available when your licensing specialist comes out visit. You want to have your home set up the way you will have it set up your first day welcoming families.

Step 7: Pre-Licensing Visit

Once you get into contact with your licensing specialist, they will schedule a day to come out to your home and do a thorough check of your home where you will provide care for your kids. This is also where you’ll provide the following information:

Disaster Plan
Written Policy
Plan of Operation
Emergency Plan (you’ll want to draw out your emergency plan to get out of your home in case of a fire, where you’ll go in case there is a tornado, etc.).
Hang all required license forms somewhere in your home where your parents will be able to visually see them (No Smoking Sign, No Guns Allowed Sign, Program Schedule, Hours of Operation, JFS 01242, and Dental First Aid form).

Your specialist will go over anything that is in violation and you will have 30 days to fix and resubmit. If there are no issues, your specialist will submit your application and pre-licensing visit information to the Department of Job and Family Services for review and approval. It can take a few months to get this whole process completed, so please be patient and don’t give up. It will be worth it!

Step 8: Approved Licensed Family Child Care Provider

Once you have become a licensed FCC provider, you can now start looking for families that you want to enroll. This can go as fast as you put in the effort. I had 3 families within days of being approved and was fully enrolled in a week. Families need care and they need care quick. You will also want to make sure you have insurance for running a daycare. It is a different insurance policy than what you carry for your home. You will want to look into this and get it before you open. The last thing you want to have happen is a child fall and break their arm in your home and the parents want to sue you or want you to pay the medical bills. You do NOT want to lose your home or anything else that you took time to create. Get Insurance ASAP!

Take time to interview families and make sure that they will be the right fit. Don’t just enroll anyone and then find out a week or two into watching them that their child is very badly behaved and begins to be a huge liability. You can tell families we would like to do a trial period to make sure it is a good fit. Once you feel like they are a good fit, enroll them full time. This is your business, your home, you get to make those decisions.

Step 9: Opening Day

Today is your first day; How Exciting! It can become overwhelming at first due to a lot of paperwork at first, but soon it will become second nature and become a habit. I have put together examples of some of the paperwork that should be done daily, weekly, monthly, etc.

Daily: You will need to take attendance daily for IN/OUT times. This also has to go with you if you leave your home to go anywhere. You will want to keep these records filed away in a binder labeled ATTENDANCE. Food Program if you decide to enroll into the food program it will have to be completed daily. The specialist that is assigned to you will help you with all the proper paperwork. This another paper you will want to keep and keep filed away in a binder labeled FOOD PROGRAM.

Weekly: OBSERVATIONS! You will want to observe your kids each week and write down what they are improving on, firsts, etc. so when you have a parent teacher conference you have this information to share. Also, if you want to be accredited with SUTQ, you’ll have to have individual portfolios for each child to showcase observations done.

Monthly: Fire Drill, Evacuation Drill, Tornado Drill, etc. (completed monthly). Some are done during CERTAIN months of the year. You will want to keep a log of these dates and have them filed away in a binder as well for licensing visits. Make sure you log your expenses and revenue that you spend on the daycare and what you bring in for the daycare. You will need these for tax purposes.

Quarterly: Assessments for parents to have to track and see how their kids are doing. There are many kinds of assessments that you can get your hands on that are free or you can pay for. This is important to parents and it will make you stand out compared to other in home daycares.

Closing Comments

Follow these simple steps and you’ll become a Family Child Care provider in no time. Childcare is a huge need right now and many families are needing it quicker than we can open our homes. It is important to complete the steps correctly and have all your ducks in a row before you open your doors. Write down everything you want completed before you open. You also want to make sure you have all your tuition rates set in stone because you will have people asking for deals or asking, “Can you charge XYZ?” Just because one family says that can’t afford your rates doesn’t mean you should lower them. There are plenty of families that are out there that can and you just have to be patient. Don’t get to excited!

Any questions you have, please feel free to leave a comment below!