Children and chaos go hand in hand. If you’re planning your very own home daycare center and intend to create a successful business, remember that a clean and healthy daycare leave a fantastic impression on potential clients (or more likely, on their parents). Here are a few tips you should follow to keep your daycare clean and healthy: A great looking, clean-smelling daycare does wonders for first impressions-and creates lasting ones as well.

CLEAN!

One thing you always have to do-every day is sanitize everything. Paint is bound to spill, chocolate is bound to smear, and toys are bound to find their way into little mouths. Wipe down every surface with a mixture of bleach and water (before you gasp its one tablespoon bleach for every gallon of water). These include anything that the children touch. Do this every day on toy shelves, chairs and tables to prevent parents from wrinkling their noses when the come in. If you’re against using bleach, a hot water mixture with a little non-toxic germ killer can do the trick as well.

Launder all cloth items at least once a week. These items include sleeping bags, pillows, blankets and any other cloth items in your daycare center. If they are stained or vomited on, immediately replace them with fresh cloths. Don’t let the stains set in, immediately wash them with hot water.

Wash curtains and carpets once a month. This way, stains don’t set in. Curtains are notorious for keeping dirt around. You can change them weekly or wash them when you please. Kids are probably going to use your curtains as hiding places, so this will get rid of any leftover saliva, peanut butter or dirt from little hands. Wipe down mats and other porous surfaces that smells can stick to. Nothing turns a parent off faster than the lingering smell of feet or an overflowing diaper pail. Remember to regularly throw trash. It can get hectic in a day care center, so have a regular time per day.

Don’t leave things lying around. Encourage the kids to pick up after themselves or do it yourself. Rinse dishes immediately. Don’t let food, paint, glue or any other material stay on the floor. This will not only give a bad impression but it’ll be harder to remove these stains in the long run. Be neat about things like shoes, bags, umbrellas and coats. It will make clean up time so much easier for you.

HEALTHY!

Running a clean day care center can contribute a lot to the health of your charges. Here are a few other tips that will help you maintain a healthy atmosphere for you and your children.

Have requirements as well. If parents have chosen your day care center, make sure that you provide them with a list of necessary vaccinations and requirements that you have. This is to ensure the health and safety of all the children in your care. Children are notorious for having contagious diseases-you wouldn’t want to end up caring for an entire center full of kids down with the chickenpox.

Don’t let parents bring their children when their still contagious. Unless your day care has a special sick room, one contagious child out for a day won’t affect your profit. All of charges down with flu? That will.

Have a list of each child’s allergies and triggers. This will help you not only with planning menus but from accidental exposure that could lead to asthma or allergy attacks. Nothing beats a well-ventilated clean area in preventing them. Fresh air circulating through your daycare will do a lot of the work for you. On sunny, good days, keep the windows open. You can invest in a good air filter to keep those pesky germs from floating around and to clean the air of insect debris, pollen or other allergens. We don’t recommend the use of air fresheners because these can irritate delicate noses and some contain chemicals that may be harmful to kids.

Following these simple tips can keep your daycare clean for everyone and healthy for the children in your care. You will also benefit from a great child care environment both money wise and health wise.

Learn more See: Start A Daycare

Dolson McArt – Author of: Clean And Healthy Daycare Center

Setting expectations and laying out your rules is critical to your long term success. You have to be firm yet sensitive not to create tension. You will see the parent’s everyday and having a good ongoing relationship is key. Remember that this is your daycare, your house, your business so don’t be shy when it comes time to laying down the law. You have to be firm and okay with hurting people’s feelings once in a while.

For example, late pickups, late checks and rules with sick kids were an ongoing issue for me.

An Example

One of my longest term parents, who I had a great relationship with, and cared for their boy for almost my entire 3 year career were lackadaisical with paying and picking up their boy on time. My cutoff was at 6:00. The wife was a successful doctor and the husband a pharmaceutical salesman who had the job of both picking up and dropping off their child. I rarely ever saw the wife.

The late checks where annoying but I knew they were good for it and the dad was just disorganized and simply forgot. However the late pickups where terrible and for me far worse than the checks coming in 2 or 3 days late. After a long day, I wanted my break and to get all of the kids out of my house. Those 10 or 20 minutes of watching the clock really burned me.

Just about every time he was late he was really sorry and just mentioned traffic and the doctors he calls, will sometimes only see him at the end of the day, etc. I had no idea how to handle this. I didn’t want to do the $1 per minute thing that the daycare centers sometime do. But, I didn’t want this just to go on and on and he was late about once per week.

I did mention the $1 late thing, that, by the way was in my contract, and he was annoyed. I tried to reason with him and though he understood he just could not promise that he would be on time every day due to his job. In a way I appreciated his honesty though I didn’t like what he was telling me. He presented his “case” almost like a take it or leave it and that he would be late – there was nothing he could do to change it.

One late Friday night, spurred the climax of this issue. It was a beautiful evening and we we’re planning on meeting some friends for dinner and he was a full 30 minutes late! which put us back considerably. This was towards my “retirement” and I was getting really burned out. Out of desperation, I called his wife to try to reason with her. She of course had no idea this was going on as he had not told her a thing (she worked something like 80 hours a week). She freaked and apparently, as my husband’s says “dropped the hammer” on him.

He and I where never the same and though they did stick around our relationship was badly bruised as I think he felt betrayed that I “tattled” on him. And despite the drama, he was still late about once a week or so, but would no longer apologize.

Maybe I should have done the late fee, maybe not. They were good customers, all in all and their boy was excellent. He was such a little angel. He was a very happy child that really took to me and the rest of the children. Had he been high maintenance I would have been more firm and charged the fee though I would have lost them as a client. So, despite getting walked on a little bit I still think I did the right thing.

Tania Rauth. Author of “Start Daycare – Develop Twitch” More information on running a daycare at starting a daycare or how to run a daycare or opening a daycare.

Starting a daycare center is a good idea to earn extra money. Yes, indeed, it is a rewarding business, but you have to know that there are requirements that you need to meet in starting up your own business.

In putting up a business, you need to determine the business license requirements of your state or county. Make sure to read and understand all the requirements of your county regarding business license. See to it that you can meet all the requirements. In inquiring for business license, you will definitely deal with government employees; you must be friendly as possible in dealing with them. As soon as you befriended one of the government employees, you can ask all the necessary questions that can help you in getting license. Remember, these people have lots of information and they can help you out in abiding with the requirements that your county has.

Check out the local zoning and laws about daycare center. Typically, each state and county differs from the requirements regarding daycare centers, so you need to check out the requirements in your area. Actually, there are some states that have limitations with the number of kids that will be under your facility. So, take time to know the requirements in your area.

Check out if you need to hire employees. Having employees, it would be easier for you to make your business grow. So, decide on how big you want your business is. In hiring employees, you must conduct background checks to make sure that you will be having the right employees, people with patience and care for children.

When advertising your business, do not stick with one way of marketing only, it is best to implement as many marketing as possible. You can create business cards and hand it out to people you meet. Post flyers on malls, supermarkets and so on. Put an ad on your local newspaper.

You do not have to have experience before you dive in with this kind of business, all you need is love for children, and you can run your own daycare center. In knowing all the requirements and dealing with it properly, you can start up your business successfully.

For more info see: How to start a daycare

Dolson McArt – Author of: Requirements for Starting a Daycare
Contributing to EzineArticles.com since March 2007.

That’s certainly no way to go about marketing a business, especially a home daycare business. So before I schedule any interviews, I’ve gotta whip this place back into shape pronto!

Did you know that within a few seconds of a potential client driving up to your home, they have already formed an opinion of your home daycare business, good or bad?

Does “Gone In 60 Seconds” ring a bell? That Nick Cage is so dreamy in a goofy boy next door sort of way… but, I digress. lol

No matter how awesome your daycare space is “inside”, your prospects may have already decided to move on simply based on their first impression of the “outside”.

Bummer, huh?

So how do we get the “outside” of your home daycare business to reflect the quality of care going on “inside”?

Besides the obvious tasks of mowing the lawn & trimming the hedges, here are 10 super simple ways to add a little curb appeal to your humble abode:

1.) Flowerbeds & Shrubs – Boy, what a difference a couple of bags of mulch can make.

2.) Got Spiders? – Yes, spiders do serve their purpose, but it’s time to say goodbye to Charlotte’s Web.

3.) House Numbers – Are they in good condition or should they be repaired, repainted, or replaced?

4.) Litter & Debris – Make sure that your yard, driveway, walkway, etc. are free of all litter, debris, & pesky leaves.

5.) Mailbox – Has your mailbox seen better days? This is another good candidate for a thorough scrubbing, repair job, or replacement.

6.) Mold & Mildew – Whether you go with a store bought product or a homemade solution, be sure to try it out on a test area to avoid any major “whoopsies”.

7.) Repairs – Address any flaking or chipped paint, loose screens, shutters, gutters, handrails, steps, etc.

8.) Stow The Stuff – Stow away unnecessary garden goodies & equipment, unsightly garbage cans, lawn furniture or any random item that doesn’t live in your front yard.

9.) Welcome Aboard – Add a homey touch to your entry way with a fresh new welcome mat.

10.) Yard Sign – Wash, repair, or replace your yard sign if necessary. Go a step further by adding some potted plants or flower box at the base to make it smile.

If you want to take this whole idea of creating curb appeal to the next level, stop by your local library to see what they have available on the topics of creating curb appeal, landscaping, home staging and such. (be sure to post some flyers while you’re there).

Well, I don’t know about you, but I’m super excited about the idea of giving my home and business a little Spring Time pick me up.

What have you got planned?

Visit http://www.FamilyDaycareMarketing.com for more articles, tips, and marketing resources for your Home Daycare Business.

Before putting one, you need to gain all the necessary information and set up a creative and great business plan in order for you to determine the steps that you need to take to start up your own business.

If you are decided to put up one, you can start establishing a great business plan. There are questions you need to answer. You need to ask yourself if this is the right business for you and if you have the heart of caring and watching over lots of kids.

You need to bear in mind that in putting up such business, it needs dedication. Indeed, is it in demand business, but you need to do lots of work for it. There are lots of things that you need to consider such as the number of kids you will allow in your facility, if you will hire caregivers or do it on your own.

As soon as you have decided that you will put up such business, you need to make a business plan for your daycare business. In creating business plan, you need to include in there the proposed location, the vision and mission statements, analysis about the funding, and other important information about starting a daycare business.

You need to check out the rules and regulations in your area and abide with it. You need to gain all the information in your area and include it in your business plan. You can also check out the other daycares in your area and gain information about their service and prices and include it also in your business plan. And put the advantage of putting up another daycare center which is yours.

You must know that this business requires insurance, so you need to check out the necessary insurances that you must get for your business. Of course, you know that this can protect you and your clients against injuries and accidents. Do some researching about legal coverage and include it in your business plan.

In having a clear and concrete business plan, you can start up successfully and you can expect great profitable gain.

See: How to start a daycare business

Dolson McArt – Author of: Ideas in Crafting a Daycare Business Plan

If you have this kind of business, you will be dealing with kids. You will be watching over lots of children, so you have to see to it that they’ll be safe. Kids love to play and run around, so there is a tendency to fall down and can hurt their knees. With this, you need to be prepared, you must know what to do and you must always have first aid kit. You must make sure that you have first aid kit ready in your facility, so you can be prepared in applying band-aids and iodine to the kids you happen to be hurt while they are in your facility.

You need to have photos of the parents and guardians to the kids, so you would know who will pick them up when the time comes. This is very important, since you can’t just give the kids under your care to someone; you need to be sure that these people are the right ones who will need to pick the kids up. The best thing that you should do is to require photos and names of the guardians as they enroll their children in your daycare.

Having a daycare, you would have to make sure you have toys in your facility. Toys can make the kids occupied. With lots of toys, they can have fun and learn at the same time. So, make sure that you buy the right toys, the toys can make them enjoy and learn, but also think about their protection. You need to avoid with hard toys which can be dangerous to kids, you know for a fact that kids can sometimes stick with each other and they can throw toys in each other. You must buy toys that are soft, toys that can’t hurt themselves.

Sleeping mats are important. You need to let the kids have an afternoon nap. Actually, in many states, sleeping mats are required, so make sure to abide with it.

Books are important in a daycare facility. You need to read them books for them to have fun and learn, just make sure that the books are with colorful pictures to avoid boredom from kids.

Learn more see: Start a daycare center

Dolson McArt – Author of: Important Equipment You Need When Starting Your Daycare

If you are going to purchase toys for kids under 3 years old, it is important to consider the safety factors of small pieces of toys. Usually, small kids are mouthing things that they can touch, so you need to move away with toys that are too small for kids. You better think about the safety of the kids than be sorry.

For those kids that can color already, you can provide them with coloring materials, and you can also provide them puzzles, so they can learn new things. With this, kids can develop their educational level.

In order for them to learn more and become more artistic, you can provide them with crayons, blank paper, markers, non-toxic paints, chalk, glitter, pompoms, chenille stems, paper plates and lunch sacks, construction paper, scissors, tape, glue, and so on, that can aid them to create their masterpieces. But, you need to watch over them when creating art works in order to secure their safety.

You can teach them to learn music as well. You can get lots of CD’s and musical instruments. Getting some musical instruments can help them develop a real knowledge they have for music.

You can get costumes that kids can enjoy. You can get costumes such as postal worker, policeman, fireman, chef, princess, animals, grandma and grandpa, storybook characters, and many other costumes that you can see on stores. Kids will totally enjoy pretending to be someone and with the aid of these costumes, they can have lots of fun.

In order for kids to learn more and new things, you can get language skills book, art skills with activity books and the likes. Of course, you want the kids under your care to have fun but you have to let them learn at the same time.

You also need to consider the heath of the kids in getting toys for your daycare, toys such as slides, hula hoops, balls, and the likes, can help them to be fit.

These are few of the toys that you should get for your daycare center. Just keep in mind that in getting toys, you need to consider their safety, enjoyment, and that they should learn new things always.

See: How to start a daycare

Dolson McArt – Author of: What Are the Toys You Need To Get For Your Daycare Center?

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In preparing activities for the children, you have to consider the ages of the kids. Young toddlers need activities that are more basic and easy to play. Older children can do more challenging activities. If you are dealing with lots of kids with different ages, you need to create different activities that they can do each day. Of course, you need to meet all the children’s needs. With patience and a bit of creativity, you can make this possible.

Yes, toddlers and infants need good activities like older children but you have to provide them with activities that are fitted to their age. For infants, it is best to get them bright colored rattles and soft toys that they can play with. For older kids, you can get them riding toys, stacking toys, large blocks and pull toys. You can let them play peek-a-boo, since this is one of the popular games for kids. You can also let them sing and dance for them to enjoy and have fun.

For older children, you need to let them have activity that can develop their skills and that they can learn more new things. At this age, you can let them play puzzles, arts and crafts, building blocks, outdoor play and so on. You can let them do memory games as well, this can help them have fun and learn new things. At this age, children are learning and developing not only mentally but socially as well. So, you need to find and create activities that can help kids develop these areas.

Preschoolers need books. So you let them have books in any daycare activity. It is best to read to them often times as possible. Make sure to provide colorful books. It is a good idea to let the kids create their own stories.

Yes, it is best to let the children do a lot of different activities. But make sure that the kids are being supervised while they are playing around.

With a bit of planning, you can find the right activities for the children under your facility. Make each of their days enjoyable and exciting.

For More Info See: Start A Daycare

Dolson McArt – Author of: Plan Daycare Activities
Contributing to EzineArticles.com since March 2007

Having a facility for children, you would be dealing with lots of kids and it is best to come up with activities that can support their ages and needs. You need to be patient and creative to come up with the activities that the kids can enjoy and have fun with. With younger kids, you need to think of activities that are more basic and simple. With older children, you need to think of activities that are quite challenging.

You need to think and plan for activities that can suit their age. For infants, they would love to play with toys that are brightly colored and toys that are soft. For older kids, you need to get riding toys and stacking toys. You can let them sing and dance as well.

Building puzzles, arts and crafts, and playing outdoor are few of the activities that you can let them play with. With these activities, you can help them develop their mental skills and social skills as well. Thinking of activities that can help these areas (social and mental skills) are better.

Books are helpful as well. Reading books is a great activity that you can conduct in your facility; just make sure to have lots of books to avoid boredom. In getting books, it is best to have books with lots of colorful pictures. Encourage them to create their own stories; this can help them learn more.

Yes, you need to let them do plenty of activities, but do not forget to let them have a sleep in the afternoon. Afternoon nap is important for little ones.

With planning, you can find the activities that can make your child care center an exciting one. You need to think about the ages of the kids under your care. Never ever forget to listen to the children, know what they need and want. If they love certain activities, try to find similar things that they can do.

Learn more see: How to start a daycare

Dolson McArt – Author of: How to Plan Activities for Your Child Care
Contributing to EzineArticles.com since March 2007.