Is starting a Daycare/Preschool easy?

[BenzBoi]

Thinking of openning one in my city.
No I'm not a gay man, been happily married for 12 years and have a 20 month old boy. I was just thinking of starting one where I live because there are only 5 daycare/preschools here and all of them have a 2 year waiting list.

[Poor Pearl]

I would not think this would be an easy project. My friend has a very successful preschool but it was a lot of work for her and those who helped her. She was involved in all the details and then had to have everything approved for her license. It has been a very wonderful feeling of accomplishment and she deserves to be very proud of her school. I am proud of her sticking with it and being a great teacher and director.

Sounds like this would be a wonderful addition to your community. It is responsibility of everyone to add to the education of our children in the ways they possibly can. Good luck with this.

[Amber]

It's wonderful to hear about a male thinking of opening an early childhood center! We need more like you...these children definately benefit from having a male role model and beside the fact...you men think a LOT differently than the women and it tends to add a different dimension to the classroom/child care.

To answer your question. No, it is not easy. My husband and I went through the process to see what it would take. Yikes! I'm keeping the plans and info for maybe in the future but at this point...no...we are choosing not to do it mainly because of the $$$...my expectations tend to be high. But like Matt said... once you get the ball rolling it gets a little easier. There is a LOT to think about. Find someone who can mentor you, talk with the licensing consultant in your area. They can definately give you some tips. Do you have a basement or an addition to your home? Consider a group home...less technicalities and you can provide quality care/education. We went the famiy child care route because our home is not large enough for group. However, I'm in the process of switching to "preschool". There are a lot of families out there, I'm finding, that would like their child in a "home-schooled" preschool. Just some food for thought.

A side note to Matt's comment about the cups next to the drinking fountain. How true that is! The licensing rules tend to vary from consultant to consultant since some of them are not very clear! We had the same issue with bedding placed in bags. One person said the bedding must be in bags and another consultant said, no, you should lay them between the cots. LOL oh the joys! I wish you luck!

[mattfromasia]

Starting one can be difficult. You have zoning restrictions, building inspections, many laws and regulations that vary from state to state and (unfortunately) from year to year. You might have an inspector come through one year and ask why you don't put cups by the water fountain because it's in the regulations that you should. The following year, they come through and ask why the cups are there if you have a water fountain. (Actually happened at one place I worked).

A lot of work goes into starting one, but it gets easier after it has been started. Not saying it's ever an easy job, but once the ball is rolling, it is well worth it.

Matt

[SHANNNON D]

It depends were you live, you have to go to the staes websitea and find out what requirments need to be met, there are a lot of rules and regulations.

[SHANNNON D]

It depends were you live, you have to go to the staes websitea and find out what requirments need to be met, there are a lot of rules and regulations.

[Ann M]

No - there is nothing easy about it-hiring architects, fire inspections, plumbing inspections, everything inspections, rules and regulations, inventing policies and making your safety rules - it's a LOT of hard work and you have to enter with your eyes wide open. And nothing will happen if your licensing specialist says no to one thing.

[abeer i]

the best part is teaching the children the very ...very bad part is dealing with the children's parents. good luck.