TKW Consulting

Ten Ways to Be Respected as a Professional While Running a Daycare Out of Your Home
By Kat Rice Williams

Providing childcare out of your home can be extremely challenging. When you are a home daycare provider, respect is something that you get very little of. People assume that just because you run your daycare out of your home, that you are nothing more than a glorified babysitter. I ran a daycare out of my home for several years. I was a professional, and I wanted to be treated like a professional. Listed below are some of the things that you can do as a home childcare provider to make sure that you and your home childcare business appears professional, and gets treated with respect.

1. Draw up a clear, concise contract, and don't be afraid to enforce it. Before accepting children into your childcare home, make sure that your potential clients understand, and are willing to abide by the rules of your home daycare. Your contract should cover every area that you consider important. Contracts will eliminate any confusion over issues such as late fees, payments, and operating hours.

2. If possible, your childcare area should be separate from your living area. A den is always a great area to transform into usable daycare space.

3. Don't answer the door in your pajamas, and curlers. If you open your doors at six o'clock, then you should be completely dressed, shoes included. How can you expect to be taken seriously as a professional if you are wearing nightclothes during business hours.

4. Give your home childcare business a name, and logo. Use your business name on all of your paperwork. If someone were to ask one of your clients where their child attend daycare, you want them to be able to give a professional business name.

5. Don't discuss your personal life with your daycare clients. Keeping your personal business out of you daycare will allow daycare clients to focus on your professionalism, and not the fact that you hit the club last night.

6. Keep your daycare clean, organized, and smelling fresh. There is nothing worse than a foul smelling daycare. Keeping your home daycare space clean will show clients, and potential clients that you care about your business.

7. Never discuss another child to clients. All of the children in your care are entitled to their privacy.

8. No matter what the circumstances are, never loose your temper. always conduct yourself in a calm, and professional manner.

9. Always keep your forms, and paperwork in order. If someone drops in to ask for an admissions form, and your shoveling through papers because you can't remember where you put anything, that looks very unprofessional.

10. Take the time to get licensed. Even if it is not necessary. Having a license shows clients that you value the rules, and want to work hard to maintain a quality home daycare environment.