Deciding to open a family child care home is an important business decision that will affect many areas of your professional and personal life. Before you decide, be sure to weigh the positives and negatives.
There are many positives to being a family child care provider. Some of the pros of opening a family child care home include:
* You do not need a lot of capital to open your business.
* The child care setting is smaller and more intimate.
* You get to work from home, and don't have commuting costs.
* If you have young children, you can care for them while also earning money caring for other children.
* Children get to learn and develop in a home-like setting.
* You are your own boss.
* The dress is casual!
* You can deduct a percentage of your living expenses on your income taxes because you are operating your business out of your home.
Of course, there are some down sides to being a family child care provider as well. Some of the cons of opening a family child care home include:
* You are tied to your home on a very regular schedule to meet parents' needs.
* It may be difficult to keep living and child care areas of the home separate.
* You will need to plan carefully to keep living and business expenses separate.
* Because you are providing child care from your home, parents may have more trouble respecting your personal time when it comes to dropping children off or picking them up.
* Parents and families may be more likely to bring sick children to your home because it is just that, a home.
* Your business may cause stress in your family because of the hours, the demands on your home space, and other issues.
* Family child care providers are required to register or meet some state licensing requirements in many states, which may add expenses to your budget.
Consider these pros and cons carefully before you decide to open a family child care business. Talk to other family child care providers to learn more about their experiences. Discuss issues such as time and space with your family before you commit. Being a family child care provider is a big responsibility, but with the right planning it can bring great rewards.
