During the month of January, we will be looking at the Business of Child Care. I can’t tell you how frequently I have young people come to my office telling me that they want to open their own child care center. Many want to open home-based centers, while others are intent on establishing a bigger business. Either way, there is a lot to know before opening, especially if you want to pay the bills.

The most important thing to know is that most centers are licensed through the state. As you can imagine, that means there are a TON of hoops to jump through before the doors can be opened. Some centers are license-excempt but that doesn’t mean that anything goes. There are still rules and regulations that must be followed in order to keep children safe and well-cared for. In addition to state licensing, there is city licensing and national accreditation to consider.

If you are considering opening a center and you want some answers, post your questions here. If you already have a center and have questions, post those here as well. We can get a conversation going amongst providers and try to share as much information as possible.