Hi!
I am not liscenced, and don't have a contract, but also make sure the parents and I will get along *before* I watch their child! If a problem ever arises (which it has with one family who I ended up having to stop watching), I talk with the parents, and if it comes down to it - I give them a nice explanation letter with 2 weeks notice. I've had to do that once, and got my support (it was HARD!) from the great mamas here
Trying to think of things I had to do when I started, or over the first few months::::
Stuff you may need:
extra carseats
single or double stroller
highchair/clip-on seat for table
booster chairs for table
good sleeping situation (nap room with mats, mattress on the floor or pack&play)
some extra bikes/trikes
Baby carriers (backpack, ergo, etc.)
Training Potty or potty seat insert
Art Supplies (of course some thing we buy per occassion, but we always have construction paper, computer paper, blank newspaper rolls, washable markers, crayons, pipe cleaners, glue, paints)
Things you need to decide for yourself before folks start calling:
- How much to charge
- If you'll have Sibling discounts
- What hours you want kids to start coming over/and what time to leave by
- When you put kids down for naps (it helps to just have one decided time(s), and the kids will adjust to it, so you don't have kids going down at all different times), and when meal time is
- What you are going to supply (food, etc.)
- How many kids you'll take at a time
- What ages you want to watch
- What you want parents to pack for their child (I have parents bring dipes, wipes, extra clothes, swimsuit, plastic bag, sippy cup or water bottle - filled with water only).
- * I also have parents bring one full bottle of sunscreen per child that stays at my house. That usually supplies us through the Summer
I have some parents bring 2 bottles (usually parents of toddlers who like to dump bottles out or spray the yard with sunscreen, etc.)
- You need to know your emergency plan, so you can tell the prospective parents
- Parents will also want to know what snacks/food you will serve, how much TV time (if any) will be had, what activities you do during the day
- Some providers I know do little reports for each child to send home with the parent ... I don't like to be that anal, but I do like to tell the parent something cute their child did that day, and talk about any problems that occured and how we handled them
- What you'll do for misbehaving children
I advertise through a local mamas group, so as only to attract similar parenting mamas as myself. I only do part-time care & drop-in care, so i don't get burned out on any particular child. I watch kids 4 days a week (sometimes 5), and only 2 days per child. I like to only watch about 18 months and older, unless a younger child is especially dispositioned to not mind being away from their own mama.
Sorry if that was too long a post!! I'll shut up now
