In Home Daycare Business Series – You’re The Boss Of The Parents Too
May 14, 2008 by Yvonne Russell
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This is the second in a 4 part series from Debbie Yost about In Home Daycare as a home business.
Guest Post
By Debbie Yost
Last time I explained that running a home day care business has many state, city and county requirements. When you decide to open a home daycare, you will receive a list of items that need to be done in order to operate your business legally. Although this list can be time consuming and tiresome at times, it is a simple matter of following directions and checking off items.
Before you open your doors, you need to prepare a handbook of your policies so both you and the parents of the children you watch will have a mutual understanding. Many parents have the impression that you are their employee. They believe they have hired you to watch their child and therefore they are in charge. Nothing could be further from the truth.
This is your business and the parents are your clients. Although it is imperative that you work together for the good of the child, you have to keep in mind there are several families and children involved and policies must be made and enforced. My handbook addresses all areas of my daycare and policies. This handbook has been revised on several occasions to deal with unforeseen issues that have arisen with parents.
Once you have developed your policies you must enforce them. Nothing breaks down the provider/client relationship faster than letting the parents break the rules. In this business, you are inviting individuals into your home and it is important to have a friendly relationship with your parents.
However, if you start viewing your parents as friends instead of clients, you may begin to give them allowances that you would grant a friend. Very quickly these “friends” will start taking advantage of your generosity and you begin to lose control. Trying to go back to enforcing your policies is difficult and can cause conflict in your provider client relationship. In addition, it is not fair to the other parents who have diligently followed your policies.
All 4 posts in this series
Read Part 1: It’s Not Just Babysitting – Intro To Running An In Home Daycare Business
Read Part 2: In Home Daycare Business Series – You’re The Boss Of The Parents Too
Read Part 3: In Home Daycare Business Series – Appearances Do Matter
Read Part 4: In Home Daycare Business Series – Find Your Own Niche
Debbie Yost is a work at home mom who has run a small in-home day care, The Tot Stop, for the last five years. She and her husband have three daughters ages 11, 5 and 3. Debbie’s youngest daughter has Down syndrome.
Because of her daughter, Debbie has become an advocate for people with Down syndrome to ensure they have the same opportunities to live a full and rewarding life as others.
Debbie writes from home whenever she finds time between bottles, diapers, naps and other parental duties. Her personal blog is Three Weddings.
© Bio photo courtesy of Debbie Yost.
© Guest Post Button Image courtesy of Yvonne Russell at Grow Your Writing Business.com
Great information, Debbie, about keeping one’s relationship with the parents on a professional basis. This can apply to other businesses, too, and help avoid many frustrations. Thanks for sharing.
Hi Mary Emma,
I agree, in fact I’ve had many comments on my blog indicating this as well. I think this is a trap many small business owners fall into.
Hi Debbie
It’s a fine line and a tricky one to tread at times, isn’t it?
Running a home daycare, is not the same as selling a product. So when your business is centered around something as sensitive as caring for someone else’s children, establishing boundaries is very important.
This is a lot of help. Do you kno who i contact for regulations and laws of in home daycare?
Hi Chelsea,
Thanks for visiting Home Biz Notes. Since each state and locality varies, check with your town or city (those may involve zoning regulations, too). Also, check with your state. Usually regulations for home daycare are administered by a state agency. If you know anyone in your area who is providing daycare, ask them which agency you check with.