First, is it legal to do unlicensed care in your area? I would find that out and if it's not legal, turn her in!

Whether it's legal or not, you might want to learn a little about what she offers, her rates, whether she teaches the kids, whether she provides the food, what ages she takes, etc. You will want this info to see what your competition is - that way, you can adjust your rates and what you offer to be able to compete in your area. I would also call other legal daycare homes in the area to get a general idea of what parents want, expect, and are offered at what rates.

I would keep in mind that she is your neighbor and you might not want her to know that you are the one calling her falsely looking for childcare or going on a fake interview. If the lady knows your voice or might later meet you and recognize your voice. Or if she knows what you look like or might later meet you, you might want to ask a friend out of the neighborhood to do your dirty work for you.

My friends/sister and I do it all the time! My other licensed daycare provider friends do this all the time! Here where I live it's illegal to operate an unlicensed daycare and all of us licensed providers work pretty hard to get them shut down!

If you might want to turn the unlicensed lady in, make sure to set up a fake interview so you can get her name and address to use when you turn her in. You also might need to either find an advertisement of hers to send in as proof that she's babysitting people that are not related to her (the general public). If you can not find an advertisement of hers, you might need to go to an interview at her house and hope she gives you a contract or something that proves she's providing childcare. You can send that in instead of an advertisement if necessary. You said you are licensed, so you just need to call your spe******t or whoever you got your license through and ask them exactly what you need to do and what paperwork (proof) you need to obtain for them to investigate her unlicensed daycare.

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