I feel like God is nudging us to make a big shift. Right now I have a 14 month old daughter and both my husband and I work full time. I have not been happy working since she was born, and had a suspicion that I would want to stay home with her when pregnant, but this was never our reality before getting pregnant. We have put ourselves in a lifestyle that requires two incomes. But being away from my daughter just get's harder and harder, instead of easier like I had hoped. So I am considering starting a home daycare. My husband is terrified to say the least, and isn't quite on the same page as me when it comes to the importance of having a parent home to raise the child. I'm taking my orientation on February 8th, and I'm thinking about this so much I've started feeling a little sick. Any insight is helpful! I'm overwhelmed by the things I'll need, the classes, the money (and lack thereof) just starting out. This is a HUGE leap of faith for us.

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What state are you in?

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I am in Kansas If I posted in the wrong place I apologize!

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Your orientation meeting will give you tons of info. Depending on what ages of children you plan to keep, you may already have much of what you need. As far as the money for supplies and such, search for used items as much as possible. Facebook yardsale groups, craigslist, thrift stores such as Goodwill.

The biggest mistake I have been seeing lately on facebook groups and such is people feeling desperate to start so not having a contract and handbook. Then they also compound that by taking any family that will sign on. Those things certainly set up new providers for failure. It was the reason I quit doing daycare the first time. People will take, take, and take some more if you let them. So you have to just start out by NOT letting them. Also I highly suggest taking a "deposit" that is applied towards the last two weeks care to start, and make all tuition payable in advance. Those are just the big things I can think of in that department.

As far as the need for two incomes, daycare can be a great income, but it can also be unreliable. It can be hard to find families sometimes, sometimes someone will quit you or you will need to term them. There is nothing worse than feeling held hostage by a bad family if you feel you can't afford to get rid of them. Can you downsize any bills? A few years ago we were forced to get rid of cable, sell our one truck that had payments and buy another with what we could for the cash off of it. Lots of little things when hubby lost his job a few years ago. You can quit eating out, cook from scratch. I am the queen of frugal and getting by with little lol I could write a book about it. Those are just things off the top of my head.

As far as feeling a little sick, change is never easy. It is always easier to feel like you know what you have than to jump into the unknown. Especially if your DH isn't on board. If you really want to do this, you may have to sell it to him. What will make things easier for both of you if you are home? One big one is you won't have to pay daycare! Of course there are always bad things to any situation but you have to see if the good outweighs the bad for you.

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You are in the right place....just thought if you were in my state I could help you. There are providers on here from Kansas, I am sure they will chime in and offer some help.

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Start out small and as you take on more you will have already mastered some of it before.
As for purchasing equipment, toys, supplies, look to CL, thrift stores, yard sales, friends and family cast-offs, FB groups.
Are you able to take on 1-2 kids before becoming licensed? Here we can have 2 and then we have to become registered of licensed by the state.
I think when you're looking ahead to it all, it probably does appear overwhelming but as you go through a bit at a time, it'll get easier.
Good luck!!

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It is a huge leap and there are startup costs. You will learn a lot in your orientation and use that information to make sure that this is right for you. There will be changes that will need to be made to your home, your routine, and your daughter's routine. You are making the leap of becoming a business owner, if you look at it that way, instead of just having the opportunity to stay home with your daughter, you'll do great. You will need to research what are the normal daycare rates in your area and make a plan for how many enrollments you'll need to cover expenses and to make an income as well.

The benefit is that you won't have to spend money on gas for your commute, your morning routine will change a bit but you won't need to get ready to get out the door. The classes are great info and interesting, I learned a lot from them.

Also, don't quit your job just yet, licensing can take a while and you will need to save some money to help you through getting enrollments, it takes a while to become full. Not to scare you, but from my orientation to getting officially licensed took a year. My county dragged their feet, as for me, I made sure all of my stuff was in on a timely basis. I was able to take a family during my licensing process but it definitely didn't pay the bills. Now that I'm licensed I have a couple remaining spots to fill but am happy were I'm at now. I wish you luck in your endeavor.

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I did daycare in Kansas years ago. I am sure some things have changed some, but it wasn't hard to get licensed. Are your planning to get licensed or registered? I did registered first and after a couple of years switched over. Do you live in a city or rural area? That will make a difference how fast you fill up. And then you have to decide if you will take subsidy payments or not. But that can wait you don't have to do it all at once. If you and your DH can pass the FBI and KBI checks, and you have the required space those seem to have been the big things when I did it.

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Here is some of the info from this forum about KS licensing.

https://www.daycare.com/kansas/

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Katie, I am in Kansas as well! I had a daycare in a rural town for about 3 years, then moved to the KC area and have been open here for about 3 years. What county are you in? The very best piece of advice I can give you is to stay active in this forum. I would have given anything to know about it when I was first starting. The advice you get here will be invaluable to you!

Feel free to PM me if you have any questions about state regs. Welcome to the craziest and most rewarding career ever!

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Thank you all for the fast responses!

Yes there will be no problems with the background checks. My daughter is young so our house is for the most part kid proofed with the exception of installing a few more child proof locks on cabinets, etc.

I can watch 2 without a license; however I think it will be easier to get kids with a license. Also easier for me to get all my ducks in a row so to speak! I know my husband is wanting me to market now so that I don't start off with just one kid, but I don't know if that's possible. Currently with taxes and 401k taken out I clear $550 a week so that (+100)?? Maybe for food, etc is what i'm trying to reach. And yes, there are places we can cut back if it comes to that. I wish I could sell my car but unfortunately we were upside down when we bought it and we can't sell it for what we owe.

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I'll have to second that for this forum! It has given me so much advice and helped me set up my childcare. It is also teaching me to have a backbone and be the boss!!!

Everyone is very supportive as well, and that is so important. This forum is invaluable to your business and it's free!!

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I would take a deep breath and just take it one day at a time. I know it is hard, but I wouldn't try to match your income now. If you can take two legally, without a license, I would start there and work your way up. I TOTALLY understand why you want to do daycare...so you can stay home with your child! BUT, it is not an easy gig and in some cases, you can feel like you spend even less focus on your child because you have to focus on other people's children. There is a lot of liability in daycare, so if your kid gets hurt in your care, it is not necessarily a big deal. If someone ellse kid is hurt in your care, it could be a very BIG deal.

The one thing I will say is that in home daycare affects the entire family, so I would really work that out with you husband first and foremost. There will be kids in his house, toys and kid equipment every where, safety equipment, constant cleaning, ect. I am not meaning to deter you or to sound negative. I did childcare for 17 years and daycare for 6 years, and I loved it! But it is a tough job and very invasive into your family, so I just want to give you a heads up and make sure you and your husband are on board, because I have found it to be a family affair ime

(just to add, in terms of buying equipment, go to resale shops, ask friends if they are getting rid of or donating any of their toys/equipment, ect. Your biggest expense will probably be food, so look into the food program and save some money for that until you can get going!)

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Careful, the rules about watching children without a license are a bit more strict than you think. Here are the rules:


There are four circumstances where licensing is not required in Kansas.
1) when child care is provided for not more than two children unrelated to the provider for 20 hours per week or less and the home has not been closed as a result of enforcement action. Total time is determined by adding the hours each child is cared for weekly.
2) when irregular child care is arranged between friends and neighbors on an exchange basis.
3) when child care is provided in the child's own home.
4) when the child care is provided in the home of the child's relative.

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this was very good, thank you. And I know i cannot/should not really proceed without my husbands blessing. Even if that may never come.

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yes; you are correct - I wrote that wrong up top. only 20 hours each for each child, so no I wouldn't really be able to start before my license.

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Sounds like there may be some kinks to work out before you commit to licensing? What are the rates in your area? Not to get too personal, but is it a money issue? Does you husband want you to make equivalent to what you make now? I would look into your potential income at max capacity and then cut it in half. My reason being that you need to account for expenses, ability to keep your daycare spots full, and just general repairs/expenses that come up.

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I'm in Kansas too!
Feel free to PM if have any state specific questions.

This forum is a great place to get advice. You will find a lot of good info here. Welcome!

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Yes I have a general uneasy feeling in the pit of my stomach and I know it's because I don't feel like I have my husbands support 100%. I know he is very nervous from a financial standpoint. Right now we pay $160 a week for daycare for a 14 month old, so 32 dollars a day. Max capacity would be 10 kids (which would be too much just starting out)

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I was you 2 years ago. I don't live in your state but I just want to tell you that you can do it. While I was pregnant with my second child and working full time outside of the home I built my website got my CPR and first aid training and bought a house so that I could start a home daycare. I have always wanted to be a stay at home mom and my son was not happy in daycare and I wasn't happy either. Now I get to stay at home with both of them and still make money. I am not sure about your area but we have a large demand for childcare here so I started out full (6 full time kids). I took all my son's old toys and did some minor child proofing, marketing and lots of reading and prayed the rest of it in. God provided the kids and the patients because there is a lot to learn.

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One thing to consider when talking to your husband about the money aspect - how much are you paying for daycare for your daughter and how many more children would you like? I thought doing daycare didn't make sense when I had one child, then when we had 2 my income at my former job equaled what we were paying in daycare. We have 3 children now and never could have afforded to have 3 in daycare, but due to my home daycare income we live comfortably.

My dh thought I would be bored and quit after a year. Now I am in it to win it after 4 years I hope to be at it at least 6 more years.

Make a pros and cons list to bring to a discussion with him.

Check out the start up grants available in your area.

Best of luck!

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I totally understand and it can be very nerve racking for both of you. Change is always hard! So, if you pay $160 a week, I will base this off of an average of $150 a week per child. If you don't have a lot of experience in childcare, I would start wit low ratios, like 4-5 kids, plus your own child, or even less, depending on what you feel okay with. If you have your own child+5 more children, at $150 a week, that is 750 a week. Now, you need to deduct a good 20-30% for expenses(supplies, utilities, food, insurance, ect), so on the higher end, that would be about $525 a week. Keep in mind, this is not contributing anything to your 401k or to health insurance, so if you need to pay for those, take even more out.

I cannot give specifics, but this is an example of what you may face and so that is why I said not to base your new income on what you used to make. Daycare is not a get rich quick type job. It takes time and can be VERY profitable, but starting out can be difficult. It is also a job that impacts the whole family if you do it out of your house. There is a lot of responsibility involved. That being said, it can be an AWESOME job and it allows you to work from home and to be home with your child! Being home to raise your child is priceless, imo, so I would try to take it one day at a time and to speak with your husband about the benefits to your own child. Go slow and do what you can handle. Many providers get burnt out because they take on too much, too soon, and mostly because of money. Just as you start at the bottom in a company and work your way up, you can d the same with daycare, only you get to control your growth! And again, the time with your child is worth every penny!

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My husband was slightly on board when I started. He lost his job 2 months after I started (he wanted me to quit and get a real job ). At that time my enrollment was low and I started looking for outside work and looking for childcare for my kids. The first childcare home lady I coated asked if I was XYZ childcare home owner and I told her yes (I thought she was upset thinking I was checking out competition so I came clean and told her I was thinking about quiting and about my husband). This lady sent me a very lengthy email reply telling me that she saw my website and marketing and that I looked invested and to ride out my current circumstances and my husband and it will pay off and ups and downs are the nature of the business. I stuck with it because if I could do it when my husband was unemployed I could do this during any circustance. It was a test for my husband and myself and it paid off. It also helped my mentality as this business is not for the weak. Sometimes husbands cannot see what we see in regards to our kid's and it is up to you to stay the coursem for you and your child and then he will see (maybe).

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You can take 2 if they only come 10 hrs a week, or you can take one for 20 hrs if I remember correctly... I use to live in KCMO 2 blocks from the KS line the year the laws changed... you wouldn't believe how many times I was turned in for legally having 4 babies in MO because people thought I lived on the KS side of State line. Taking a PT child in evenings when you aren't working will help you get your "feet wet" if that is a possibility for you. Also depending on the city/county there can be additional hoops to jump so check out local as well as state law

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I'm thinking of just telling my husband that I cannot do this without his support and him being on board. B/c, I just can't. He's got to understand where I'm coming from, or I've got to pray that God changes his heart. I truly believe that God knows my heart is home with my baby and he can make all things possible. But perhaps I'm feeling this weight b/c I'm putting all the responsibility on myself. I know this is not an overnight process but it's SO HARD for me to take it one day at a time. Maybe it will be an option when we have our second kiddo. I feel so up in the air about it after reading all the comments lol

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Go to the orientation, they will give you all the steps you need to make and in my state at least, we had some things we had to do to get to the next step.

They are really upfront about what licensing is about and what you should expect going in. It will be helpful with your decision and also your husband's feelings about it. God will point you to where you need to go. If it's something you really want to do, it will happen!

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Just curious about the worries your dh is having? Is it lack of privacy? Liability? Not making enough income?
You don't have to take dc to any level that you're not comfortable with. You don't have to rearrange your entire home to welcome it.
In my early years, yes it was difficult, especially when dh was off and dc was still open. He did, in fact, resent it. My own ds(18 months at the time) had issues. But when I ended up making better money with dc than any I could make outside the home, when he saw the deductions I could take, he started figuring out ways he could make it work for him(like staying in the basement or going golfing) when I was open. I have to admit there were tough times when I begged him if I could quit and he laid the guilt on me. But I got through those and am so glad I stuck with it. Back then there just weren't the support systems that are now in place and I think that made it worse for me. Now with added incentives, network meetings, terrific mentors and resource referral systems, wonderful families(VERY important!!), a better handbook/contract, it's so much better.
Good luck with your decision and hopefully he'll come around if it's truly what you want. Sounds like it's time for a good honest-to-goodness talk together.

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Husband's aren't always on board at first but then they come around, or don't, but they learn to be quiet. I know that sounds bad but I kind of had the attitude that this is something I felt I truly was cut out for and wanted a LOT so even though he had misgivings I presented him with a "You get to do what you really want to do for a job and I should be able to as well." He wasn't thrilled but he dealt with it. Yes, he made some concessions but that's life. We all make concessions in a marriage.

Now that I am retired (after doing it 20 years) another retired provider and I are friends and we go out to eat with her and her husband. The other night my husband said to him "I'm sure glad that's over" and her husband agreed. Then they started giving examples of things they hadn't liked and we started laughing. They said they went to work sick cause it was better than being sick and having noisy kids in the house. They liked the income part though so can't have it both ways.

You probably won't make your current level of income, at least at first, so I'd plan accordingly. I'd at least go to the orientation and see if it sounds good. I loved it but I could have made more money working outside the home. Still, I loved it and was fulfilled and my children were grown before I started doing it full time but I got to be with my grandchildren and that was worth more than money to me.

Good luck!

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Not to be negative but here's my experience I've been open since June and signed my first family immediately. They were part time. I was getting at least 6 calls a week for care that ended with day care being too expensive or people setting up interviews and not showing up (I had 4 no shows in one day). 4 months later I signed my second family and my first family decided to go full time. I made 8,000 last year that's not excluding what I've spent on food and supplies. I had two families that were suppose to bring signed paper work and payment so they can start care Monday and I haven't heard back from either. I spend even less time with my kids and I'm exhausted by the end of the day. In this jlob you have to deal with a lot of personalities (parents and kids), a lot of melt downs (sometimes for no reason) "some" parents trying to get over, the list goes on and on. I love working with kids But this job can be draining at times. My advice to you is before you quit save some money for just in case. You may fill up right away or you may not. Good luck!

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