8 Easy Steps to Start a Day Care Center article contained – 

1. Start with Government Grant or Citizen Committee
2. What you need to have to start a Day Care Program 
3. Committee Organization and Operation 
4. Finances,  Policies,   Staffing,etc.
5. Admission Policies 
6. Personnel Policies and Salary Scales  
7. Staffing  
8. Public Relations

8 Easy Steps to Start a Day Care Center

Image Source

Step 1 – 

Start with Government Grant or Citizen Committee

 Any group of citizens who are concerned about the health and welfare of the children in their community can form a committee to start a day care center.

Sometimes such a committee can bring to the attention of the government the need for this service, and it may be that the government will start such a program under the auspices of one of the appropriate ministries,- educations health, or welfare.

If the government is not able to do this, a citizens committee,which is willing to take responsibility for financing and operating a day care center, can start one.

In most countries a citizen’s committee has to be registered with the government, and it is best to find out first what the government regulations for committees are.

The government will want to know the committee’s purpose; what kind of service it wants to offer and why; whether this service is to be a charitable undertaking,

or whether the committee expects to make money from it; whether the committee is a responsible group of people who can be counted on to operate a good program which will really help the community.

The government will want to know who the committee members are , Providing a service for young children is a serious responsibility.

If the program is not a good one, or if the building is not safe, or if the personnel are irresponsible, the children can be harmed rather than helped by going to the day care center. A day care center, to be of help to the children, has to be more then just a place to keep children off the streets.

It has to have a program which gives the children those things they need for healthy growth.

If you are thinking of forming a committee to start a day care center, you will  first need to know what  is required to establish and to operate such a program.

The advice of an  expert on day care programs is needed for this;  a list of possible agencies and organizations to which you milt look for such expert help is included in the appendix.

This article has been prepared to give you some idea of tie things you will need to  think about before starting a day care center.

If you already have a center in operation,  this  can serve as a guide to help you ace how well  your program is meeting the children’s needs.  It cannot be a substitute for an expert’s assistance.

8 Easy Steps to Start a Day Care Center new

Image Source

Step 2  –

What you need to have to start a Day Care Program

A  committee

of  responsible  citizens  who  will  give  time  and  interest  and who will  give  or  find  money for the  operation of  the  service.

A budget

which  includes  all  expenses  for  operation  of  the  program,  as  well  as  a  realistic  estimate  of  income.

Policies

for  admission  of  children,  for  employment  of  staff.

A  building

which  is  safe,  has  space  for  classrooms,  kitchen  and  food  preparation  rooms,  food  storage,  toilet  and hand-washing facilities,  offices,   storeroom,  and  a  garden  or  outdoor  play  space.

Equipment

suitable  for  the  purpose,   such  as  small  tables  and chairs,  kitchen and  clinic  equipment,  beds  or mats  for  resting,  toys  and outdoor playground  equipment.

A  program

which includes  education,  food,  and medical and health care.

A  staff

of teachers, nurse, doctor, and a director who are especially trained  to  plan  and  carry out  this  program.

Step 3 –

Committee Organization and Operation 

One way  to  find  out  how to  organize  a  committee  or how a committee works  is  to  talk  to  other  community  people  who  serve  on  committees,  and to  visit  committees  in  operation  and  observe  their work. Your  government  may be  able  to  help  you,  also.

A  committee  needs  to  have  rules  for  its  operation  covering  election of  officers,responsibilities  of  members,  meeting  days,  etc.

Every committee  needs  a  president  or  chairman.  An  efficient  method  of working is  to  assign  to  one  member  or  to  small  groups  of committee  members  the responsibility  for  certain  phases  of  the  work    (budget,  clothing,  personnel). These  people  always  report  back  to  the  entire  group  of  members  for  approval  and  for new  decisions  regarding  thoir  work.

Step 4 –

Finances,  Policies,   Staffing,etc.

Finances 

When  a  committee  undertakes  to  operate  a  day  care  center  it  must have  a  responsible  plan  for  financing  the program.     A  budget  must  be worked  out  to  include  all  aspects  of operation,  such  as  building,   equipment,  supplies,  salaries. A  realistic  on-going plan  for  fundraising  must  be  established  to  cover not  only  the  initial  but  the  operating expenses  as  well.

The  committee  must  administer  the  funds  and keep  careful  records of  income  and  expenditures  to insure wise  spending of money and  to make plans  for  the  future.

8 Easy Steps to Start a Day Care Center

Image Source

Step 5 –

Admission Policies 

Policies for admission of children have to be established by the committee.If the  day care center will not be large enough to accept all of the children whose parent want this service,  the committee will have to decide which children they want  to  serve and then establish some categories of priority so  that admissions can be made on an objective basis. For example,  the  committee may decide  on priorities as follows:

1. Children of homes with lowest  incomes.
2. Children with only one parent.
3. Children of working mothers, etc.

These might be put in a different order of priority according to needs of the community.

In communities where there is a qualified social worker, her services may be used for screening the applicants for admission on the basis of  the policies established by the committee.

Where a social worker is not  available,  the committee usually takes over this task of interviewing for admission of children. In  some  situations when the center is well  established,  or if the center is able to accommodate all children applying,  the committee may delegate this   responsibility to the director,  but whenever there is need to discriminate among applicants,  the committee must take final responsibility for the choice.

The committee must also work out a plan,  in cooperation with their center director,  for the actual arrival of the children at the center.

It  is  the  responsibility of the committee to decide if fees will be charged for care and,  if so,  tho committee will have to establish the basis for foes  and the method of collection.   The director or her assistant or a committee member may collect  the  foes,  but decision as to how much each family should pay must be made by the committee.

Step 6 –

Personnel Policies and Salary Scales 

It  is  the responsibility of the committee to establish a set of personnel practices and a salary scale in order:

–   To provide a  fair and objective way of handling staff problems and
        relating to staff members.

–   To provide staff members with a guide to  the duties and the benefits
        of their jobs.

–   To insure the welfare of the staff so that they will be satisfied
        with their jobs and content to stay in them.

Such policies should cover educational qualifications,  job definitions, hours of work,  duties,  annual  leave,  sick leave, maternity leave, holidays,  leaves of absence,  conditions for resignation or termination of service,  health insurance,  pension plan or social security, and a salary scale and plan for increments.

If the government has  established regulations concerning labor practices,  these must be adhered to,  but they are usually minimal and general and not  specific for a day care program.

Step 7 – 

Staffing 

The committee must first hire a director for the center and initially they may also hire all other staff members.

After the director is  engaged,  the committee makes final decisions as to the hiring•or release of other staff members upon the recommendation and with the advice of the director of the center.

Step 8 –

Public Relations 

Day care may be a new and unfamiliar concept in your community.
Because of its unfamiliarity,  community members will be curious about what  the Center is and the services it offers.

Day care committee members are fortunate in that  they are operating a service which is highly visible and which appeals to the natural interest adults have in young children.

A center should always operate in such a way that a community can be proud of it.

The committee should take opportunities to  show the center to other members of the community and to explain its function and its value.

Committee members will want  to  take visitors through the center and to invite guests to school celebrations.

This must,  of course,  be done with the knowledge and cooperation of the school director who will know how to arrange things in such a way that the children will not be exploited or disturbed.

Article source : JDC guide for day care centers a handbook to aid communities in developing day care center programs.