A day care center is a serious business primarily because you are dealing with children. Although you may think that since you are a parent, or you plan on being one, that the know-how you have right now is enough to ensure that you can run a day care facility effectively. Sans the business part, you also have to consider where to learn about the equipment you will have in the center and how to make sure that you avoid dangerous accidents by childproofing your center. Even if you decide to make your day care center home-based, your house will be thoroughly inspected before you acquire a license to operate your childcare facility.

One of the most important things you should consider is the furniture you will be placing in your facility. If you plan on caring for young children – toddlers and even babies – you will need to plan on having cribs, small beds, and high chairs. Babies need to be changed out of diapers so you will need a changing table or a bed for this task. Also, potty training is expected for toddlers so the bathroom would be an important consideration. You can have a smaller toilet top installed over your existing one so that the kids would not be slipping into the toilet seat. Additionally, consider having a non-skid stool by the toilet, this would also be useful for washing hands in the tall sink.

Your backyard would inevitably be the designated outdoor play area and you would be expected to have play structures designed for little kids. There are various manufacturers of swing sets, both plastic and wooden. The structures you choose should be very sturdy to avoid children falling off because of damages. Play sets include monkey bars, swing sets, slides, and even basketball equipment. For a fun learning time with water, you can have a carpenter build you a structure you can use to hold two big basins where your kids can learn to pour, squirt, or play with bubbles.

Safety is of course an issue so make sure that you consider this important factor every minute of your waking hour while designing and equipping your day care facility. Cleaning solutions and equipment should be kept out of sight of children because these are curious beings and you would not want them vacuuming everything in sight. The bathroom for the children’s use should not have any hazardous materials in it so keep all your personal paraphernalia in the personal bathroom you would not be allowing the kids to enter, preferably the one on the highest floor. There are also socket covers you can buy for electrical outlets so that you can avoid children sticking in small toy parts into wall sockets.

Running a daycare center can be very fulfilling for you. However, as a responsible business owner and child care provider, makes sure that you put everything in place to keep your day care children safe and sound at all times they are in your facility.

For more info: How to start a daycare