Preparing Your Child Daycare Center

Before you start caring for children, it is wise to transform your child care center (i.e., your home or location outside your home) into a place that is safe, clean, comfortable and inviting to parents and children alike. There are a number of measures that you can take; each is described below.

Safety

You must be confident that all areas the children will use including both indoors and outdoors are safe. To check, you might want to crawl around on your hands and knees, asking, What could a child possibly get into here? How might a child be hurt here? What other problems could be caused here? Make sure:

• All items children should not use are safely locked away or on high, inaccessible shelves.
• Precious breakables are put away.
• Poisonous plants are out of reach.
• Stairs are well lighted and secure underfoot.
• Chemicals, medicines and other dangerous items are behind safety locks.
• Toys are stored on shelves to avoid injury from falling lids on toy boxes.

All play materials, furniture, shelving, outdoor equipment -- everything with which children will come into contact -- should be checked every few days for loose parts or any safety hazard. Broken toys and missing pieces discourage play and should be fixed, put away or discarded. A doll with a missing limb could be tenderly cared for, and perhaps bandaged or fitted with a pretend artificial limb during hospital play. If beyond repair, some broken equipment can be dissected by the children to see what is inside before it is thrown away.

Sometimes parents are willing to build and repair equipment to keep costs down. Or a parent can be given a discount for helping with these tasks. Occasionally one or more parents may be willing to build shelves, a backyard climber or a child-size picnic table.

Be aware that, while garage sales are often a source of first-rate toys and equipment at bargain prices, older model cribs and other items may not meet current safety standards.

Equipment and Materials

The equipment and materials you will need depend on the ages of the children you care for. Here is a list of ideal equipment and materials for a child care center serving a wide age range of children:

• Child-size tables and chairs, booster seats, high chairs and infant seats. Tables can be used for eating and for a variety of children's activities.
• Cribs, beds, cots, all with protective mattress pads covered with plastic that can be stored under the beds; blankets and sheets for each child. If you use your family's beds, lay the children's bedding on top of the made-up bed.
• Diapering area (preferably near a faucet) that can be easily sanitized after each use; nearby childproof, sanitary storage for used diapers; step stools for sink and toilet.
• Space -- to crawl, toddle, run, climb and to be alone (but still in view).
• Outdoor play space (sand, hard surface for wheeled toys, swings, climber, garden) or a nearby park. A covered porch or carport is ideal for rainy days.
• Art materials, such as meat trays, egg cartons, computer paper; washable surfaces for messy activities.
• Water and sand to scoop and pour into plastic dishpans or a larger trough or water table; old throw rugs or other absorbent floor covering.
• Large and small, simple and complicated toys, including building materials such as wooden and plastic blocks.
• Good children's books and a quiet, cuddly place to read them.
• Paperback books can be covered with clean adhesive plastic to protect and strengthen them.
• Games, puzzles, dolls, vehicles (child powered rather than battery powered).
• Make-believe props, clothes and costumes for dressing up and pretending.
• Record player, tape recorder and radio; number, alphabet and color charts or cards; canister for crayons, pencils and other miscellaneous art materials.
• A fabric carrier for young babies and a backpack carrier for babies who can sit up. Many babies love swings and bouncing chairs.
• For older children, a private place with props and equipment that children can rearrange as they choose. School-age children will also need a place to keep their things from school and perhaps a place to do their homework.

For suggestions on specific toys for different age groups, call the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) at 202-232-8777 or 800-424-2460 or write to NAEYC, 1834 Connecticut Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20009-5786.

You do not need to spend a lot of money on toys and equipment if you set up your child care center creatively. Your warmth and enthusiasm will be your best asset.

Setup of Your Child Care Center

Your child care center should be arranged so children can play happily with each other and by themselves, participate in a structured curriculum (if provided) and experience their growing independence by hanging up their own coats, putting dishes in the dishwasher or putting away art materials. Allow the children to suggest ways to make learning and playing fun and safe. While you will always closely supervise their activities, you can't be with all the children every minute. If there are interesting things for children of different ages to do, you will be able to feed a baby or prepare lunch knowing that the children are safe, busy and happy. If you provide structured activities for the older children, have your child care center arranged so the younger children can play quietly without interrupting the sessions, and so you can monitor their activities.

Your job will be easier if you arrange your child care center to simplify everyday routines. Some problems can be prevented by having selected things where the children can reach them (e.g., toys, spare clothes

and water cups), and others where they can't (e.g., house plants, TV, crayons and children's projects). If children can take care of some of their own needs, it makes them feel independent and competent and frees you to do other things. Encourage the older children to help the younger children with simple tasks such as tying shoes and buttoning or zipping coats; it reinforces their independence, sharpens their skills and fosters friendship and learning among peers.

Storage

Adequate storage is especially important for child care providers with limited space. Well-designed storage reduces clutter and increases play space. Boards and cement blocks make sturdy, inexpensive shelves for preschool and older children. Heavy cardboard cartons and wooden crates from grocery stores can also be used to build storage units. Make sure shelves are stable enough that children won't tip them over when they use the furniture to pull themselves up to stand or walk.

It is a good idea to rotate toys and materials: put away items the children are tired of for a few weeks; bring them out later and the children will enjoy rediscovering them. You may want to assemble theme boxes containing all the materials you need for a specific activity.

Every child should have a personal storage area, even if it is only a shoe box or an ice cream tub. Label it with the child's name and a special symbol. Each child's special area should be off limits to the other children. This gives the child a feeling of belonging and the security of knowing special things can be kept safely.

As a businessperson, you will need office space. Efficient storage of administrative and financial records will save you time. You may not have the money to purchase a file cabinet or desk when you open your child care center. However, you can use drawers and cabinet space that you usually keep junk in as a file cabinet for the children's emergency cards, expense receipts and business papers. Empty shelves can also be used for storing business records.

It is a good idea to find a secure place to keep your business records because these records will be used to file your federal and state taxes at the end of the year. If you misplace any of your records, filing accurate taxes will be virtually impossible.