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How to Start a Child Care Business in Northeast Ohio
by Mark Krosse
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July 21, 2022
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Preschool teacher engaging young children in educational activities at a daycare center, using colorful toys and building blocks to support early childhood learning and development.

Starting a child care business can lead to a rewarding career helping parents and young children.

 

Availability of and equitable access to quality child care and early learning services is essential to the wellbeing and economic stability of families and communities.

A childcare business requires hard work, long hours, significant expense, and ample frustration, so you need to be able to find your reward in the good you’re doing for others.  You might want to do a childcare readiness self-assessment from childcareaware.org

There are several types of childcare services in Ohio, each with its own regulatory requirements as administered by the State of Ohio Department of Job and Family Services [ODJFS].

In Northeast Ohio, there are several non-profit resource centers missioned to help childcare startups and providers. They provide essential training to obtain the necessary State of Ohio licensing credentials and certifications to operate a child care service.

So, you have taken the self-assessment, the ODFJS tutorial, and have contacted your regional resource center for assistance, what are your next steps?

Step A: Market Assessment

Do #1 and #2 in the following methodology to assess needs and competition: You probably wouldn’t open a pizza shop in a town that already has a half-dozen of them, unless perhaps you had some unique “angle” by which to differentiate yours from the rest. The same principle holds true for child care services — you need to be aware of what the market needs.

Step B: Prepare a business plan. 

Whether you’re starting a child care center, a grocery store, or a gardening service, it is always a good idea to draw up a detailed business plan that outlines the goals, needs, opportunities, and obstacles for your new enterprise. A well-constructed business plan will serve as your business guidebook as it gets off the ground — or may even convince you to change your plans. Also request free SCORE mentoring at https://www.score.org/find-mentor

Step C: Navigate the Ohio “red tape”

Research regulation & licensing requirements for your type of child care service, and build a relationship with the relevant State of Ohio and local agencies. If you want your child care business to succeed, you need the supervisory local and state (and perhaps federal) agencies to be “on your side.”

Step D: Establish Your Service and Prepare to Launch.

Notes - Other Resources

SBA Child Care Startup Guide https://www.sba.gov/sites/default/files/files/pub_mp29.pdf

Ohio Early Learning Resources https://www.earlylearningresourcesohio.org/marketing-home/

Ohio Child Care Resource and Referral Association (OCCRRA) https://occrra.org/

State of Ohio ODJFS Childcare Resources

Childcare Franchises https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/small-business/daycare-franchise

For-profit or Non-profit Childcare?

 

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About the author
Mark Krosse
Since joining the SCORE volunteer team in 2005, Mark has served hundreds of entrepreneurs helping them launch and operate successful small businesses. Some have since expanded nationally.
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Anita Khayat
Most of my career has been in healthcare adminstration and clinical research. I've started several businesses myself, so understand the detail involved in managing all the licenses, permits, and applications, as well as developing the administrative systems and hiring and training employees.
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