My Daycare Coach

Here is my new parent board! I'm so happy with how it turned out. I plan of making a children's sign in board on the poster down by the shoe bench.  I am starting my new adventure again.  Well here we go again. I am returning to daycare after a year and 4 month break. I learned a lot working as a child development specialist. I helped get the EHS program going in my county. I mentored 16 family childcare providers. Some of the things I did were helped them get their health and safety up to the performance standards and offered technical assistance for help with setting up their environments, how to handle challenging behaviors, and curriculum planning. During this process I learned a lot of new things as well. I've done over 120 hours in trainings. Plus when you work with other providers in their environments, you pick up on new ways to do things. I feel this job has been a great benefit to me as I open my family childcare back up. 

It's that time of year again. Children are getting sick and parents need to go to work and then they attempt to drop their sick child off at daycare ... This can be a sticky situation if you don't have a plan in place   To help avoid this situation from occurring here are some steps you can take for your family childcare: Step 1. Include in your parent handbook simply and clearly your expectations around sickness  Always go over this piece in your handbook during their enrollment. Maybe even have them initial this section   Step 2. Also during enrollment explain to your parents that you want to have a healthy atmosphere for their child to play and grow in and that is why you only care for healthy children. If you help them see this as benefiting them, they are more likely to follow your guidelines when asked.  Step 3.  Periodically ( flu season*cough) remind your family's of your sickness policy. Post a cute sign like my free example below as so...

What am doing? Am I ready? I love children and I've been talking about it for awhile. But what am I getting myself into?  If you've wanted to know what it means to be a family childcare provider read on... Awe the life of a provider.... When you wake up early and have your first family knocking on your door before you've finished your cup of coffee at 7:23. You greet parents, help children and sometimes their moms with separation anxiety. Then the messes start with the activities you've set out. Your day consists of making order to disorder. You make meals that inevitably the child will eat maybe two bites from. You sit down to read a story to a couple of children and then be interrupted by another child needing to go potty, then cleaning up some glitter that spilled. Next you have to turn down "When the wheels on the bus" to answer the phone that might be the family wanting to start next week, but more likely it's just another telemarket...

With over 15 years experience, I've learned a thing or two about what to do and what not to do running a daycare. I am going to share with you some of my best tips, and how to's here on this blog. I began mentoring family childcare providers beginning in May of 2015, and then professionally in January of 2016. I have found that more than developing and growing a family childcare, I have a passion for coaching others in the field. I can't wait to share with you how you can grow you family childcare business today.

So I've decided to start a blog about what I'm passionate about. This includes: all things daycare! I have owned my in home daycare and preschool since 2002. I have learned a few things and I am continuing to learn even more. I'm going to be talking about things like: *How to run a daycare  *Organizing your daycare and home  *Being professional  *Parent issues *Advertising  *Fun children's activities