Improve the quality of your business by reviewing helpful professional resources
They say it takes a village to raise a child – it turns out that the same is also true regarding a family child care program. Educating and caring for children professionally requires a wide range of information, from business-related resources to educational programs and advice. Even the most experienced child care professional has gaps in their knowledge base and can benefit from the support of others.
Check out the following resources and organizations to expand your network of child care-related information and create your own reference library of information that can help you make the right choices for your family child care program.
Family child care resources
Access to professional resources can be crucial to developing a family child care program that’s both well managed and profitable. Check out the following options for valuable professional advice.
A Place of Our Own
Although the internet is full of websites that offer business advice, finding accurate information that’s specific to running a child care program can be more challenging. A Place of Our Own understands the issues and needs related to caring for children on a daily basis and offers a series that includes topics such as stress reduction, necessary paperwork, professional development plans, and advice on connecting with families.
“Business Administration Scale for Family Child Care”
Another child care-related resource is the book “Business Administration Scale for Family Child Care,” which was designed to serve as a tool for self-improvement, with the intention of enhancing the overall quality of family child care programs. This publication includes a scale that helps assess different aspects of running a child care business, such as qualifications, income and benefits, work environment, fiscal management, record keeping, risk management, communication, marketing, and community resources.
The book can be purchased at the Redleaf Press Institute, which is also a resource for finding training, support, publications, and advocacy.
Taking Care of Business blog
Tom Copeland is experienced with family child care and highly admired within the child care community. His Taking Care of Business blog covers the more technical details that relate to running a family child care home, such as record keeping, taxes, contracts, legal issues, insurance, financial management, and retirement planning. Tom Copeland also hosts training workshops and webinars.
Zero to Three
Zero to Three is a nonprofit organization with a website that contains resources including interactive tools, parent handouts, charts, tip sheets, FAQs, articles, and slideshows designed to support professionals, policymakers, and parents in their work to improve the lives of young children. All the information contained on the website is carefully created and curated to help support and nurture the health, wellness, and development of infants and toddlers.
National Association for Family Child Care
The National Association for Family Child Care (NAFCC) promotes quality child care and improves the professionalism of child care providers through the following initiatives:
- Promoting a professional accreditation program
- Strengthening state and local associations
- Helping deliver effective programs
- Hosting an annual NAFCC conference
- Serving as a representation for family child care providers and advocating for their needs
- Using training, state and local associations, public education, and board membership to promote the diversity of the profession
Caring for young children involves far more than planning art activities and managing nap time; there are many different aspects to operating a family child care program. Take advantage of the abundance of online resources available to get advice, inspiration, new ideas, and information that’s relevant to the day-to-day operations, as well as the future growth, of your business.
The Virginia Infant & Toddler Specialist Network helps improve the quality of care for infants and toddlers through extensive resources, services, and education for caregivers. Learn more about how we can help you improve the standard of care.
