The Business of Child Care
Like any business, operating a successful child care business requires careful planning and a lot of hard work. You should first seek to learn about the market; that is, determine the child care needs of families in the location you want to serve, and then clearly define who your customers will be, how you can best meet their needs, and how you will market your services to them. Find out who your competition is, and what you may be able to learn from them. Figure out how much it will cost you to provide quality services, and in turn what fees you will charge and how much you will pay your employees, if you have any.
Whether your plan is to open a child care center or school age program, or start providing family or group family child care, the Child Care Council is here to help you succeed.
To help you get started:
The need for care: The Council continuously monitors enrollment levels and the financial state of regulated child care businesses in the county.
Read our latest status report
See current information on the total # of programs and slots
Learn what Westchester parents are looking for: More than 4,000 families contact the Child Care Council each year for child care referrals. We track and compile these information requests, to help new providers plan early care and education programs, and to help existing providers stay current or make thoughtful adjustments.
Parent Requests for Child Care
Read our latest Parent Survey report
Update your information in our Parent Referral Database
Cost of Care and What to Charge:
New child care professionals often struggle with what fees to charge. The Council has compiled a list of expenses for you to consider, as well as information about the average cost of care in our county.
Marketing Your Program:
After you have researched the need for care in your area and have decided to open a child care program, you need to market it. The goal is to operate with every available space full, and have the security of a waiting list. The Council can help you develop a plan.