HOME DAY CARE OWNER

Home Day Care Owner

Jessica J Noakes
Salt Lake Community College

HOME DAY CARE OWNER

Abstract
This paper will explore the field of a Home Day Care Owner. With research of 6 articles and 2
personal interviews we will learn the pros and the cons to this career choice. As well as the job
description, general career path, required education, average salary, career outlook, a personal
interview with someone in the field, and how this career can fit future mothers like myself. It
will help me and possibly others discover the prerequisites that are necessary to move forward in
this career as well as discovering if this job meets certain needs and desires to be a stay at home
mom, yet still help my husband by working and supporting the family finically, I wanted to
discover how Day Cares work so I can make the ultimate decision of my future career and what
will best fit my future family needs.

HOME DAY CARE OWNER

Job Definition. There are many different types of child cares that take responsibility of
child while a parent is working or occupied. According to Bayless there are eight different types
of child care which include Nanny, Mother Sitter, Babysitter, Au pair, Day Care Center, Home
Day Care Center, Relative care, and Child Care Swap. Home Day Care is the one I want to focus
on today.
A Home Day Care is a comfortable setting where parents can drop off their kids in a safe
family friendly environment normally within their neighborhood. Bayless states that Home Day
Cares are cheaper and allows an easier transition for younger child because of the setting of
being in a home verses a Day Care facility. Home Day Cares advertise by word of mouth. They
have less children to care for verses a Day Care Center. This allows for more attention to the
children but still allows children to interact with others of their age group.
Job Description. As a Day Care Owner there are many responsibilities. Being that this
career is privately owned, all the responsibilities of an entrepreneur apply.
These responsibilities are, but are not limited to, supervising independent play, purchasing
supplies, developing a schedule, watching for signs of developmental problems, keeping records,
as well as communicating with parents, marketing and being responsible to finances all listed by
Kelchner with other responsibilities not listed. Child Care calls for a lot of responsibility as little
childrens lives are at risk.
General Career Path. According to Kelchner depending on the state, licensing is a
requirement. There are a few things that must take place in order to have a day care in order to
protect the children. Kelchner continues to state, To obtain a license, home daycare providers
apply to the state and provide information on the age and number of children who will be cared
for, the name and age of everyone living in the home and the fingerprints of workers and adults

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living in the home for background checks. The licensing requirements for a home daycare also
include safety and sanitation information about the home, which may require the state to inspect
the home and ensure it is a safe and clean environment for children.
General Education Experience. The required education requires a minimum of a high
school diploma for a house day care owner. For some other businesses an associates and even a
bachelors degree is required. To increase charging price, a higher education will help as
employers value and prefer well educated teachers and care givers for their children. Early
childhood education experience usually is necessary according to Child Care Center Director.
Not only education is required but certain skills such as communication skills to explain things to
the children and to their parents. Organizational skills and patience are other skills that will be
required for this position as you will be documenting a lot of information and the children will
test your patiences.
Average Salary. Salary varies depending on region and state. The national average
however is $21,000 per year now these numbers vary largely. Suttle and Media state the
following; "Your income as a daycare owner is contingent on the number of children you have
enrolled at your daycare location or home. You would earn more if you worked with 12 kids
versus eight, for example. You may also draw a larger client base in a more densely populated
city." So Salary varies on how many kids you have, what kind of education you have, your
experience in the field, and the location you live in. Now according to Daycare Provider Salary
in Utah, Utah is 22% lower than the average Daycare Provider salaries for job postings
nationwide.
Career Outlook. Suttle and Media also mentions that there is a high outlook for this
career. He states; "The BLS projects a 20 percent increase in employment for childcare workers

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through 2020, which is faster than the 14 percent growth rate for all occupations. Job
opportunities for childcare workers and daycare owners should remain strong as working parents
continue to rely on their services." Many care providers leave their jobs every year leaving many
opening positions as stated by Child Care Workers. They continue to state that those who pursue
this career should not have any troubles finding a job.
Personal Interviews. I had the chance to interview my mother-in-law, Lisa Menlove,
who was a former day care owner. As we talked she stated how she loved her job and would do it
again. She owned a day care for two years. Her son, Brandon, was part of her program. After a
while it became too difficult with him there because of jealousy issues and having a hard time
sharing all of his toys and mother. It got to the point to where she had to take Brandon to a
different day care while she was teaching her own. Day Care is what ultimately helped her
choose her career today as a Kindergarten teacher. She is now a kindergarten teacher at an
elementary school and has loved it. She told me how she sometimes misses being a Day Care
teacher because it was easier to handle.
The other interview I had was with Jamie Bohn, a Day Care provider in Colorado. As we
discussed her job she says her salary is a lot higher than that of Utah. In her new home she has
built her whole basement to provide the needs for child aged 3 to 5 with toys, books, and a
miniature playground. She told me how it is a lot of work, especially with 3 other children and 1
brand new baby. She does have a helper which is what Lisa wishes she would have had. Jamie
says it can be hard because you never have time for yourself. When her children are at school she
has her Day Care and when they get home she has to take care of them. So she never has some
time for herself. Although this job is difficult and exhausting, she finds much joy in her work.

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Fit for me. In the end I am still concerned about this career. I dont believe this
occupation is for everyone and in order to discover this, it needs to be studied. As I was studying
this career for myself I have come across some little red flags such as the high number of people
who drop this career according to Child Care Works statement. There must be reason for this
besides retirement. Another concern of mine is having an experience like Lisa Menlove where
her child didnt adjust well to sharing his mom and toys with other child. This is a concern
because this is one of the reasons I want this career is to care for my child while earning money.
And of course the pay isnt ideal. I am not opposed to this career however I do need to do more
studying and increase my experience with children and my education. All the other qualities that
are necessary for this career I fortunately possess such as communication skills, organizational
skills, patience, and a strong creative childlike imagination. I do have what this job requires to
help these children grow. Now its just a matter of continuing my education, experience with
children and stay aware of the red flags as I move forward trying to pursue Home Day Care
Owner as my career.

HOME DAY CARE OWNER

Sources
Bayless, K. (2013, January 1). What Are the Different Types of Child Care? Retrieved April 21,
2015.
Bohn, J. (2015, February 16). Bio of profession [Personal interview].

Child Care Center Director: Job Description, Duties and Outlook. (n.d.). Retrieved April 23,
2015.
Child Care Workers. (n.d.). Retrieved April 23, 2015.
Daycare Provider Salary in Utah. (n.d.). Retrieved April 23, 2015.
Kelchner, L., & Media, D. (n.d.). The Job Description for In-Home Daycare Providers. Retrieved
April 22, 2015.
Menlove, L. (2015, April 20). Bio of profession [Telephone interview].

Suttle, R., & Media, D. (n.d.). How Much Money Can You Make by Owning a Daycare?
Retrieved April 23, 2015.