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Child Care Business Plan Template

Written by Dave Lavinsky

Child Care Business Plan Template

Download our Ultimate Child Care Business Plan Template here >

What Is a Business Plan?

child care kids smiling

Why You Need a Business Plan

If you’re looking to start a child care business or grow your existing one you need a business plan. A business plan will help you raise funding, if needed, and plan out the growth of your child care in order to improve your chances of success. Your child care center business plan is a living document that should be updated annually as your company grows and changes.

Source of Funding for Child Care Businesses

With regards to funding, the main sources of funding for a child care business are bank loans and angel investors. With regards to bank loans, banks will want to review your business plan and gain confidence that you will be able to repay your loan and interest. To acquire this confidence, the loan officer will not only want to confirm that your financials are reasonable. But they will want to see a professional plan. Such a plan will give them the confidence that you can successfully and professionally operate a business.

The second most common form of funding for a child care is angel investors. Angel investors are wealthy individuals who will write you a check. They will either take equity in return for their funding, or, like a bank, they will give you a loan. Venture capitalists will not fund a child care business.

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Executive Summary

Your executive summary provides an introduction to your business plan, but it is normally the last section you write because it provides a summary of each key section of your plan.

The goal of your Executive Summary is to quickly engage the reader. Explain to them the type of child care business you are operating and the status; for example, are you a startup, do you have a child care that you would like to grow, or are you operating a chain of child care businesses.

Next, provide an overview of each of the subsequent sections of your plan. For example, give a brief overview of the child care industry. Discuss the type of child care you are operating. Detail your direct competitors. Give an overview of your target customers. Provide a snapshot of your marketing plan. Identify the key members of your team. And offer an overview of your financial plan.  

Company Analysis

In your company analysis, you will detail the type of child care business you are operating.

For example, you might operate one of the following types:

  • Home-Based Child Care: this type of child care business operates out of your home and typically has one or two caregivers on staff.
  • Child Care Center: a child care center operates out of a commercial building. It typically has multiple staff and caregivers and can serve many, many children.
  • Pre-School Child Care: a child care business that primarily serves preschoolers
  • School-Age Child Care: a child care business that primarily serves school-age children.

  In addition to explaining the type of child care you operate, the Company Analysis section of your business plan needs to provide background on the business.

Include answers to question such as:

  • When and why did you start the business?
  • What milestones have you achieved to date? Milestones could include sales goals you’ve reached, new program offerings, etc.
  • Your legal structure. Are you incorporated as an S-Corp? An LLC? A sole proprietorship? Explain your legal structure here.

Industry Analysis

In your industry analysis, you need to provide an overview of the child care business.

While this may seem unnecessary, it serves multiple purposes.

First, researching the child care industry educates you. It helps you understand the market in which you are operating.

Secondly, market research can improve your strategy particularly if your research identifies market trends. For example, if there was a trend towards child care that includes transportation, it would be helpful to ensure your plan calls for such a service.

The third reason for market research is to prove to readers that you are an expert in your industry. By conducting the research and presenting it in your plan, you achieve just that.

The following questions should be answered in the industry analysis section of your child care center business plan:

  • How big is the child care business (in dollars)?
  • Is the market declining or increasing?
  • Who are the key competitors in the local or national market?
  • What trends are affecting the child care industry?
  • What is the industry’s growth forecast over the next 5 – 10 years?
  • What is the relevant market size? That is, how big is the potential market for your child care. You can extrapolate such as figure by assessing the size of the market in the entire country and then applying that figure to your local population.

child care boys laptop

Customer Analysis

The customer analysis section of your child care center business plan must detail the customers you serve and/or expect to serve.

The following are examples of customer segments: soccer moms, young families, baby boomers caring for grandchildren, etc.

Try to break out your target customers in terms of their demographic and psychographic profiles. With regards to demographics, include a discussion of the ages, genders, locations and income levels of the customers you seek to serve. Because most child care businesses primarily serve customers living in their same city or town, such demographic information is easy to find on government websites.

Psychographic profiles explain the wants and needs of your target customers. The more you can understand and define these needs, the better you will do in attracting and retaining your customers.

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Competitive Analysis

Your competitive analysis should identify the indirect and direct competitors your business faces and then focus on the latter.

Direct competitors are other child care businesses.

Indirect competitors are other options that customers have that aren’t direct competitors. This includes keeping children at home and/or after school programs among others.

With regards to direct competition, you want to detail the other child care businesses with which you compete. Most likely, your direct competitors will be child care businesses located very close to your location.

For each such competitor, provide an overview of their businesses and document their strengths and weaknesses. Unless you once worked at your competitors’ businesses, it will be impossible to know everything about them. But you should be able to find out key things about them such as:

  • What types of customers do they serve?
  • What child care services do they offer?
  • What times are they open?
  • What is their pricing (premium, low, etc.)?
  • What are they good at?
  • What are their weaknesses?

  With regards to the last two questions, think about your answers from the customers’ perspective.

The final part of your competitive analysis section is to document your areas of competitive advantage. For example:

  • Will you provide superior child care services?
  • Will you provide child care services that your competitors don’t offer?
  • Will you offer better pricing?

child care mentoring

Marketing Plan

Traditionally, a marketing plan includes the four P’s: Product, Price, Place, and Promotion. For a child care business plan, your marketing plan should include the following:

Product : in the product section you should reiterate the type of child care that you documented in your Company Analysis. Then, detail the specific services you will be offering. For example, will you over technology or exercise classes to the children?

Price : Document the prices you will offer and how they compare to your competitors. Essentially in the product and price sub-sections of your marketing plan, you are presenting the menu items you offer and their prices.

Place : Place refers to the location of your child care. Document your location and mention how the location will impact your success. For example, is your child care located next to a heavily populated office building, or gym, etc. Discuss how your location might provide a steady stream of customers.

Promotions : the final part of your child care marketing plan is the promotions section. Here you will document how you will drive customers to your location(s). The following are some promotional methods you might consider:

  • Social media marketing
  • Reaching out to local bloggers (particularly “mommy” bloggers) and websites
  • Local radio advertising
  • Banner ads at local venues

Operations Plan

While the earlier sections of your business plan explained your goals, your operations plan describes how you will meet them. Your operations plan should have two distinct sections as follows.

Everyday short-term processes include all of the tasks involved in running your child care such as discussions with prospective new customers, procuring supplies, keeping the child care center, etc.

teaching computers

Management Team

To demonstrate your child care’s ability to succeed as a business, a strong management team is essential. Highlight your key players’ backgrounds, emphasizing those skills and experiences that prove their ability to grow a company.

Ideally you and/or your team members have direct experience in the child care business. If so, highlight this experience and expertise. But also highlight any experience that you think will help your business succeed.

If your team is lacking, consider assembling an advisory board. An advisory board would include 2 to 8 individuals who would act like mentors to your business. They would help answer questions and provide strategic guidance. If needed, look for advisory board members with experience in child care businesses and/or successfully running retail and small businesses.  

Financial Plan

Your financial plan should include your 5-year financial statement broken out both monthly or quarterly for the first year and then annually. Your financial statements include your income statement, balance sheet and cash flow statements.

Income Statement : an income statement is more commonly called a Profit and Loss statement or P&L. It shows your revenues and then subtracts your costs to show whether you turned a profit or not.

In developing your income statement, you need to devise assumptions. For example, will you serve 10 children per day or 50? And will sales grow by 2% or 10% per year? As you can imagine, your choice of assumptions will greatly impact the financial forecasts for your business. As much as possible, conduct research to try to root your assumptions in reality.

child care children playing

Cash Flow Statement : Your cash flow statement will help determine how much money you need to start or grow your business, and make sure you never run out of money. What most entrepreneurs and business owners don’t realize is that you can turn a profit but run out of money and go bankrupt. For example, let’s say a company approached you with a massive $100,000 child care contract, that would cost you $50,000 to fulfill. Well, in most cases, you would have to pay that $50,000 now for employee salaries, etc. But let’s say the company didn’t pay you for 180 days. During that 180 day period, you could run out of money.

In developing your Income Statement and Balance Sheets be sure to include several of the key costs needed in starting or growing a child care center:

  • Child care center build-out including design fees, construction, etc.
  • Cost of fixtures like tables, chairs, couches, etc.
  • Cost of equipment used like computers and televisions
  • Payroll or salaries paid to staff
  • Business insurance
  • Taxes and permits
  • Legal expenses

Attach your full financial projections in the appendix of your plan along with any supporting documents that make your plan more compelling. For example, you might include your child care center design blueprint or location lease.  

Putting together a business plan for your child care is a worthwhile endeavor. If you follow the template above, by the time you are done, you will truly be an expert. You will really understand the child care business, your competition and your customers. You will have developed a marketing plan and will really understand what it takes to launch and grow a successful child care.

Download Our Child Care Business Plan PDF

You can download our child care business plan PDF here . This is a business plan template you can use in PDF format.

Childcare Business Plan FAQs

What is the easiest way to complete my child care business plan.

Growthink's Ultimate Child Care Business Plan Template allows you to quickly and easily complete your Child Care Business Plan.

Where Can I Download a Free Child Care Business Plan PDF?

You can download our child care business plan PDF template here . This is a business plan template you can use in PDF format.

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How to Write a Business Plan for Daycare and Preschool

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People sitting at a table reviewing business graphs

Writing a daycare or preschool business plan is a big task, but due diligence and hard work will help you understand what you’ll need to launch and run a daycare or preschool successfully.

people sitting around a table reviewing a business graph

What do daycare investors want?

Your local government will have rules and regulations you’ll need to follow as a small business owner and childcare provider. Start by reviewing the childcare licensing guidelines for your state and city. Once you’re clear on licensing guidelines, you’re ready to start writing your childcare business plan.

The purpose of a business plan is to help secure funding. You’ll likely need financing to launch your preschool or daycare, especially if you want to avoid the monthly repayment of a loan. 

Investors provide businesses with money in exchange for partial ownership. As a result, they expect a larger return on their initial investment. Because many investors work in business, they prefer to invest in an established company.

Most investors look for:

Industry background and experience

Financial performance and promise.

Investors want to make money. Therefore, they are more inclined to work with experienced entrepreneurs and business owners to guarantee a return on their investment. 

This might sound discouraging for those with little experience or without a business management background, but the opportunity doesn’t end there. You could consider bringing on a partner with a business background. Additionally, many investors act as a source of business advice. 

You need to demonstrate that your business will make money. Investors will likely want to see signs of business growth before they give you money. 

Additionally, investors will want to know about your financial stability. Questions an investor might ask are:

  • What do you plan to do with the money?
  • Has your business been up or down in recent years?
  • Is your company losing money? Are there signs of growth for the future?
  • How do you plan to repay your investment?

Of course, every investor is different, so they’ll consider various factors. While experience and financial promise are at the top of the list for most investors, they might also look for uniqueness, business readiness, an effective business model, and more.

A women using a calculating and holding cash

Writing a daycare business plan

We’ve discussed licensing and investors. Now, you’re ready to begin the framework of your business plan for daycares and preschools. Here’s what you’ll need to get started:

Business description

Needs assessment, insurance policies, operating policies and procedures, marketing strategy.

Start with the basics: what does your daycare do? Detailing the service you’re offering will help you create a clear business plan. Next, you might want to write some goals or even a mission statement outlining your purpose and motivation.

Start by looking at general daycare or preschool industry trends, then narrow your scope to the preschools or daycares in your local area. Next, you’ll need to figure out who your target customers are and confirm that there is a need for a business like yours in your community. 

Are there a lot of young families in your neighborhood? Are you located somewhere convenient for commuting parents? Does your business offer a specific service that your competitors don’t, like early check-in or extended hours? 

Also, check out the competition. Research the existing daycare or preschool options in your community. Look at current preschool or daycare business plan samples. What makes your daycare or preschool unique? 

Developing detailed budgets will help you run your small business. You’ll need to compare your current cash flow and expenditures to determine whether you’ll make a profit.

Build a budget for unexpected costs. For example, how many children do you need to serve to be able to pay your bills and stay afloat? Child Care Aware of America offers some terrific budgeting resources for this process.

Depending on the type and size of your preschool, you’ll need insurance policies of several different types, including liability, property, workers’ compensation, and business insurance. Check the licensing requirements for guidance in building this part of your preschool business plan.

Create a comprehensive handbook for families and staff that includes you center's policies and procedures. For instance, you'll need to develop an emergency plan , daycare sick policy , and other safety protocols according to your local childcare licensing requirements. 

Your staff handbook will be a helpful resource your employees can reference and include all your employment policies including work and pay schedules, benefits, and information about professional growth and development. You can also include information on your center's philosophy and curriculum, classroom procedures, and expectations for working with children and families.

Your marketing strategy is the key to attracting customers. Decide what type of advertising you will use in front of potential customers. For example, list your school in local directories and participate in parenting and kid-friendly community events. Run a social media campaign focusing on your target population.

Another big part of childcare business marketing is differentiating yourself from other preschools. These days adopting daycare software is a surefire way to attract families with young children. A tool like brightwheel's center management feature will streamline your center's admission process, record keeping, and reporting, saving you up to 20 hours per month. 

You can also use brightwheel for recording and tracking daily events and activities, and sending real-time updates to families throughout the day. It also offers secure, digital check-in/check-out and a paperless billing system. This is a great way to keep your families looped in on daily activities and handle all of your administrative tasks in one place.

Your business is ready!

Writing a business plan can be stressful, but it doesn’t have to be. Once you secure the proper licensing, use the information in this article to guide you through creating a solid daycare business plan that drives investors and financing to your business.

These are just the basics to get you started. For further information, the U.S. Small Business Administration’s website has detailed instructions on creating each necessary part of a successful business plan. 

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The Daycare Business Plan Blueprint (Examples + Template)

business plan for a child care center

April 14, 2022

Adam Hoeksema

Starting a daycare business can be a daunting task. There are so many things to think about and plan for. You need to find the perfect location, get the right licenses and permits, hire qualified staff, and, most importantly, create a daycare business plan. 

Creating a daycare business plan is one of the most important steps in starting your business. A well-thought-out business plan will help you get funding, attract investors, and operate your business effectively. 

The bad news is that there is a lot of advice out there on writing a business plan. With so much information and tons of daycare business plan examples to choose from, it can be overwhelming to know where to start. 

The good news is, we've got you covered. In this article, we'll give you a comprehensive guide on how to write a daycare business plan. We will also provide some examples and a free daycare business plan template to get you started. 

But First...Is a Daycare a Good Business to Start? 

Before we talk about how to create a daycare business plan, let's first answer the question: is starting a daycare a good business to get into? 

The answer is a resounding yes! The daycare industry is growing rapidly. It is one of the few businesses that are not only recession-proof but also thrives in uncertain economic times. 

According to the National Association of Child Care Resource & Referral Agencies (NACCRRA), the demand for child care services has increased by 26% over the last decade. This demand is only expected to grow in the coming years. 

When it comes to profitability, the daycare industry is very attractive. According to IBISWorld , the average profit margin for a daycare business is around 15%. That's higher than the average for most other industries! 

If you're thinking about starting a daycare business, know that you are getting into a very profitable and in-demand industry. Now let's talk about how to write a daycare business plan that will help you start and grow your business successfully.

How to Create a Daycare Business Plan 

A daycare business plan is as simple as a word document with the following sections:

  • Business Description
  • Market Analysis

Business Model

  • Location and Facility
  • Marketing Plan
  • Financial Plan

Executive Summary

This article will provide context of what to include in each section of your daycare business plan. As you work on writing your business plan, you will want to grab our daycare financial projection template as well in order to complete the financial plan section.

Your daycare business plan should be an elevator pitch in itself. It should be attractive to potential partners and investors. Basically, it should give them a clear idea of your business, where it is located, what services you offer, who your target market is, and how you plan to make money. 

Creating a daycare business plan doesn't have to be complicated. In fact, the cheapest and easiest approach is to simply start with a blank word document and work through each of the above sections, it can be pretty easy. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to create a daycare business plan: 

Create a Compelling Business Description

Your daycare business's unique selling point (USP) should be the first thing you include in your business plan. What is it that makes your daycare center different from all the others? 

This description should be the foundation of your marketing efforts as well.

There are a few questions you should answer in your company description. They include:

What's your Curriculum Based On?

Potential investors, partners, and even customers will be interested in knowing what your curriculum is based on. This will help them understand the environment children will be in a while under your care. 

When describing your curriculum, make sure to include:

  • What age ranges do you cater for?
  • The type of care you offer (full-time, part-time, drop-in) 
  • Your educational philosophy 
  • The activities and programs you offer 

For example, if your daycare is unique by offering a Montessori curriculum, you will want to highlight that.  In fact, you can learn more about how to start a Montessori program here . 

How Big is Your Facility? 

The size of your facility will say a lot about the type of operation you're running. Are you a small, home-based daycare or a large center with multiple classrooms? 

This section of your business plan may include: 

  • A floor plan of your facility 
  • The capacity of your facility 
  • The number of employees you have 
  • Type of equipment and furniture you have 

Who Is Your Target Market? 

You can't market to everyone, so you must identify your target market. This will help you focus your marketing efforts and ensure that you're reaching the right people. 

Below is a daycare business plan example that shows how your business description should be:

“ABC Daycare is a small, home-based daycare located in San Francisco, CA. We cater to children aged 0-12 years old and offer full-time, part-time, and drop-in care. 
Our curriculum is based on the Reggio Emilia approach, emphasizing hands-on learning and collaboration. Activities and programs include arts and crafts, music, and outdoor play. 
Our facility can accommodate up to 12 children at a time. We have a staff of four employees who are all CPR and First Aid certified. 
Our target market is working parents in the city who need quality child care but can't afford the rates of larger daycare centers.  We've created an affordable subscription-based pricing model for our target market to fulfill the demand. We generate revenue through monthly subscriptions and have low operating costs due to our small size. 
Our suppliers are local businesses that provide us with food, toys, and other supplies.” 

Do a Thorough Market Analysis

After writing a compelling description of your business, you need to do a thorough marketing analysis. This analysis will help you determine your target market, what type of advertising and promotion will work best, and how to price your services. 

You should also research the competition and see what they are doing right and wrong. This information will be invaluable as you create your daycare business plan.

Keep these things in mind when doing a market analysis:

The Size of Your Market

This is determined by the number of potential customers in your area who need or want your services. 

For example, if you live in a small town with only a few thousand people, there may not be enough demand to support a large daycare facility. 

On the other hand, if you live in a city with hundreds of thousands of people, there may be room for multiple daycare facilities. 

Your target market is the segment of the population that is most likely to use your services. This includes factors like age, income, education, and location. 

After you've identified your target market, you need to show how you plan on fulfilling the demand. This is where your business model comes in. 

Your business model is a detailed description of how your daycare will operate daily. It should include: 

  • How do you plan on acquiring customers? 
  • What are your pricing strategies? 
  • How will you generate revenue? 
  • What are your operating costs? 
  • Who are your suppliers? 

Your business model should be detailed and easy to understand. It should also be realistic and achievable. 

Here is a daycare business plan example of a business model for a small daycare center: 

“The daycare will be open Monday through Friday from six in the morning to six at night. We will offer care for children ages six weeks to twelve years old. 
Our rates will be $50 per week for one child and $40 per week for each additional child from the same family. We will offer a discount of $20 per week for families who enroll their children for an entire year. 
We will generate revenue by charging weekly rates for our services. Our operating costs will include rent, utilities, supplies, and salaries for our employees. Also, we will acquire customers through online advertising and word-of-mouth.” 

As you can see, a business model is a detailed description of how your business will operate. It's essential to have one in place before promoting and selling your services. 

One thing you should not forget to include in your daycare business plan is the location of your business and your rental agreement. If you are renting a space, including the terms of your agreement and how long you have the space. If you are purchasing a property, include information on the property, such as square footage and any special features that will help your business stand out. 

This daycare business plan example shows you how to include this vital information: 

“The daycare will be located at 123 Main Street in a commercial space currently leased by the owner. The lease agreement is for three years with an option to renew for an additional three years. The monthly rent is $2000, and the security deposit is $3000. 
The daycare will have exclusive use of the main floor, including a large open play area, a small kitchen, two bathrooms, and four classrooms. The daycare will also have access to the outdoor playground.
80% of our space will be used for childcare, with the other 20% used for our administrative offices and staff lounge. 
We have chosen this location because it is close to several residential neighborhoods and has easy access to public transportation. The space is also large enough to accommodate our future growth.” 

There are many daycare business plan templates you can use to help you get started. This is a basic outline of what should be included.

Daycare Marketing Plan

Most daycare business plan templates will include a section for your marketing plan. Most people overlook the marketing aspect of their business, but it is one of the most important pieces of your puzzle. 

In your business plan, you need to outline your target market, your marketing strategies, and how you plan on executing those strategies. 

You also need to set aside a budget for your marketing efforts. Many people make the mistake of thinking that they don't need to spend money on marketing, but that couldn't be further from the truth. 

The following daycare business plan example shows you how you should describe your marketing efforts:

"Our target market is working for families with children between six weeks and five years old. We will reach our target market through online and offline marketing efforts. 
Some of the offline marketing strategies we will use include print advertising, flyers, and word-of-mouth referrals. We will use a mix of SEO, content marketing, and social media for online marketing. 
We have set aside a budget of $500 per month for our marketing efforts."

As you can see from the example above, your marketing plan should be clear, concise, and to the point. Don't forget to include a budget!

Daycare Financial Plan

Your business plan should include a financial plan section. This is where you'll lay out how much money you need to start or grow your business. Be specific and include dollar amounts. If you're seeking a loan, including information on how much you're requesting and how you'll use the funds.

You should also include a detailed budget in your business plan. Your budget should include all of your projected income and expenses for at least the first year of operation. Creating a budget will help you get a clear picture of what it will cost to start and operate your business.

This section should include projected costs for:

  • Rent or mortgage payments
  • Advertising and marketing
  • Operating expenses such as utilities, supplies, and more. 

Startup costs are another vital item to include in your business plan. This is the money you need to purchase equipment, furniture, or any other items to get your business up and running.

If you plan to secure a loan, your lender will want to see a detailed business plan with information on how you plan to use the loan funds. Ensure you include this information in your business plan to increase your chances of securing funding.

If you're seeking funding from investors, you'll need to include information on how they will be compensated. This is typically done through equity, a percentage ownership stake in your business. 

For example, if you seek $100,000 in funding and offer a 20% equity stake, the investor will own 20% of your business. 

Make sure you use a daycare business plan template that includes a section on funding to ensure you include all the necessary information. If you’re planning to get a loan or seek investment, you’re going to need full financial projections. Our daycare financial model will provide up to 5 years of projected income statements, cash flow and balance sheet forecasts.

Next I want to answer some key financial questions for you as you consider how to forecast your daycare financials. I am going to hit on:

  • Daycare Startup Costs
  • Daycare Revenue 
  • Daycare Facility Operating Expenses
  • Daycare Profitability

Let’s dive into some key questions. 

How much does it cost to start a daycare? 

It costs between $10,000 and $50,000 to start an in-home daycare business according to Bizfluent . 

It costs between $59,000 and $3 million dollars to start a daycare facility according to Bizfluent . 

So obviously this is a huge range in startup costs.  The main thing that will determine your startup costs is your daycare facility.  Depending on how large your daycare is, whether you are buying, building, or leasing the space, and how much renovation needs to be done, your startup costs can vary drastically.  

Some tips to help you estimate a cost of a daycare facility:

  • A daycare facility should have 35 square feet of open floor space indoors per child. 
  • So if you wanted a facility that could care for 100 children you would need 3,500 square feet of indoor space for children, plus additional space for offices, kitchen, bathrooms, etc.  Let’s assume that you would need at least 5,000 square feet of space for a daycare facility that served 100 children.  
  • A daycare center would cost at least $295 per square foot to construct in the U.S. based on data from Levelset . 
  • Constructing a new 5,000 square foot daycare center would likely cost at least $1,475,000 based on $295 per square foot.  
  • Now you might not be constructing new, rather you might rent an existing facility which could require renovations.  You will need to get a specific quote for the specific renovations that you need for your space. 

How much revenue can a daycare business make?

A daycare facility can generate $17,680 in revenue per year per child according to Zippia .  

A daycare business with 100 children can generate over $1.75 million per year in annual revenue based on our average revenue per child of $17,680. 

How much does daycare cost?

The average cost of daycare is $17,680 per year, per child in the U.S. according to Zippia . 

This means that the average monthly cost of daycare in the U.S. is roughly $1,475.

What is the typical child to staff ratio for a daycare? 

The typical child to staff ratios for a daycare are:

  • 1 adult staff for every 4 infants (age 0 to 12 months)
  • 1 adult staff for every 6 toddlers (age 1 to 3 years)
  • 1 adult staff for every 10 pre schoolers (age 3 to 5 years)
  • 1 adult staff for every 12 school aged children (5+ years old)

Source - Childcare.gov

These ratios will help you estimate how many staff members you will need.  Our financial projection template makes this easy.  Just enter in your ratios and the number of children you expect to have in each age group and the model will automatically calculate the number of staff required to maintain your ratios.  See the input daycare staffing table below:

business plan for a child care center

What are the typical operating costs for a daycare? 

Your largest operating expense for a daycare facility is likely to be your rent. 

It should cost between $20 and $30 per square foot to rent a daycare center space based on available spaces on Loopnet . 

Other operating costs for a daycare center include:

You can see how you can enter in your operating costs into our financial model below:

business plan for a child care center

How much profit can a daycare make? 

The average daycare profit margin is 6.5% according to Daycare Business Boss . 

Once you complete your projections you will want to take a look at our At a Glance tab to make sure that your projected profit margins aren’t way out of line with the industry norms.  You can find projected profit margins for your daycare below:

business plan for a child care center

This is an important aspect that you may not find in most daycare business plan templates, but it's still essential. An appendix includes any additional information to help you understand your business plan. This might include things like your:

  • Business licenses 
  • Insurance policy 
  • Lease agreement 
  • Sample contracts 
  • Staff bios 

This section adds credibility to your daycare business plan and shows that you've done your homework. Including all of the necessary details in your appendix will give investors peace of mind and show that you're serious about starting a daycare center.

An executive summary is a brief overview of your business plan and is often considered the most important section. It should be two pages long, with a clear description of your business, your goals, and why you will achieve them.

There are several key elements to include in your executive summary:

  • Business Name: This is the name you have chosen for your business.
  • Location: Include the city, state, and country where your business will be located.
  • Business description: Describe what type of business you will be operating.
  • Target market : This is the group of people you will be targeting as customers.
  • Competition: Who are your competitors, and how will you compete with them?
  • Product or service : What product or service will you be offering?
  • Sales and marketing: How will you generate sales?
  • Financials: Include a five-year income statement, balance sheet, and cash flow statement.
  • Management team: Introduce your management team and their experience.
  • Exit strategy : This is the plan for how you will eventually sell or otherwise exit the business in case you decide to retire or move on to other projects.

The executive summary is the most crucial section of your business plan because it gives investors and lenders a quick overview of your company and its prospects. Be sure to include all of the key elements listed above, and keep it under two pages in length.

What Are The Benefits of Creating a Daycare Business Plan?

Research shows that a business plan helps business owners make better decisions, turn abstract goals into tangible objectives, and track progress over time. But what does this mean for those who want to open a daycare? 

Creating a business plan forces you to think through every step of starting your company. It's a valuable exercise that can save you time and money in the long run. Even if you don't end up following your business plan to a tee, the process of writing it will help you better understand your business and what needs to be done to make it successful. 

There are many benefits to creating a daycare business plan, including: 

Gives You a Roadmap to Follow

As with any journey, it's always helpful to have a map. A business plan is that map for your daycare business. It will give you a clear idea of where you want to go and how you can get there. 

Helps You Secure Funding

A business plan is essential if you're looking for investors or loans. It will show potential lenders and investors that you've put thought into your business and have a solid strategy for making it successful. 

Ensures Your Daycare Business is Feasible

When you're starting a business, it's easy to get caught up in the excitement and overlook potential problems. A business plan forces you to take a step back and assess whether your business is truly viable. It also helps you identify any areas where additional research is needed. 

Final Thoughts

A daycare business plan is a valuable tool to help you make your business successful. 

It is worth noting that your business plan is not a one-time exercise but should be updated regularly as your business grows and changes. This document is meant to be a living document that evolves as your business does. 

If you're unsure where to start, there are plenty of resources available to help you, including daycare business plan examples online, books, and daycare business plan templates. 

You can also use our daycare projection template to get your financial plan ironed out and ready for your business plan.

The most important thing is just to get started. The sooner you create your business plan, the better prepared you will be for success.

You can get the Daycare Facility financial projection template here!

The template is simple to use and will save you loads of time while still producing professional looking daycare projections. ProjectionHub has helped more than 50,000 businesses create financial projections so you can be confident that you can do it too.

The daycare business projection template includes:

5 Year Daycare Facility Pro Forma Financial Statements

CPA Developed & Completely Customizable

Free Support & Projections Review

Compatible with Google Sheets

Free expert review of your completed projections

The template is easy to use and you do not need to be an excel wizard to fill it out. Editable cells are highlighted in blue, a video guide is included, and our team is available to answer any questions you have.

You can see the complete walkthrough and demonstration of the daycare business forecast template here:

Get the template today for just $79

business plan for a child care center

If you have any questions before purchasing, please feel free to begin a live chat or email us at [email protected]

100% money back guarantee in accordance with our terms and conditions

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About the Author

Adam is the Co-founder of ProjectionHub which helps entrepreneurs create financial projections for potential investors, lenders and internal business planning. Since 2012, over 40,000 entrepreneurs from around the world have used ProjectionHub to help create financial projections.

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How to Write a Business Plan for a Daycare: Complete Guide

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  • January 30, 2023

business plan for a child care center

👇 Check all our resources on daycares 👇

Whether you’re looking to raise funding from private investors or to get a loan from a bank (like a SBA loan) for your daycare, you will need to prepare a solid business plan.

In this article we go through, step-by-step, all the different sections you need in your daycare business plan. Use this template to create a complete, clear and solid business plan that get you funded.

1. Executive Summary

The executive summary of a business plan gives a sneak peek of the information about your business plan to lenders and/or investors.

If the information you provide here is not concise, informative, and scannable, potential lenders and investors will lose interest.

Though the executive summary is the first and the most important section, it should normally be the last section you write because it’s the summary of the different sections included in your business plan.

Why do you need a business plan for your daycare?

The purpose of a business plan is to secure funding through one of the following channels:

  • Obtain bank financing or secure a loan from other lenders (such as a SBA loan )
  • Obtain private investments from investment funds, angel investors, etc.
  • Obtain a public or private grant

How to write an executive summary for your daycare?

The executive summary of your daycare business plan should include the following important information:

Business Overview

Introduce your company (its name, its mission) and the history behind it: why did you decide to create a daycare in your area today? Why you? 

Also, that’s where you should expand on the business: where will the daycare facility be located? How old are the children you target? How many children will you be able to take care of? What are the amenities (classrooms, playground, cafeteria, etc.)? 

Market Overview

Provide here a deep market analysis that backs your decision to open a daycare business in your area today. Why would your business succeed given current market conditions? 

For example, the market analysis should include information like: what are your competitors in the area? What are their characteristics, strengths and weaknesses ? Who are your target audience (parents and children)? Is that in line with the demographics in your area?

Management & People

Who is the management team? What is your/their experience in the daycare industry?

Financial plan

What is your expected revenue and profitability for the next 5 years? When do you expect to break-even? Simply include here a chart of your key financials (e.g. Revenue, Gross Profit, Net profit )

Funding Ask

What loan/investment/grant are you seeking? How much do you need? How do you intend to spend the money?

business plan for a child care center

Daycare Financial Model

Download an expert-built 5-year Excel financial model for your business plan

2. Daycare Business Overview

The business overview section of the daycare business plan summarizes the basics of your facility, including the background information, business model, services, target audience, and legal structure. 

a) History of the Project

When you launch a daycare business, you want it to grow and even become the best in the region if possible. One small element that can catalyze your company’s growth is its history. You don’t have to exaggerate the information here, but try to include useful details that will make your daycare business stand out. 

For a business as sensitive as daycare, trust overrides anything else. So, make sure to include in your business plan your experience and passion for children to demonstrate to investors you are qualified and the right person to successfully run a new daycare facility.

Also, flesh out the history behind the project: why are you starting a daycare now? For example, you may have noticed a lack of child care services for toddlers and infants in the city.

b) Business Model

Next up is the business model. This is the revenue-generating plan that identifies how your business operates. A daycare business model should be succinct and address specific things about the business. 

For instance, is it a commercial daycare facility or a family daycare? Is it an independent facility or a partnership? And should you opt for a daycare franchise? 

Keep in mind that daycare facilities vary by the target age group. So, you can opt for a childcare center, a family daycare, a kindergarten/pre-school, or a nursery school.

business plan for a child care center

c) Daycare Services

It takes a lot to raise a child. So, be clear on the services you want to offer in your newly founded daycare facility. The quality of services will make your business more attractive. But an even bigger factor will be the type of services you provide at the facility.

Indeed, a lot happens inside a daycare facility, from hands-on learning (classrooms, private tuition) to field trips, games and community events. 

d) Pricing Strategy

Age is a key factor when setting the prices of your daycare services. On average, parents across the US pay about $9,400 per year on child care per child. Of course, the actual figure will vary based on a number of factors, but this is a great starting point when getting into the industry. 

An accurate pricing strategy can help you outshine your biggest competitors. However, don’t forget that setting cheaper prices isn’t necessarily the best strategy, just in the same way overpriced services may turn off potential clients. 

e) Target Audience

Daycare centers are so named because they are about a child’s well-being. However, the final decision rests with the parents, who must buy into your idea and long-term vision for the facility. 

For this type of business, you have a definite target market . And all you have to do is ensure your facility is closer to a busy neighborhood with many children. Find out if the families truly need child care services, why they need these services and the children’s average age. 

Finally, make sure your services are aligned with your target audience. For example, you wouldn’t necessarily succeed with a daycare operating 9am – 4pm in an area where parents typically work long hours in the city and need time to commute back to their neighborhood to pick up their kids.

Same goes for pricing: if you offer high-quality expensive daycare services, make sure your daycare is either located close to offices or in an area where affluent parents work or live.

business plan for a child care center

f) Legal Structure

Finally, your business overview section should specify what type of business structure you opt for. Is this a corporation or a partnership (LLC)? Who are the investors? How much equity percentage do they own? Is there a Board of Directors? If so, whom? Do they have experience in the industry?

3. Daycare Market Overview

In the market overview section of your business plan, you must cover 2 important areas:

  • Market trends : how big is the daycare industry in your area? How fast is the market growing? What are the trends fuelling this growth (or decline)?
  • Competition analysis : how many competitors are there? How do they compare vs. your business? How can you differentiate yourself from them?

a) Daycare Market Trends

How big is the daycare industry in the us.

It’s always helpful to base your business decisions on the latest trends in the US market. For instance, the US daycare market had a value of approximately $54.3 billion in 2019 . And it is projected to grow at an annual rate of 3.9% from 2020 through 2027. 

According to reports, the high number of parents occupying full-time and part-time jobs is a major driving force behind the increasing demand for daycare services. No matter how you look at it, these statistics make the daycare business even more lucrative, provided you get all the basics right through your business plan. 

business plan for a child care center

How big is the daycare industry in your region?

After the US, assess the size of the daycare market in your city or area. Focus on the zone where you plan to offer daycare services.

Naturally, you might not be able to get the data for your specific city or region. Instead, you can estimate the size of your market, for more information on how to do it, read our article on how to estimate TAM, SAM and SOM for your startup . To give you an example, let’s assume you plan to operate in an area where there are already 10 competitors:

As we know the US daycare industry is worth $54 billion today, and there are about 230,000 child care centers , therefore the average annual turnover per child care center is around $235,000.

Now, we can safely assume that the daycare industry is worth $23 million in your area (10 centers).

How fast is the daycare industry growing in your region?

Growth is an important metric for assessing the status of the daycare industry in your region. 

Here if you don’t find information online or via your research, you can calculate growth using the total number of competitors in your area. 

For example, assuming there were 8 daycare competitors in the region in 2018, and 10 in 2022, the annual growth rate is 6% per year.

business plan for a child care center

b) Daycare Competitor Analysis

At the very least, your competitor analysis should answer all the questions below:

  • How many daycare businesses are the area where you plan to open yours?
  • What type of daycare businesses are there: home-based vs. center-based home care, early care vs. early education & daycare, etc.
  • What age range do they specialise in?
  • What services do your competitors offer?
  • What amenities do your competitors have (playground, classrooms, etc.)
  • What’s their average price (daily rate / monthly rate)?
  • What is the child / staff ratio of your competitors?

4. Sales & Marketing Strategy

For some existing daycare facilities, marketing isn’t the most important aspect of running the business. But you’ll probably have to implement a few marketing strategies at the beginning to attract the first families , especially if you’re starting a new daycare facility.

a) Daycare Market Channels

A daycare business doesn’t have diverse marketing channels like retail stores or other businesses. So, this may limit your options when it comes to new marketing channels. 

Apart from word of mouth, other marketing channels include;

  • Social media
  • Online listing (Google business, Facebook business page)
  • Word-of-mouth

business plan for a child care center

b) What are Your Unique Selling Points (USPs)? 

Daycare facilities offer pretty much the same services, and it’s not easy to stand out from the competition. However, a few factors can be useful when evaluating your opportunities in a competitive market, including:

  • Target age group : You may cover a unique age group as opposed to your competitors
  • Opening hours : you may offer longer opening hours to accommodate for different parents’ jobs and availabilities
  • Price : Your services may be cheaper than your competitors
  • Quality & amenities : Quality services and extra amenities (outdoor playground, etc.) will make your daycare facility more attractive vs. competitors
  • Services : Your services may go beyond the standard hands-on learning and kid games 

5. Management & People

The 5th section of your daycare business plan should be about people. It should include 2 main elements:

  • The management team and their experience / track record
  • The organizational structure: what are the different teams and who reports to whom?

a) Management

Here you should list all the management roles in your company.

Of course, the amount of details you need to include here varies depending on the size of your company. For example, a small daycare business run by 1 or 2 persons doesn’t need the same level of detail vs. a large center with 50 children or more.

If you plan on running your business independently, you may write a short paragraph explaining who are the co-founders and/or senior managers (if there are any in addition to yourself). It’s important to highlight their experience in the industry and previous relevant professional experiences.

b) Organizational structure

No matter how many leadership roles there are, you should now explain how you intend to run the company from a management standpoint.

What are the different teams (management, childcare staff, cooking staff, human resources, finance, etc.)?

Note that you should include these details even if you haven’t hired anyone yet. It will show lenders and investors that you have a solid hiring and management plan to run the business successfully.

A great addition here is to add an organizational chart that list all the roles, from Directors to managers, key supervisory roles and employees. Make sure to highlight with reporting lines who manages/supervises whom.

business plan for a child care center

6. Financial Plan

The financial plan is perhaps, with the executive summary, the most important section of any business plan.

Indeed, a solid financial plan tells lenders that your business is viable and can repay the loan you need from them. If you’re looking to raise equity from private investors, a solid financial plan will prove them your daycare is an attractive investment.

There should be 3 sections to your financial plan section:

  • Your historical financials (only if you already operate the business and have financial accounts to show)
  • The startup costs of your project (if you plan to start a new daycare facility, or add capacity to an existing daycare center, renovate your facilities, etc.)
  • The 5-year financial projections

a) Historical Financials (optional)

In the scenario where you already have some historical financials (a few quarters or a few years), include them. A summary of your financial statements in the form of charts e.g. revenue, gross profit and net profit is enough, save the rest for the appendix.

If you don’t have any, don’t worry, most new businesses don’t have any historical financials and that’s ok. If so, jump to Startup Costs instead.

b) Startup Costs

Before we expand on 5-year financial projections in the following section, it’s always best practice to start with listing the startup costs of your project.

For a daycare, startup costs are all the expenses you incur before you open the space to your customers. These expenses typically include: renovation costs, equipment and furniture, etc.

The startup costs for opening a child care center depend on various factors such as the location and size of your daycare facilities, the capacity (the number of children you plan to have), the quality of the amenities, etc. 

We’ve identified that it costs anywhere between $130,000 to $490,000 to start a daycare business with 50 children . See below the cost estimates.

Note that these costs are for illustrative purposes and depend on several factors which might not fully apply to you. Let’s first start below with startup costs. 

c) Financial Projections

In addition to startup costs, you will now need to build a solid daycare financial model over 5 years.

Your financial projections should be built using a spreadsheet (e.g. Excel or Google Sheets) and presented in the form of tables and charts in your business plan.

As usual, keep it concise here and save details (for example detailed financial statements, financial metrics, key assumptions used for the projections) for the appendix instead.

Your financial projections should answer at least the following questions:

  • How much revenue do you expect to generate over the next 5 years?
  • When do you expect to break even?
  • How much cash will you burn until you get there?
  • What’s the impact of a change in pricing (say 10%) on your margins?
  • What is your average customer acquisition cost?

You should include here your 3 financial statements (income statement, balance sheet and cash flow statement). This means you must forecast:

  • The number of children over time ;
  • Your expected revenue ;
  • Operating costs to run the business ;
  • Any other cash flow items (e.g. capex, debt repayment, etc.).

When projecting your revenue, make sure to sensitize pricing and the number of members as a small change in these assumptions will have a big impact on your revenues.

When it comes to the costs, consider both startup and operating costs. For more information, read our complete guide here .

business plan for a child care center

7. Funding Ask

This is the last section of the business plan of your daycare center. Now that we have explained what type of daycare services your company would offer, at what price, your marketing strategy , management and people, this section must now answer the following questions:

  • How much funding do you need?
  • What financial instrument(s) do you need: is this equity or debt, or even a free-money public grant?
  • How long will this funding last?
  • Where else does the money come from? If you apply for a SBA loan for example, where does the other part of the investment come from (your own capital, private investors?)

Use of Funds

Any business plan should include a clear use of funds section. This is where you explain how the money will be spent.

Will you spend most of the loan / investment to buy the real estate and do the renovations? Or will it cover the cost of the salaries of your childcare staff and other employees the first few months?

Those are very important questions you should be able to answer in the blink of an eye. Don’t worry, this should come straight from your financial projections. If you’ve built solid projections like in our daycare financial model template , you won’t have any issues answering these questions.

For the use of funds, we recommend using a pie chart like the one we have in our financial model template where we outline the main expenses categories as shown below.

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Daycare Business Plan Template

Written by Dave Lavinsky

Business Plan Outline

  • Daycare Business Plan Home
  • 1. Executive Summary
  • 2. Company Overview
  • 3. Industry Analysis
  • 4. Customer Analysis
  • 5. Competitive Analysis
  • 6. Marketing Plan
  • 7. Operations Plan
  • 8. Management Team
  • 9. Financial Plan

Daycare Business Plan

You’ve come to the right place to easily complete your daycare business plan.

We have helped over 100,000 entrepreneurs and business owners create business plans and many have used them to start or grow their daycares.

How To Write a Daycare Business Plan & Example

Below are links to each section of your daycare business plan template:

  • Executive Summary – This is a brief overview of your daycare business plan. The executive summary should be no more than 2 pages long, with brief summaries of other sections of the plan.
  • Company Overview – This is where you provide a business description, including your company history, business structure, and any pertinent information about the daycare center.
  • Industry Analysis – The industry analysis describes the daycare industry, including market size and trends.
  • Customer Analysis – This section of your daycare business plan describes your target market and potential customers. You will detail the demographics, needs, and wants of your target audience and how you plan to meet those needs.
  • Competitive Analysis – The competition in your local area will be described here, along with how your daycare business will compete in the market.
  • Marketing Plan – Your marketing plan will describe your daycare’s marketing strategy, including your advertising and promotion plans.
  • Operations Plan – This section of your business plan describes how your daycare will be operated on a day-to-day basis. It may also include your long-term plans for expansion and the milestones you want to achieve to get there.
  • Management Team – The management team section of your business plan should describe the experience and qualifications of your management team including the director, teachers, and support staff.
  • Financial Plan – The financial plan section of your daycare business plan should include your financial statements, such as your income statement, balance sheet, and cash flow statement.

Next Section: Executive Summary >

Daycare Business Plan FAQs

What is a daycare business plan.

A daycare business plan is a plan to start and/or grow your daycare business. Among other things, a good daycare business plan will outline your business concept, identify your target customers, present research about the child care industry, detail your marketing plan, and provide your financial plan.

You can  easily complete your daycare business plan using our Daycare Business Plan Template here .

What Are the Main Types of Daycare Businesses?

There are different types of daycare businesses that parents can choose from for their child's needs. A traditional daycare center is most sought after by working parents since it provides child care during regular work hours. There are also in-home daycare centers that are licensed to provide child care in a home setting with fewer children. Other child care centers provide hourly care services by trusted babysitters or nannies and are operating on an as-needed basis.

What Are the Main Sources of Revenues and Expenses for a Daycare Business?

The primary source of revenue for a daycare business is its child care services.

Some key expenses for a daycare business is rent, salaries for staff, utilities and snacks expenses for the children.

How Do You Get Funding for Your Day Care Business Plan?

A daycare or child care center is typically funded through small business loans, personal savings, credit card financing and/or angel investors. This is true for a business plan for daycare or a childcare business plan.

What are the Steps To Start a Daycare Business?

Starting a daycare can be an exciting endeavor. Having a clear roadmap of the steps to start a business will help you stay focused on your goals and get started faster.

1. Develop A Day Care Business Plan - The first step in starting a business is to create a detailed child care business plan that outlines all aspects of the venture. This should include market research on the childcare industry and potential target market size, information on the services you will offer, marketing strategy, pricing strategies and detailed financial projections.

2. Choose Your Legal Structure - It's important to select an appropriate legal entity for your daycare business. This could be a limited liability company (LLC), corporation, partnership, or sole proprietorship. Each type has its own benefits and drawbacks so it’s important to do research and choose wisely so that your daycare business is in compliance with local laws.

3. Register Your Daycare Business - Once you have chosen a legal structure, the next step is to register your daycare business with the government or state where you’re operating from. This includes obtaining licenses and permits as required by federal, state, and local laws. 

4. Identify Financing Options - It’s likely that you’ll need some capital to start your daycare business, so take some time to identify what financing options are available such as bank loans, investor funding, grants, or crowdfunding platforms. 

5. Choose a Location - Whether you plan on operating out of a physical location or not, you should always have an idea of where you’ll be based should it become necessary in the future as well as what kind of space would be suitable for your operations. 

6. Hire Employees - There are several ways to find qualified employees including job boards like LinkedIn or Indeed as well as hiring agencies if needed – depending on what type of employees you need it might also be more effective to reach out directly through networking events. 

7. Acquire Necessary Daycare Equipment & Supplies - In order to start your chlidcare business, you'll need to purchase all of the necessary equipment and supplies to run a successful operation. 

8. Market & Promote Your Business - Once you have all the necessary pieces in place, it’s time to start promoting and marketing your childcare   business. This includes creating a website, utilizing social media platforms like Facebook or Twitter, and having an effective Search Engine Optimization (SEO) strategy. You should also consider traditional marketing techniques such as radio or print advertising to reach your target audience.

Learn more about how to start a successful daycare business:

  • How to Start a Daycare Business

Where Can I Get a Daycare Business Plan Example PDF?

You can download our daycare business plan PDF template here. This is a business plan template you can use in PDF format.

Capabilities

How to write a business plan for your daycare center.

Procare

Here we have put together a list of key elements to help write a successful business plan for your daycare center.

Do Your   Research

The first step to developing a business plan for your daycare center is to do your research. Look at what your competitors are doing – think about what makes them successful and/or their pitfalls.

Do they have a unique mission statement? Does their staff follow a specific teaching philosophy? Realizing other daycares’ competitive advantages will help you identify any gaps that these centers are not filling.

You’ll also want to research the demographics of your area. What does a typical family in your area look like? In some areas it’s typical for both parents to work, but in others it’s not. You may also want to look into things like education level, religion, income level, how many children are in a typical family, as well as grandparent involvement and common  values .

Will the values and interests of your daycare center be appealing to the families that surround it? Research is a huge part of  creating a daycare business , and it’s something you’ll want to be thorough with before fully diving in.

Develop a Mission Statement

When you think about what you aspire your daycare to be, a lot of things likely come to mind. You have big dreams after all! However, it is important to start with the basics and develop a mission statement.

This should be a relatively simple vision you have for your center that can be shared on marketing collateral and is appealing to prospective parents. Whether it’s a focus on  early childhood development  or a particular teaching philosophy you believe in, you’ll want to present your mission statement boldly and confidently.

Once you develop a mission statement, it’s time to think about your other goals and objectives. But, what’s the difference between goals and objectives?

  • Goals are something that is measurable – whether it’s a certain enrollment number or how much revenue you bring in after year one.
  • Objectives are a little less numerical – they can be the values you hope to instill into your center like teaching children life sills like effective communication, how to share, and creating a nurturing environment.

Creating a clear mission statement and supporting goals and objectives is key to setting yourself up for success. Whenever you feel overwhelmed or unsure of the direction of your daycare center, check back in with your mission statement, goals and objectives to ground yourself

Look at Your Financials

Financials may not be the most fun part of starting a daycare business, but they are certainly important. While you may have the passion and expertise needed to fuel a new business, without the right financial standing, it’s hard to turn your dreams into a reality.

blog_sub_look-at-financials-2589440

A common question you may ask yourself is,  “How much does it cost to start a daycare?”  While the number will certainly vary wildly depending on the area you live in and whether you are acquiring an already owned building or starting from scratch, experts say it will cost you anywhere from  $10,000 to $50,000.  Think about whether it’s realistic to start your daycare now or continue saving up until you’re ready – it’s a big investment!

For those who are just starting out and may not have that much financial experience,  daycare software  can be a huge help. It helps simplify paying your bills, easily track expenses, and handle budgeting – all from a single platform.

Use daycare software to maintain a record of your expense categories like classroom supplies, maintenance, utilities, and rent, and ensure that nothing gets lost and you’re always on budget. One expense gone wrong can have a huge impact on a new business, so keeping your data and information all in one place is highly recommended.

Develop Policies & Procedures

A successful business plan needs information about the daycare center’s policies and procedures. Policies and procedures are the foundation of a new business, and they are something you’ll want parents to have a firm understanding of.

To start with, think about developing a  payment policy . This will entail things like how to handle late payments, billing schedules, and more.

It’s also important to take note of any licensing requirements for staff ratios and teachers’ educational backgrounds. Child care staff are subject to fingerprinting and background checks, so be sure to verify references and education levels.

Learn About Insurance

Insurance is a requirement for opening a licensed child care facility, and having it is essential for protecting both your business and your personal assets. While understanding insurance may not come naturally to everyone, there are a lot of resources on the internet and professionals willing to help.

Talk with a licensed insurance agent who’s familiar with local requirements to review your needs and recommend coverage terms and policies. And, if you plan on offering healthcare benefits to your employees, you’ll want to meet with a healthcare provider who can help with developing a plan.

Create a Marketing Plan

Here comes the fun part. What’s going to make your daycare center stand out among the competition? How are you going to get your name out into the community?

Start by deciding how you’ll raise awareness among potential customers. Maybe it’s participating in family-friendly community events in the area or listing your school in a local directory. You can even think about running a social media campaign to build awareness and reach new parents.

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And as far as differentiating yourself from other daycares, consider implementing  Procare’s all-in-one daycare solution  designed to help manage your daycare and stay connected with parents.

For modern parents who are on the go, joining a daycare with a tech-savvy management system in place can be incredibly appealing. With the ability to  make payments online , digitally check in/check out, and read about updates on their child throughout the day, this kind of software will definitely give you a leg up.

Final Thoughts

Creating a business plan for your daycare center is a lot of hard work, but it can also be exciting. You are at the beginning stage of making your dreams a reality and by organizing your ideas, policies, marketing plans, and more in a logical document, you are setting yourself up for success – and for a lot of future happy parents and children.

Ready for next steps? Learn more about how to successfully  start a daycare .

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How to Start a Day Care: A Step-by-Step Guide

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If you’re a teacher, former teacher, or simply have years of experience caring for children — and an entrepreneurial streak — you might have considered starting your own day care center, either from home or in a dedicated facility. And at an expected job growth of 7% over the next decade, working in child care is a stable career choice. So, if you’re seriously wondering how to start a day care center, you’ve come to the right place.

As is the case starting a business in any industry, however, your passion for your craft alone — or, in this case, your students — isn’t quite enough to ensure that your day care business is copacetic, either financially or legally. You’ll need to do a good amount of due diligence when looking into how to start a day care business, paying special attention to licensing requirements, and ensuring that your facility and program aligns with your state’s health and safety codes.

If you’re a pro at educating, training, supporting and generally corralling large groups of small children, you should be pretty unperturbed by the work it takes to start a day care business. Here’s what you need to know.

business plan for a child care center

How to start a day care business

Although every path toward starting a business looks different for every business owner, there are a few steps that every aspiring day care owner needs to think about when it comes to how to best start a day care.

1. Decide what kind of day care business you want to start

Before you can even get to writing a business plan for your day care business, you need to decide what kind you want to open. Look into whether you want to start a day care business at home, or whether you want a more commercial facility — there might be different permits required in your municipality depending on which you choose. You also need to decide what age groups you want to focus on.

Next up, you'll have to decide on a business entity, which will have huge effects on the way you're taxed and how you operate your day care business. Will you have partners or open your business on your own? Additionally, you'll want to consider whether you want a business entity that offers you some protection. Making your day care center a limited liability company might be a good move, since the business will take on liability should anything go wrong.

You might also decide to buy into a day care franchise opportunity. This option will significantly streamline the steps you need to take in opening your day care.

Once you narrow down these details about your business, you can move on to the next step in starting a day care business: writing a business plan.

How much do you need?

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We’ll start with a brief questionnaire to better understand the unique needs of your business.

Once we uncover your personalized matches, our team will consult you on the process moving forward.

2. Write a day care business plan

This is a step you have to take when starting any business and it can be quite a bit of work, especially for anyone looking to get moving quickly on their business. When you start writing a business plan, start with an outline of all the things you want to include.

Your plan should include a summary, an overview of the company, a market analysis that includes an assessment of the need for a business like yours, a marketing and sales plan, and a financial plan along with financial projections. Don't worry, though, you can always add to it as your business grows.

One thing you should include, though, is market research. The last thing you want to do is go through all of these "how to start a day care business" steps, only to find that there isn't a market for one or that there are already too many day cares in that area to make it a viable business.

Your business plan should also include a budget. The costs associated with opening and running your day care center can never be accurately totaled, but nailing down a budget will give you some parameters to work within (and some peace of mind).

In your budget plan, don’t forget to factor in:

Your startup costs, including day care equipment, food, toys and educational tools, wages, insurance and licensing.

How much tuition you’ll charge.

Your predicted revenue over the next two to three years.

When you’ll break even.

Also know that day care centers can claim certain tax deductions, which can ease your annual financial burden.

You'll also want to include a marketing plan. If you’re seriously researching how to start a day care business, it’s likely that you’ve already been caring for children in your area for some time and have built up a network of local parents. That’s one valuable method of attracting customers (aka word of mouth) covered. Still, implementing even a basic marketing plan can help define and legitimize your business — and if you need to implement a waitlist as a result, that’s great too!

Your marketing efforts can be relatively simple and low-cost. You can start by creating a Facebook page for your day care center and building a business website, making sure to include your contact information and a little bit about your business. If possible, plan to include pictures of your facilities and testimonials from happy customers.

If you’re a fan of social media, it also can’t hurt to create an Instagram, LinkedIn and/or Twitter account to keep both current and prospective customers updated on your business. Just be sure that once you do, you receive permission from parents or guardians before posting pictures of their children, of course.

Analog marketing techniques would work well here, too. If possible, consider distributing flyers or brochures to nearby libraries, schools, places of worship or any other local gathering spots.

3. Obtain the necessary certification and licenses

You may not need a master’s degree in education to become a day care teacher, but each state does require some combination of licensing and certification when it comes to how to start a day care. Visit your state’s Division of Child Care Services (or its equivalent) to find out the training, experience and credentials you need to legally operate a day care facility.

In New York State, for instance, the head of the day care facility must have one of the following:

An associate degree in early childhood education or an equivalent.

A CDA credential (child development associate) and at least two years of experience caring for children.

A high school diploma and at least three years’ experience caring for children.

You'll probably find that there are some other requirements that usually come up when you're looking up how to start a day care business at home or in another facility. Your state may require that you and any staff you hire are CPR-certified, for one. Another point of safety to remember is that you should be trained in at least basic first aid for children. You and your staff might also need to be fingerprinted and undergo background checks before being cleared for work.

Even if your state doesn’t require that you obtain a license, you should consider doing so, as your licensing course will go over all the boxes you need to check to operate your day care in your state — including health and safety regulations, proper food preparation and the required child-to-adult ratio.

4. Find a (safe) day care facility

In certain states, in order to obtain the proper licenses or registration to start your day care business, you’ll first need to show that your day care facility meets your state’s health and safety requirements.

So whether you choose to open your day care facility in your own home, or buy or lease a new property, you’ll need to make sure your facility meets zoning, fire, and health and safety laws. When it comes to how to start a day care at home, you may need to make alterations to your house to comply with day care requirements in your state, so be sure to factor them into your budget.

5. Get insured

Another requirement for obtaining your license? Getting insured. In certain states, you’ll need to be licensed by the Department of Health and Human Services to run your day care center, but to do so, you’ll first need liability insurance.

The exception is home-based day care centers, which don’t need insurance to be licensed by the DHHS. Still, those opening day care centers at home should seriously consider obtaining small business insurance. You always run the risk of a lawsuit when you’re running your own business, but that risk increases when caring for other people’s children — so protect yourself whenever possible.

There are several types of insurance that cover day care businesses — general liability insurance, workers’ compensation, property insurance, abuse and molestation insurance and others — so contact an insurance broker to help you decide which coverage is best for your business.

6. Get a business checking account and credit card

Get a business credit card and a business checking account early on to help you keep your business expenses separate from your personal expenses when first starting a day care.

It’s crucial to separate your personal and business expenses for many reasons, not the least of which is to reduce your (or your accountant’s) burden come tax season. It’s simply the most professional way to conduct your business, too. Set yourself up for success now by signing up for a business credit card and opening a business bank account, and be diligent about using both solely for your day care’s finances.

Having a business credit card can help you increase your business credit score, too. By paying the card off on time — or early if you can — you can boost your score, which will help you late on when you need a loan or other financing for your day care business.

7. Get financing

Most entrepreneurs bootstrap their businesses at the beginning, as it’s difficult for brand-new businesses with limited credit history to secure a business loan, either from a bank or from an alternative lender.

Your financing options aren’t limited to your own purse strings (or your friends’ and family’s). Here are a few other ways to get funding and loans for a child care business:

SBA microloan

Although most SBA loans are available only to businesses with a few years of experience under their belts, SBA microloans are actually designed to help startups get off the ground. They’re especially accessible to women, veterans, minorities and business owners in low-income areas. And unlike most other SBA loan programs, SBA microloans are disbursed by nonprofit lenders, rather than banks.

As the name suggests, SBA microloans tend to be on the smaller side, with amounts capped at $50,000, but they may be as low as $500. (For more context, the average microloan amount was $14,000 in 2017.) And because microloans are designed for new businesses, business owners with average or even challenged credit may still be accepted, as long as other aspects of their SBA loan applications are in good shape.

SBA community advantage

These loans from the SBA have all of the advantages that come with SBA microloans but the community advantage loans are specifically for businesses that are serving traditionally underserved communities. These loans are generally for a higher dollar amount than the microloans and can go a bit further for your business.

Government grants

You might be able to obtain financial assistance to start and run your day care through state or federal funding programs for early childhood education providers. For instance, you can contact your state’s Child Care and Development Fund Plan to look into startup funds, or your state’s school meal contacts to seek funding for your day care center’s meals.

Take a look at the Administration for Children and Families Office of Child Care’s list for a more comprehensive overview of federal and state financing programs for child care centers .

Business credit card

It’s important to use a business credit card to keep your day care’s expenses separate from your own. Of course, using a credit card is also the most convenient way to pay for your daily expenses. And since credit limits for business credit cards tend to exceed those of consumer cards, you can spend more liberally without worrying about maxing out your card.

Another bonus? Using your business card responsibly (by which we mostly mean paying off your balance in full and on time, every month) can help you build business credit. And with a healthy business credit score, you’re in a better position to secure business loans with great terms down the line.

If you opt for a card with a long 0% intro APR period, you can essentially use that introductory grace period as an interest-free loan. Look into the American Express Blue Business Plus card, which, at 12 months, carries one of the longest interest-free introductory periods in a business credit card right now.

After your 12 interest-free months are up, though, a variable APR kicks in at a rate depending on your creditworthiness and the market. Check the issuer's terms and conditions for the latest APR information.

8. Hire staff

You may be planning on running your day care facility solo, but depending on your state and the number of children you’re looking after, that might not be an option — every state sets a required ratio of staff to children to ensure that every child receives adequate care. They also dictate the maximum number of children permitted in a group.

Adult-to-child ratios and class sizes depend on the age of the children, but they might also depend on the size of the day care facility, or face further restrictions based on municipality. For a day care center in New York state, for example, the state requires one adult for six children under school age. However, in New York City, there must be two teachers or one teacher and one assistant to every six children aged 2 to 3, with a maximum of 12 students allowed in a single group. Your own children may or may not be included in that count, too.

So, while hiring really depends upon your state’s requirements, it makes sense to leave room for hiring staff in your business budget. That way, you’ll be prepared for growth, without worrying about your operation shutting down because you’re not properly prepared for it. (Just keep in mind that any staff you hire needs to be appropriately licensed or trained for it, and potentially undergo a background check.)

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9. Write your day care contract and policies

To further legally protect your business, it’s crucial that you draw up a contract, write out your day care policies, and require that potential clients (or, more likely, the parents of potential clients) review and sign both documents before accepting their patronage.

If you're just starting to read up on how to start a day care business, you might not be clear on the distinction between these two documents. To clarify, your contract is the document stating that you’ll provide child care, be compensated for providing care according to the payment terms you specify, and have the right to terminate providing care.

Your policies, on the other hand, provide parents with important logistical information regarding how you’ll run your day care center. There, you can outline protocol regarding vacation, illness, inclement weather, drop-off and pickup times, curriculum, field trips, and anything else you believe is important for your clients to understand and agree to about your day care center.

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Child Day Care Services Business Plan

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Kid's Community College

Executive summary executive summary is a brief introduction to your business plan. it describes your business, the problem that it solves, your target market, and financial highlights.">.

Kid’s Community College® aims to prepare its students to excel as young leaders of tomorrow by combining an exclusive collegiate-based curriculum tailored specifically for children with enhanced, first class child care services. Unlike our competitors, we offer advanced technology programs, after-school tutoring, and activities such as arts and crafts, dance, theatre and gymnastics, all in one location.

Kid’s Community College is a privately held corporation run by its owner, Timothy Bernard Kilpatrick, Sr. Mr. Kilpatrick has 17 years of Executive Management (VP) and Budgeting experience, and extensive experience with budgeting methodologies and strategic planning, including the Balanced Scorecard approach. His advanced degree (and interest) in computer science is the driving force behind our technology component. He will be supported in daily operations by an industry consultant, a campus director, and a VP of educational operations, all with extensive experience in child care fields.

With inflation continuing to rise each year, the typical American family now requires dual or supplemental incomes. This trend has created a need for quality child care services. The population growth rate in the Riverview area of Hillsborough County is now over 14.6%, leading us to anticipate expanding market potential for this industry in our local area. Price, service, certification and reputation are critical success factors in the child care services industry. Kid’s Community College® will compete well in our market by offering competitive prices, high-quality child care services, and leading-edge educational programs with certified, college-educated instructors, and by maintaining an excellent reputation with parents and the community we serve.

This is a daycare business plan for Kid’s Community College®, which will focus on two subdivisions: ‘Lake St. Charles’ and ‘The Villages of Lake St. Charles,’ which are new upscale community developments within a 2 square mile radius, boasting over 900 new homes. Our target customers are dual-income, middle-class families who value the quality of education and child care we provide for their children, ages 4 months to 12 years.

We will open for business starting with an initial enrollment of 13 students. We project healthy revenues by the end of the first year, and expect to nearly triple that by the end of Year 3. Our biggest operating expenses will be compensation at industry standard rates for our highly-qualified personnel, and rent on our facilities, improved for our purposes during the start-up period. We would like to grow into four campuses, eventually, but growth is planned conservatively, to be financed from existing cash flow as we go. We anticipate a net profit beginning in our second year.

To these ends, we are putting significant investment in the business, and are seeking a matching amount in the form of an SBA loan.

Child day care services business plan, executive summary chart image

“Some of the best years in life are the time spent as a child and later our collegiate years…” As working adults in a fast paced society, we sometimes forget just how precious and  fleeting those years are.

With that in mind, imagine an alternative to traditional infant, day and after school care that not only met your child care needs, but also provided an activity based learning environment that mirrors those used at colleges, universities and vocational centers around the nation.  A college community of professional care givers with the credentials to not only enhance your child’s early social and motor skills, but to also teach them advanced studies in the arts and sciences found at institutions of higher learning.  A collegiate-based curriculum tailored specifically for children, taught in a fun, nurturing care giving environment.

Now imagine this at a cost less than that of the combination of conventional day care and specific interest based children programs.

Kid’s Community College® is a start-up comprehensive community college exclusively for kids ages 4 months to 5 years and 1st through 5th grades.  The College dedicates its efforts and resources toward ensuring top-rated care giving services coupled with a high-quality activity based learning environment tailored for children in these age groups.  The College will respond to the needs of its parents and students with excellent care-giving and instruction, an advanced curriculum, flexible programs, local community involvement and business partnerships.

The College has a strong commitment to accessibility and diversity.  Its open door policy embraces all who desire to provide a better quality of care, preparedness and education for their children.  The College works to provide affordable, first-class care giving and education by providing a broad range of integrated programs and services and innovative learning approaches.

The College is committed to taking a leadership role in child care services, higher learning, community services and promoting cultural diversity.  Kid’s Community College® directs its activities towards student success.

  • Sales increasing to almost double first year sales by the end of Year 2.
  • Maintain a high raw gross margin by the end of Year 1.
  • Open second campus by the end of Year 1.
  • Begin franchise effort by end of Year 3.

Keys to Success

The keys to success for KCC are:

  • Marketing: differentiating KCC’s care giving and educational services from traditional daycare offerings and interest activity programs.
  • Service quality: care giving and educational programs provided by degreed and certified educators, child care workers, tutors and subject matter industry professionals in a technologically advanced first-class collegiate environment.
  • Reputation: maintaining a highly regarded reputation for excellence in care giving, education and community involvement and being the employer of choice in our market for child care and educational talent.
  • Profitability: controlling costs and managing budgets in accordance with company goals, adhering to strategic business plans for growth and expansion and reinvesting in the business and its employees.

Company Summary company overview ) is an overview of the most important points about your company—your history, management team, location, mission statement and legal structure.">

Kid’s Community College® – Lake St. Charles Campus will be located in Riverview, FL.  The College will employ six fundamentals that will serve as the driving force for the services offered:

  • Premier Care Giving Services
  • An Activity Based, Children Structured Collegiate Curriculum
  • Advanced Technology and Developmental Programs
  • Trademarked General and “Continuing” Education Mentoring and Tutoring 
  • Learning Services
  • Community Advancement and Involvement

The Lake St. Charles campus is a newly constructed, 3,600 square foot facility in the Lake St. Charles Medical Plaza and will be developed meeting strict KCC design standards, under close supervision of Hillsborough County child care Licensing.

Start-up Summary

The college founder and president, Mr. Kilpatrick, will oversee fiscal responsibility, employing an independent CPA for financial oversight.  A Campus Director will be hired to handle day-to-day operations of the facility and will work collaboratively with the silent partners and other campus personnel to ensure a successful business venture.

As reflected in the table below, the estimated start-up costs for KCC will be $39,450.  These costs will be financed solely by the owners’ personal cash funds and optional credit lines.  An anticipated $60,000 SBA guaranteed 5-year loan will be used as working capital.  Future expansion, growth and franchising strategy will be self-financed.

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Company Locations and Facilities

Kid’s Community College® will begin with one location – a newly constructed 3,600 square foot campus in Riverview, FL located near the entrance of the upscale Lake St. Charles subdivision.  The campus is in the Lake St. Charles Medical Professional center and will boast separate halls for arts and crafts, theatre and dance, information technology, library and quiet study, tutoring, infant care and a cafeteria.  The play area will be adjacent to the campus and will be securely fenced and furnished with appropriate playground equipment and facilities. 

Three additional campuses are planned in the rural Tampa marketplace over the next four years.  Franchise start-ups will be offered in the Orlando, Miami and Jacksonville marketplace after 2 years of successful operation.

Company Ownership

Kid’s Community College® is a privately-held proprietorship owned in majority by its founder and president, Timothy Bernard Kilpatrick, Sr.  There are also two silent partners, neither of whom owns more than 10%, but will be active participants in daily operations, management decisions and consulting, though they do not own a financial stake in the company.

Once the operation reaches its anticipated growth and profitability goals, the college plans to franchise and will re-register as a limited liability company or as a corporation, whichever will better suit the future business needs. 

Kid’s Community College® offers upscale child care services and an advanced collegiate based curriculum designed for kids ages 4 months to 5 years and 1st through 5th grades.  Normal operating hours will be 6:45am to 6:30pm, Monday through Friday – with observance of all major legal holidays.  Early drop-off service will be offered as needed. 

KCC exists to provide Premier child care services that are aimed at enhancing traditional day care methodologies and integrating extracurricular interests (such as arts and crafts, dance, theatre and gymnastics) into one comprehensive program.  Our activity based collegiate curriculum is specifically tailored for children and mirrors the arts and sciences taught at colleges, universities and vocational schools around the nation.  We offer state-of-the-art technology programs in leading-edge facilities which help prepare students for the technology age in which they live.  Our general and “continuing” education programs help mentor and tutor students through “main school” homework assignments and provide a base of understanding and interaction to ensure success in future educational endeavors.  Finally, our developmental programs reinforce basic social, listening, independence and motor skills and prepare students for future related interaction.

All of our learning and child care services employ technology, partnerships, professional services and other activities that support and promote higher learning.

In addition to the extensive services and curriculum offered, each campus will also offer weekend specialty classes for children and adults and planned family activities in the community it serves.  KCC will also offer children birthday party hosting services, providing great activities for kids and an easy experience for parents.  Activity instructors will be assigned for these events and will lead the activities, ensuring a memorable celebration. 

Service Description

Upon its opening, Kid’s Community College® will offer four basic services in the Lake St. Charles community:

  • Full-time Child Day Care
  • Part-time/After School Care (including drop-off and pick-up)
  • After School Tutoring
  • Drop-In Care

Prior to opening, the college will have a two-month enrollment drive.  Based on the market reaction to the drive, these services may be altered to meet the needs of the community.  The college will always remain nimble enough to respond to the needs of the community in which it serves.

Competitive Comparison

The child care industry as a whole is saturated.  However, based on US Census 2000 data, Hillsborough County Child Care Services provider listings and Hillsborough County building permit records, the city of Riverview, Florida itself is growing and has few licensed child care facilities.  Kid’s Community College® intends to fill this local market need.

The Lake St. Charles and ‘The Villages of Lake St. Charles’ subdivisions have 800 and 100 single family homes respectively. There are only two other child care facilities in the neighborhood. One is in the immediate area, a church based facility and the other is 2 miles away, a facility hosted by a local martial arts academy.  There are also three family child caregivers listed in the area, but none in the immediate community.  Kid’s Community College® will differentiate itself from its local competitors by offering an alternative to these traditional day care approaches. 

The Kid’s Community College® market strategy is based on providing an activity based learning environment that is used in many major colleges, universities and vocational centers around the nation. We will offer a community of professional caregivers with the credentials to not only enhance a child’s early social and motor skills, but to also teach them advanced studies in the arts and sciences found at institutions of higher learning.

Kid’s Community College® will be located in a new medical arts plaza, which has already shown a need and interest for child care services. The center currently has a pediatrics office and fitness center with clientele that has inquired about child care services. By forming collaborative partnerships with these businesses and becoming an active voice in the Lake St. Charles community, the college will position itself as the market share leader in child care services, development and educational offerings.

Sales Literature

A copy of the Kid’s Community College® informational brochure is attached in an appendix at the end of this document.

Fulfillment

The key fulfillment and delivery of services will be provided by the campus director, licensed campus instructors and staff workers. The real core value is the professional strength and industry expertise of the founder and silent partners, staff experience and certifications, education and hard work (in that order).

We will turn to qualified professionals for freelance back-up in tutoring and educational support, which will enhance the core values provided to the clients.

Since the company founder has an extensive Information Technology background, it’s only natural that Kid’s Community College® will employ and maintain the latest technology to enhance its curriculum, office management systems, payment processing and record keeping.

Future Services

Three additional campuses are planned in the rural Tampa marketplace over the next four years. Franchise start-ups will be offered in the Orlando, Miami and Jacksonville marketplace after 2 years of successful operation.

Market Analysis Summary how to do a market analysis for your business plan.">

Kid’s Community College® offers services which are vitally important in today’s fast paced, dual-income world. As an increasing number of families have become dependent on two incomes, the need for quality child care has skyrocketed. According to Florida Business Statistics, 84.6% of licensed child care facilities succeed and make a profit in their 1st year of operation.  Nationally, this number is 66.7%. 

Market Segmentation

Kid’s Community College® has a focus on meeting the local community need for child care services within the 10-mile radius of Riverview.  Students will be taken in flexibly on either a full-time or part-time basis.

Full-Time Working Couples

The college will establish a significantly large, full-time, regular client base in order to establish the healthy, consistent revenue base which will ensure stability of the business.  Customer and community relations are extremely important, as it is imperative to keep the parents pleased in order to keep their children in the college.

After School Care

Another large segment of the college’s business will be in the after school care market.  This client base will provide a higher profit for the college since instructor-to-student ratios are higher, and the students require more educational services, which are the primary focus of the college.  By offering tutoring, and advanced studies in technology, theatre, arts and sciences, the college will attract these profitable business clients, producing significant supplemental revenues.

Part-Time Workers/Drop-Ins

Part-time workers and Drop-Ins from the fitness center and locals businesses will comprise less than 1% of the revenues.  While this market is not a primary focus, sufficient flexibility to handle this market is important to the local ‘word-of-mouth’  marketing strategy.

Child day care services business plan, market analysis summary chart image

Target Market Segment Strategy

The target market for Kid’s Community College® is full-time working couples. Referral marketing, direct-mail campaigns and community activity days will be the primary types of marketing strategies utilized. Maintaining and enhancing its reputation with families and in the community will be crucial in obtaining the planned market share growth of this target market.

Market Growth

According to US Census 2000 data, the population growth rate for Hillsborough county is approximately 2%, which is reflected in the market analysis summary. However, the Riverview area of Hillsborough County is experiencing a residential construction boom, yielding well over a 14.6% growth. This is supported by data obtained from the Hillsborough County Building Permits office and is included in the appendix of this plan. This suggests that more families continue to move into the Riverview area, thus becoming potential customers.

In our market analysis, we suggest a modest 6% yearly growth in the number of potential customers.

Market Needs

With inflation continuing to rise each year, the typical American family now requires dual or supplemental incomes. This trend has created a need for quality child care services. We do not see this model changing in the foreseeable future. In fact, based on the growth in the Riverview area, specifically the new Lake St. Charles and Village of Lake St. Charles communities, we expect the need to increase.

Market Trends

Currently there are more family caregivers than licensed child care facilities nationwide. However, this business model can’t keep up with the needs of the growing child care industry. In the family care giver paradigm, space is limited and quality of care is questionable – in many cases viewed as only slightly higher quality than babysitter services.

Service Business Analysis

Kid’s Community College® is in the child care services industry, which includes several models:

  • Licensed Child Care Facilities: Business facilities that offer child daycare services.
  • Family Child Care Homes: Individuals that offer child daycare services in their homes.
  • Specific Interest Based Programs: Businesses that offer specialized instruction such as gymnastics, martial arts and athletics.
  • Church Child Care Facilities: Religious organizations that offer child daycare services in their communities.

Competition and Buying Patterns

Price, service, certification and reputation are critical success factors in the child care services industry. Kid’s Community College® will compete well in our market by offering competitive prices, high-quality child care services, and leading-edge educational programs with certified, college-educated instructors, and by maintaining an excellent reputation with parents and the community in which we serve.

Main Competitors

  • Weaknesses: May not appeal to customers of different religious beliefs. Unlicensed facility.  Non-accredited. 
  • Weaknesses: Location – outside of middle-income market. Non-educational offering.  Building condition – prone to constant flooding. 
  • Family Child Care Homes:
  • Weaknesses: Capacity – only allowed a certain number of children. Non-professional stigma. 

Business Participants

  • Specific Interest Based Programs: Martial Arts America
  • Church Child Care Facilities: Christian Day Academy (not licensed).

Strategy and Implementation Summary

Kid’s Community College® will focus on two subdivisions: ‘Lake St. Charles’ and ‘The Villages of Lake St. Charles,’ which are new upscale community developments within a 2 square mile radius and boast over 900 new homes. 

The target customers are dual income, middle-class families who value the quality of education and child care provided for their children ages 4 months to 12 years.

Value Proposition

Kid’s Community College’s® value proposition is quite clear and quite easily distinguished from others in the market. We offer uniquely premium child care services, as measured by the curriculum and activities offered, experience and educational level of the instructors, community involvement and community college theme. 

Competitive Edge

We start with a critical competitive edge: there is no competitor in our market that is offering our concept, quality of educational program and child care services. Our educational approach is unique and we have a resource with over 25 years of child care expertise and over 17 years of technology savvy. Our positioning on these points is very hard to match, but only if we maintain the focus in our strategy, marketing, business development, and fulfillment. We should be aware that the tendency to dilute this expertise with bargain shopping could weaken the importance of our competitive edge, but we must continue to bolster our value proposition.

Marketing Strategy

Marketing in the child care industry depends largely on reputation and referral. At Kid’s Community College® that reputation will start within our community bolstered by our involved commitment to those we serve. 

Promotion Strategy

1.  Advertising –We’ll be developing our core positioning message: “A community college for kids!” to differentiate our service from the competition.  We will be using direct mail campaigns, pre-enrollment drives, and local community newspaper advertising to launch the initial campaign. 

2.  Sales Brochure –Our theme and curriculum will help sell the college to prospective clients. 

3.  Direct Mail –We will send quarterly direct mail campaigns to the housing developments in a 10-mile radius of the campus.  We will also offer monthly calendars for parents and the Lake St. Charles community, noting weekend family days and other open house approaches. 

4.  Community Involvement –We will be active in the Lake St. Charles community, sponsoring events at the community center for families and residents.

Marketing Programs

Catered open houses, parent survival days/nights, clubhouse pool parties and weekend movie matinees are but a few approaches we will utilize to reach out to our community.  We will also develop and maintain partnerships with local businesses that cater to the needs of children. 

Our pre-opening effort will include an application fee waiver, free children ID cards, T-shirts and a community block party sponsored and hosted by Kid’s Community College®.

Positioning Statement

For families who value the importance of higher education and quality child care services, Kid’s Community College® offers a great alternative to traditional child care services and specific interest based programs. Unlike those programs, KCC combines child care services with a modified collegiate level curriculum, just for kids!

Pricing Strategy

Kid’s Community College® must charge appropriately for the high-end, high-quality educational and care giving services we offer. Our revenue structure has to support our cost structure, so the salaries we pay to assure quality services must be balanced by the revenue we charge. 

We will be price competitive in the market we serve; however, we will not subscribe to the “low price leader” concept. The quality of our service will support the prices we charge.

Sales Strategy

Kid’s Community College® will sell its community college theme, services and offerings, separating itself from traditional daycare-only offerings.

We will be a one-stop shop for child care services, advanced learning and specialized program offerings.  We will also be active in the community, building a solid reputation with parents and the community.  By succeeding in these areas, we expect to begin seeing an operational net profit in month nine of the 1st year, while increasing enrollment by 32% monthly for the first 8 months and gradually thereafter, until our maximum allowed capacity is reached.

Sales Forecast

The following table and chart give a run-down on forecasted sales.  A detailed spreadsheet is also included in the appendix of this business plan. 

For the first eight months of operation, Kid’s Community College® has assumed a conservative enrollment due to the fact that school, aftercare and child care placement has already taken place for the school year and most parents will be comfortable with their current arrangements.  Consequently, we expect initial enrollment to be far less than anticipated future year levels. 

A sales increase of approximately 32% each month is expected until the start of the next school term, in August.  While this forecasted  increase seems large by industry standards, it is a good estimate based on initial enrollment.  Going into years 2 and 3, we expect that our presence will be known, convenience factor considered and we will then be a considered as a choice in August 2003.  In fiscal years 2004 and 2005, 80% and 90% of full enrollment is assumed respectively.

We expect to be open for business on January 1, 2003, starting with an initial enrollment of 13 students:

7 Full-time students at $115 each per week.  6 After-school students at $60 each per week and Drop-in revenue of approximately $100 per month. 

Child day care services business plan, strategy and implementation summary chart image

Sales Programs

Sales programs will include incentives for obtaining quarterly financial and enrollment goals, probationary period completion, passing county inspections and maintaining perfect attendance. 

Customer service awards will be provided for those employees who best exemplify the mission of Kid’s Community College® and exceed customers’ expectations. 

The accompanying table highlights important start-up milestones, with dates, completion status, responsible parties and budgets for each.  The milestone schedule indicates our emphasis on planning for implementation. 

What the table doesn’t show is the commitment behind it.  Our business plan includes complete provisions for plan-vs.-actual analysis, and we will hold monthly follow-up meetings to discuss the variance and course corrections. 

Child day care services business plan, strategy and implementation summary chart image

Strategic Alliances

As mentioned previously, Kid’s Community College® will form professional alliances with Impact Fitness to offer Drop-In child care services while parents work out.  We will also partner with Family Pediatrics to provide referrals of their existing customers.  A discounted rate will be offered in both cases.

Web Plan Summary

The Kid’s Community College® website will be the virtual business card and portfolio for the college, as well as its online “home.”

It will showcase the campus, curriculum and activity calendar for the school.  It will also provide for an Internet background of the instructors, online projects posted by the students, the campus newsletter and online enrollment. 

The Kid’s Community College® website will be simple, yet classy and well designed, but at the same time, in keeping with the latest trends in user interface design.  A site that is too flashy, or tries to use too much of the latest technology can be over-done, and may not be supported by all browsers. 

The key to the website strategy will be presenting a very well designed and informative Web presence that will market the Kid’s Community College® image, service offerings and community commitment.

Website Marketing Strategy

The Kid’s Community College® website will embody the mission of the college.  It will not only offer visitors the opportunity to “look around” the campus, but it will give them a good idea of the level of quality and service they can come to expect from the college.

Mostly informative in nature, the website will be a digital representation of our physical self. 

Development Requirements

The Kid’s Community College® website will be developed by the college founder, Timothy B. Kilpatrick, Sr., who has over 17 years of Information Technology experience.  Formation Technologies will host the site.

The site will be developed using Macromedia Dreamweaver 4, which will allow for support outside of Mr. Kilpatrick’s involvement.  The initial maintenance of the site will be done by Mr. Kilpatrick. 

Management Summary management summary will include information about who's on your team and why they're the right people for the job, as well as your future hiring plans.">

The opening management team of Kid’s Community College® will consist of the founder, a silent partner, a campus director and administrative assistant.

As the college grows, gradual investments in the instructional staff will be made over the next 3 years – beginning in June 2003 or as otherwise dictated by enrollment.

Organizational Structure

Kid’s Community College® depends on the founder, silent partner, Campus Director and VP of Education Operations for management in the following roles:

Management Team

Owner/President – Timothy B.  Kilpatrick, Sr.  The Owner/President will have overall fiscal responsibility, ensuring that the business is financially sound and attains its planned goals. 

  • 17 years Executive Management (VP) and Budgeting experience
  • Advanced degree in Computer Science
  • Proven leadership and employee development ability
  • Extensive experience with budgeting methodologies and strategic planning, including the Balanced Scorecard approach.

Industry Consultant – Carolyn Steverson.  The Industry Consultant will be relied upon for her industry expertise, providing valuable insight to rules, regulations and governmental programs that may benefit the college.

  • 25 Year owner of Fat Albert Day Care Center
  • Licensed child care facility owner
  • Vast knowledge of Hillsborough County Child Care Licensing requirements and government supplemental programs

Campus Director – Candice Harris.  The Campus Director will be responsible for daily operations, curriculum oversight and management of all instructors, caregivers and tutors.

  • B.S.  Degree in Education
  • 2 years facilities administration/support experience with the University of South Florida
  • 2+ years Regional Operations Manager
  • 5+ years managerial/supervisory experience
  • 3+ years grant writing, technical writing, workflow and process documentation experience

VP of Education Operations – Nitika Steverson-Kilpatrick

  • Collegiate-level Public Relations education
  • 5+ years customer service experience
  • 8+ years child care industry experience (her mother owns Fat Albert Daycare)
  • Extensive theatre and dance background

Management Team Gaps

The present team requires Child Care Development Associate credentials to support our value proposition and preparation for 2004 Florida child care requirements.  Currently, the Campus Director and Industry Consultant are the only members of the management team who have these credentials.

The Owner/President and VP of Education Operations will be enrolling in January 2003 to complete the six-month course required to obtain these credentials.  Education for these two can’t begin in this area until that time since it is a requirement that the college be open for business before the course work can begin.  Long-term, all full-time instructors will be required by the college (not the State) to obtain this credential.

Regarding financial administration, we will retain a strong CPA to help the owner guard cash flow.  While the owner is well versed in the worries of cash flow, he also has the sense to listen to reason and deal with constraints, as guided by the CPA.

Personnel Plan

The following table summarizes our personnel expenditures for the first three years, with compensation increasing from approximately $57K the first year to about $113K in the third.  We believe this plan is a fair compromise between fairness and expedience, and meets the commitment of our mission statement. 

The yearly figures in the second and third year are assumptions for the Lake St. Charles campus only.  The numbers reflect 100% enrollment, a full staff of instructors and a 5% payroll increase each year – which will include tuition reimbursement, pay increases, vacation pay, bonuses and state required certifications.

Financial Plan investor-ready personnel plan .">

  • Adequate start-up capital is assumed, along with an SBA 5-year guaranteed loan.

Important Assumptions

The Kid’s Community College® financial plan depends on important assumptions, most of which are shown in the following table as annual assumptions.  The monthly assumptions are included in the appendices.  From the beginning, it is recognized that total enrollment is critical, which is a factor that must be influenced immediately.  Interest rates, tax rates, and personnel burden are based on conservative assumptions. 

The most important underlying assumption is that there is a strong need for the business in the Lake St. Charles community. 

Key Financial Indicators

The following benchmark chart indicates the key financial indicators for the first three years.  We foresee a gradual growth in sales (enrollment) and operating expenses into the second and third year.

It is projected that the raw gross margin will remain stable for the first three years since expenses are relatively indirect in the service based course work industry.  Operating expenses increase gradually as enrollment increases.

Enrollment is very important.  We must maintain an average weekly enrollment of 34 students for fixed cost coverage. 

Child day care services business plan, financial plan chart image

Break-even Analysis

For the break-even analysis, start-up monthly running costs assumptions are shown in the the table below, including a three person payroll, rent, utilities and an estimation of other running costs.  Payroll, at median market averages, was presented previously in the Personnel table. 

Based on these assumptions, the chart below shows the enrollment of students per month needed to break-even.  This represents about 46% of our allowable monthly enrollment based on state and county course work guidelines.

Child day care services business plan, financial plan chart image

Projected Profit and Loss

Our projected profit and loss is shown on the following table, with sales increasing from the first year to the third. 

In years two and three, we are projecting full enrollment regarding cost of sales and gross margin.  The investment return in these years supports the goal of opening another campus at the end of the second year and begin the franchise offering by the end of the third year.  Profit from the additional campuses and income from franchising are not included in this business plan. 

The detailed monthly projections are included in the appendices. 

Child day care services business plan, financial plan chart image

Projected Cash Flow

The following cash flow projections show the annual amounts only, significant for the first year mainly in the amounts projected in cash sales and payables. 

Cash flow projections are critical to the success of Kid’s Community College®.  The monthly cash flow is shown in the illustration, with one bar representing the cash flow per month and the other the monthly cash balance.  The annual cash flow figures are included here and the more important detailed monthly numbers are included in the appendices. 

Child day care services business plan, financial plan chart image

Projected Balance Sheet

The balance sheet in the following table shows managed but sufficient growth of net worth, and a gradually sufficient healthy financial position.  The monthly estimates are included in the appendices.

Business Ratios

The following table shows the projected businesses ratios for our industry: Child Day Care services, SIC code 8351. Kid’s Community College® expects to maintain healthy ratios for profitability, risk, and return.

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Childcare :: Ft. Belvoir :: US Army MWR

Joann blanks cdc, north post cdc, fort belvoir north cdc 1# and #2, woodlawn cdc, south post cdc.

  • Markham School Age Center (SAC)
  • Youth Center

Facilities:

  • JoAnn Blanks CDC*
  • North Post CDC*
  • Fort Belvoir North CDC #1 (FBNA 1)*
  • Fort Belvoir North CDC #2 (FBNA 2)*
  • Woodlawn CDC*
  • South Post CDC*
  • Rivanna Station CDC*
  • Family Child Care (FCC)

Full Day/Part Day/Hourly Care

Ages 6 weeks-Kindergarten*

  CDCs are on-post child care centers that offer full-day, part-day and hourly care for children in nationally accredited environments.

* In some communities, Kindergarten children may be located in the School Age Center

Army School Age Centers provide care during:

  • Before school and after school
  • School closures
  • Seasonal and holiday school breaks
  • Summer Camp
  • Hourly Care

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* Depending on school configuration

Looking for a Teen Babysitter? Looking to be a Teen Babysitter? CYS offers training following the 4-H babysitter curriculum in becoming a certified Teen Babysitter. Teen military family members in grades 7 and up who wish to to expand and market themselves for babysitting jobs can be placed on the babysitter’s referral list with parent permission.

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CYS offers Babysitting Referral Services for registered families. Babysitters on the referral list are 13 years or older, have certification in First Aid and CPR, and are trained in: 

  • Developmentally appropriate play
  • Recognition of child abuse/neglect
  • Emergency procedures and interviewing

Stop by Parent Central Services or go back to the Register section to find out more information.

CYS provides additional child care beyond the regular facility opening hours.

  • Kids On Site! (KOS)  – On-site child care in a room adjacent to the parents attending unit meetings or events  

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  • Volunteer Child Care in a Unit Setting (VCCUS) –  CYS can help units to train volunteers to provide child care for unit functions

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Units interested in the VCCUS program should contact Parent & Outreach Services for more information.

CYS offers parents a Friday or Saturday night out on the town for children ages 6 weeks through 5th grade. We provide a snack and developmentally appropriate activities for your child.   

Contact Parent & Outreach Services for more information. 

* Available at select communities

CYS Services offers parents a day out on Friday or Saturday for children ages 6 weeks through 5th grade. We provide meals and snacks and developmentally appropriate activities for your child.    

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Military Child Care dot com is your portal for child care at installations around the world. Children can only be placed in child care after submitting a request for care through Military Child Care com.

Rivanna Station CDC is a sub-installation of Fort Belvoir located in Charlottesville Virginia, home to the U.S. Army’s National Ground Intelligence Center with elements of the following Intelligence Community organizations: selected components of the Defense Intelligence Agency, the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency and others. Rivanna Station Child Development Center offers personnel within this community full day care services providing a safe and healthy environment for early childhood development and preschool programs.

  • Army Fee Assistance Family Handbook (PDF)
  • Army Fee Assistance (Web)
  • Other Branches of Service (Web)
  • US Army Child & Youth Services, USAG Fort Belvoir (Web)

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The Center on the Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning (CSEFEL) is focused on promoting the social emotional development and school readiness of young children birth to age 5.

CSEFEL is a national resource center funded by the Office of Head Start and Child Care Bureau for disseminating research and evidence-based practices to early childhood programs across the country.

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The Teaching Pyramid (PDF)

The Pyramid Model provides guidance for early childhood, special education and early intervention personnel, early educators, families and other professionals on evidence-based practices for promoting young children’s healthy social and emotional development. The goal of the CSEFEL Pyramid Model Implementation in Army Child and Youth Programs is to ensure that staff members are well-equipped with the knowledge and skills necessary to promote the social and emotional development of children and address challenging behavior.

Fostering Healthy Social and Emotional Development in Young Children Tip Sheet (PDF)

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Social-Emotional Competence of Children (PDF)

There is growing evidence that social-emotional development is associated with better outcomes at home, at school, and in the community. Social-emotional development represents a child’s growing ability to interact with others, to form attachments and relationships, to identify and regulate emotions, and to feel confident exploring the environment.

The Backpack Connection Series was created by TACSEI to provide a way for teachers and parents/caregivers to work together to help young children develop social emotional skills and reduce challenging behavior.

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The Backpack Connection Series includes handouts in four categories:

  • Addressing Behavior
  • Routines and Schedules
  • Social Skills

Read the Backpack Series topics any time!

 Learn more on the CSEFEL website.

Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) provides aid to child and adult care institutions and family or group day care homes for the provision of nutritious foods that contribute to the wellness, healthy growth, and development of young children, and the health and wellness of older adults and chronically impaired disabled people.

Through CACFP, more than 4.2 million children and 130,000 adults receive nutritious meals and snacks each day as part of the day care they receive.

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  • Menus coming soon.

Home : Child Development Centers, Inc.

2022 Annual Appeal

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Pre-K Counts Openings!

It’s not too late to enroll your 3, 4, or 5-year-old child!

Click here to view our openings in each county!

Preschool Enrollment

Enroll your 3-, 4-, or 5-year-old for the 2022-23 preschool year today!

Begin the Enrollment Process Now!

Asbury CDC is Erie’s Choice winner for Preschool AND Childcare in Erie!

Thank you all for taking the time to nominate and vote for us!

New Roosevelt location opening March 2023 in Erie!

As seats are filling up quickly, be sure to complete our online enrollment form today!

Secure your child’s seat now!

Teachers Wanted!

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Apply to join our family today!

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Click here to visit the updated Parent’s Corner!

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We are a private, nonprofit organization that provides child care and early childhood education to children in a safe, happy and healthy learning environment.

CDC offers a variety of programs for infants, toddlers, preschoolers and school-age children. Join the CDC family today!

 View all programs and services

Infants and Toddlers

We provide individualized care for your child beginning at 6 weeks of age.

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Curriculum-based programs help to give your child an early educational boost. We offer Free preschool programs based on income, as well as private, tuition-based programs.

Outer Limits

Outer Limits is a free program that gives children and teens the opportunity to participate in sports, the arts and other activities.

90% of Brain Growth Happens Before Kindergarten

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Kindergartens, nurseries (DOE), gymnasiums : Elektrostal : Moscow region : GosRegion

Legal advice: +7-800-301-63-78

State institutions of the Moscow region

+7 (496) 573-22-25

Go to the official website >>

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Telephone (s):

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8 (496) 575-02-52

Kindergarten No. 50 of a general developmental type

8 (496) 574-27-66

9 (496) 574-3006-7

Kindergarten No. 53 General Development

8 (496) 573-78-94

8 (496) 573-99-31

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Kindergarten No. 55 of a general developmental type

8 (496) 571-83-64

Kindergarten No. 56 of a general developmental type

8 (496) 576-35-82

8 (496) 573-60-71

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Kindergarten No. 63 of a general developmental type

8 (496) 573-66-33

8 (496) 573-63-53

Child Development Center-Kindergarten No. 65

8 (496) 575-58-28

8 (496) 575-11-44

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8 (496) 574-36-68

Southern Federal University | Press Center: SFedU celebrated Lyceum Student’s Day

Southern Federal University | Press Centre: SFedU celebrated Lyceum Student’s Day nine0002 Font size

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Information about the educational organization

Lyceum Student Day was celebrated in SFU

business plan for a child care center

In 1811, on October 19, the Imperial Tsarskoye Selo Lyceum was opened, known as the school that brought up the great Russian poet and writer Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin. The day of its opening became the date of the celebration of the All-Russian Lyceum Student Day. This holiday, according to Anna Dmitrova , director of the SFU Lyceum , is the preservation of the traditions of lyceum education in Russia.

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On this day, the SFedU Lyceum holds many interesting and socially significant events, one of which is a poster contest related to the life and work of the lyceum, in which not only students, but also teachers took part. All works are posted in the Lyceum building, as well as in the official VKontakte group, where you can vote for your favorite work. Also, the literary club prepared tasks on the history of the Tsarskoye Selo Lyceum for the holiday. nine0005

In addition, the election of the chairman of the council of students was held in the lyceum, already from the school bench the children have the opportunity to feel social responsibility to the team of students and teachers.

business plan for a child care center

“I met the SFedU Lyceum last year at an open day, and I was very inspired by the atmosphere of this educational institution and the activities that constantly take place here. It’s great that teachers communicate with students on an equal footing, they are always ready to help and suggest, they are attentive to absolutely every student, and it’s also nice to see that each teacher simply burns with his subject and also tells it interestingly. Being the chairman of the council of students is not only an honor, it is also a great responsibility, and I hope that this will help me gain more self-confidence, develop my leadership qualities and, of course, benefit my Lyceum in the face of its students and teachers” , – Ekaterina Marchenko shared .

Congratulations to Ekaterina on her election to a high post, as well as to all lyceum students on the holiday! We wish you excellent, interesting studies and high achievements!

business plan for a child care center

For more audio journalism and storytelling, download New York Times Audio , a new iOS app available for news subscribers.

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Hamas Took Her, and Still Has Her Husband

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It’s been nearly six months since the Hamas-led attacks on Israel, when militants took more than 200 hostages into Gaza.

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Yocheved Lifshitz, a former hostage.

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  2. Business plan for home based child care

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  3. Example Of Business Plan For Child Care Center

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  5. Child Care Center Business Plan

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  6. FREE Daycare Business Plan Template

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  1. Child Care Assistance

  2. New Child Care Center opens in Dubuque

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  1. Child Care Business Plan Template [Updated 2024]

    Child Care Business Plan Template. Written by Dave Lavinsky. Over the past 20+ years, we have helped over 5,000 entrepreneurs and business owners create business plans to start and grow their child care businesses. On this page, we will first give you some background information with regards to the importance of business planning.

  2. How to Write a Child Care Business Plan

    The executive summary should include all the nitty-gritty details of your daycare such as the address, hours of operation, and the number of children it will serve. It should also include what sets you apart from other daycares. The executive summary sets the tone for the rest of the plan so the more information you include here, the better.

  3. The Ultimate Guide on How to Start a Daycare Center

    Your local Child Care Resource & Referral Agency (CCR&R) will play a significant role in the information you need. Use them as a resource to understand and remain compliant with all childcare regulations. 2. Write a daycare business plan. Writing a daycare business plan will provide a great advantage and guide you through the rest of the ...

  4. How to Write a Business Plan for Daycare and Preschool

    Child Care Aware of America offers some terrific budgeting resources for this process. Insurance policies Depending on the type and size of your preschool, you'll need insurance policies of several different types, including liability, property, workers' compensation, and business insurance.

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    It should also be realistic and achievable. Here is a daycare business plan example of a business model for a small daycare center: "The daycare will be open Monday through Friday from six in the morning to six at night. We will offer care for children ages six weeks to twelve years old.

  6. How to Write a Business Plan for a Daycare: Complete Guide

    2. Daycare Business Overview. The business overview section of the daycare business plan summarizes the basics of your facility, including the background information, business model, services, target audience, and legal structure.. a) History of the Project. When you launch a daycare business, you want it to grow and even become the best in the region if possible.

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    Starting a daycare can be an exciting endeavor. Having a clear roadmap of the steps to start a business will help you stay focused on your goals and get started faster.. 1. Develop A Day Care Business Plan - The first step in starting a business is to create a detailed child care business plan that outlines all aspects of the venture. This should include market research on the childcare ...

  8. How to Write a Business Plan for a Daycare Center

    Asking for free months shows you're a competent negotiator who takes his business seriously and has a long-term profit goal in mind. Another thing to watch out for with monthly rent is all the added costs. Say your price is $20 per square-foot and your building is 5,000 square-feet. This adds up to $100,000.

  9. How to Write a Business Plan for Your Daycare Center

    A successful business plan needs information about the daycare center's policies and procedures. Policies and procedures are the foundation of a new business, and they are something you'll want parents to have a firm understanding of. To start with, think about developing a payment policy. This will entail things like how to handle late ...

  10. Child Care Business Plan Example

    The Toddler Warehouse will be competing in the child care industry. This industry is fairly broad and populated, there are companies at all levels, from the basic baby sitter services, to competitors of The Toddler Warehouse. There are service providers that offer standard business hours as well as services that offer night and evening hours.

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    2. Assess the needs of your business. This is roughly similar to some things in the first step. In this step, you can begin by looking at the current trends that are in the child care industry. After that, follow through by beginning to narrow down the choices based on the choices that suit your area the most.

  12. PDF Daycare Business Plan Template

    is also no surprise that child-care is one of the biggest items in families' monthly budgets, according to a 2017 study by Child Care Aware of America. As such, the annual average spending on day-care centers has been on the rise, having surpassed 10,000 U.S. dollars per household as of 2018. Competitive Advantages

  13. PDF Developing a Business Plan for Your Child Care Center

    A business plan is a written document that describes your child care center's goals, why you think those goals are attainable, and how you plan to achieve them. Preparing a business plan forces you to think about all the things you need to plan and implement in order to start your business, expand your business, or achieve your program and ...

  14. PDF Starting and Operating a Child Care Business

    If you plan to run a child care business in your home, several design guidelines may help: Define the areas in your home that will be used for your child care business; Place all breakable items out of the reach of the children in your care; Make sure all indoor and outdoor areas are childproof;

  15. Day Care Business Plan Example

    Sales Plan. Safe Kids Child Care will make a significant profit through the excellent care of children. Even though Safe Kids charges less, the company will see profit within the first year due to beneficial word-of-mouth advertising. The company expects to double its' clientele every six months, for the first 18 months.

  16. How to Start a Day Care: A Step-by-Step Guide

    9. Write your day care contract and policies. To further legally protect your business, it's crucial that you draw up a contract, write out your day care policies, and require that potential ...

  17. PDF Child Care Center Business Plan

    Smart lead and customer CRM system. Organized leads scored and prioritized with easy-to-use dashboards and sort functionality. Graphic dashboards and iconography provide at-a-glance lead data and lead engagement status. Best practices and sales tool tips embedded in technology to support lead conversion.

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    Office of Children and Family Services | Home | Office of Children and ...

  19. Child Day Care Services Business Plan Example

    Explore a real-world child day care services business plan example and download a free template with this information to start writing your own business plan. ... Licensed Child Care Centers: Kids Kountry, Lapetite Academy, Mary Go Round Child Care Center and Bloomingdale Academy. While these centers are within the 10-mile radius target area ...

  20. LEMMA, OOO Company Profile

    See other industries within the Health Care and Social Assistance sector: Child Care Services , Community Food and Housing, and Emergency and Other Relief Services , Continuing Care Retirement Communities and Assisted Living Facilities for the Elderly , General Medical and Surgical Hospitals ,

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    Fact-checking by Susan Lee.. Additional music by Oded Lifshitz. Translations by Gabby Sobelman.. Special thanks to Menachem Rosenberg, Gershom Gorenberg, Gabby Sobelman, Yotam Shabtie, and Patrick ...