Most states require that home daycare providers meet state licensing regulations for health and safety in order to be allowed to operate. However, depending on the number of children in care, a home day care provider may only be required to be registered with the relevant local state agency for child care services. Home daycare licensing regulations and requirements differ from state to state, so you'll need to find out what the requirements are for your state.

The fastest way to find out about the home daycare licensing regulations for your state is to contact your state’s licensing agency who will put you in contact with your local agency. They will put you in touch with the relevant licensing agency who will normally mail you a package containing all the information you need plus application forms and a document with regulations. They may also be able to tell you whether your home daycare requires licensing or just registration. Alternatively, you can contact the National Resource Center for Health and Safety in Child Care and Early Education to find out information about your state's home daycare child licensing regulations.

Here is a list of some organisations that you may contact for information about home daycare licensing:

National Resource Center for Health and Safety in Child Care and Early Education 1-800-598-KIDS (5437)

National Association for Family Child Care (NAFCC)
Toll-free: 1-800-359-3817
Local: 801-269-9338

Some of the things that Licensing agencies and organisations do may include:

- Regulating child-care operations to protect children's health, safety, and well-being while in care. This helps reduce the risk of abuse, injury and communicable disease.

- Performing background checks on home daycare providers.

- Inspecting and monitoring child care facilities and programs.

- Providing technical assistance to home daycare providers to ensure that they are meeting minimum standards of care.

- Informing the public, such as children's families and parents, about care and about child-care operations.

Home Daycare Licensing has various advantages for daycare providers. Being licensed will help you portray a professional image. Your customers will trust you and view your day care with credibility. Also, it will be easier to market your day care business if you're licensed because the licensing organisations and child care interest groups will list your center for free in their directories of care providers. Parents often consult these organisations when looking for home daycare services.

Copyright © 2007 Greg Miles. Click here to get a complete business package to help you easily and quickly start your own profitable home-based day care business: http://www.businesstartupsguide.com/daycare or visit The Business Start-up Guide online.

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