If you intend starting a daycare centre, then you may have to apply for a license and obtain a license from the regulating department in your country before you can be allowed to operate your daycare. The daycare industry is highly regulated simply because it involves taking care of babies and toddlers. The environment and condition of operation for a daycare centre just have to be right.
It is no longer news that you must obtain a license for your daycare centre, but what is new is that you can make the process of obtaining your daycare license faster if you know how to go about it. In some countries, due to bureaucracy and bottle necks, you might spend ages trying to obtain a daycare license unless you know one or two top executive in the regulating department or if you know how to package your application and documents in such a way that it will be too good to place on unnecessary delay.
So, if you are making plans to apply for a daycare license and you want to get it fast, then you should pay attention to this article. It is not a magic if you know the right thing to do and you ensure that you do it, then you won’t struggle to get you daycare license within the stipulated time frame set by the department in – charge of issuing daycare license.
15 Sure Steps to Get a License for your Daycare Center Fast
Before you continue, it is important you know that the exact requirements for licensing may vary from one state to another. In some places, all daycare facilities required licensing while others may only need licensing for the facilities that care for a minimum number of children. Now let us consider the factors that will help you get a daycare license as fast as possible;
1. Determine the kind of home daycare license you will apply for
You can apply to become a licensed daycare home if you intend to cater for 7 to 12 children within the age of 14 years, fewer than 24hours per day. There is also an application to become a registered childcare home if you intend catering for up to 6 children under the age of 14, and up to 6 school-age children. And lastly, you can apply to become a listed family home if you desire on caring for 1 to 3 unrelated children in your home.
2. Fill Your Application Forms Accurately and Attach Copies of All the Supporting Documents as Required
The first thing to do if you want to apply for a daycare license and you want to get the license as fast as you can is to ensure that you fill your application form accurately and then attach copies of all the supporting documents as required. The truth is that if there is missing information on your application forms, you might be required to provide the info before your form can be processed and that will automatically prolong the process for you.
3. Secure a Decent and Neat Facility with Approval from the Appropriate Department
Of course the facility you intend using for your daycare centre must first be inspected before you can be granted a license to operate. Thus, what you need to do if you want to obtain your daycare operating license as fast as possible is to ensure that you secure a decent and neat facility with approval from the appropriate department. The facility for your daycare must be well ventilated and must have steady electricity and flow of portable water.
4. Ensure that the Facility You Intend Using for Your Daycare is not in a Noisy Area
Another thing that you should do if you want to get your daycare license faster is to ensure that the facility you intend using for your daycare is not located in a noisy area. Babies find it difficult to sleep under a noisy environment that is why you must ensure that your daycare centre if not close to a noisy area.
5. Attend Trainings on Daycare Management and Also Obtain Relevant Certifications
Another thing that you need to do if you want to obtain your daycare license as fast as you can is to attend trainings on daycare management and also ensure that you obtain relevant certification before applying for your license. It will definitely boost your chance of getting the license faster.
6. Hire At Least a Nurse as Part of Your Staff
If you want to obtain your daycare license faster than usual, then you must prove to the authority that you are serious about starting the business. One of the things that you need to do in order to be taken seriously is to ensure that you have at least a nurse as part of your staff.
7. Purchase the Appropriate Insurance Policy for Your Daycare Centre
Another thing that you need to do if you want to get your daycare license as fast as possible is to ensure that you have purchase the appropriate insurance policy for the daycare centre. The truth is that once the organization issuing license noticed that you have even bought insurance policy for the business, they will conclude that you are serious and they will treat your application as top priority.
8. Register Your Daycare with the Government and Obtain Tax Payer’s ID
Of course you would need to register your daycare business before applying for operational license. If you don’t have your certificate of incorporation, you might be asked to go and obtain it before applying for your daycare license and that will result to delay.
9. Complete your registration process through the appropriate website of the department of family and protective services
And submit your application for a home childcare license. Printable versions of the forms are made available at the department’s website. You can download and mail it to your local daycare licensing office. Contact information about your local office will be made available at the department’s website.
10. Pay the associated fee with respect to the kind of home childcare license you are applying for
Visit the department of protective and family website to get the latest scheduled fees. Contact your local daycare licensing office. Schedule yourself for a childcare home pre-application class if you are wishing to become a registered or licensed daycare.
You will need to review the information packet which you receive during the pre-application class. You also have to become familiar with licensing rules, laws and the application process along with the administrative procedures.
11. Wait to be contacted by the Department of Family and Protective Services
if you have applied to become a licensed or registered daycare home. The department will inspect your home to make sure that you comply with the minimum standards. The standards changes depending on the kind of daycare you wish to operate and are subject to change with the laws of your state.
12. Schedule a gas leakage test, fire and sanitation inspection from a private local company
The records from all the inspections and tests must remain on file at your childcare. Wait up to 60 days following the inspection to discover if your license was rejected or accepted.
A registration or listing will be mailed to you if your license is accepted and approved. If accepted, your operation can be inspected at least every 12 months and your license is liable to revoke if you are found to be in any form of violation of the set standards.
13. Make Provisions for Consistent Training of Your Employees
Another key factor that will ensure that you obtain your daycare license as fast as possible is to ensure that you make provision for constant training of all your employees. It is a way to show that you are serious with the business and you application may like attract preferential treatment.
14. Ensure That You Have Above the Required Startup Capital in Your Bank Account
What you also need to do if you want to get your daycare license fast is to ensure that you have the required startup capital in your bank account. As a matter of fact, you would have to prove that you have the financial capacity to operate a daycare centre before you can be issued a license and once they noticed that you have more then enough to start the business, you are likely going to get your license faster than expected.
15. Get As Much Recommendations as Possible from Notable Parents in Your Community
Lastly, yet another thing that you need to do that will help you get your daycare license faster is to ensure that you get as much recommendations as possible from notable parents in your community. Once you submit these recommendations, it will indicate that people are in support of your plans to start a daycare centre and that may likely fast track the process for you.
There you have it; the 15 factors that will help you get your daycare license as fast as possible.