Blog & Resources · Childcare Provider Resource Center
Straight answers for the people who run small childcare programs
Every post here answers one question a daycare owner actually asks — written by owners who run a program every day.
Latest answers
A short opening and closing checklist your team will use
Two short lists, one for open and one for close, kept small enough that staff run through them every day.
How to handle late tuition payments at a home daycare
A calm, three-step approach. a written policy, an automatic reminder, and one conversation script that keeps families on your side.
What to include in a daily report parents will read
Meals, naps, diapers, one photo, and one sentence about the child's day. Everything else is noise.
Staying within ratio when families arrive early or pick up late
A simple arrival window, a shared calendar, and a rule for what happens at minute one.
How to move every family to online tuition payments in one month
Announce a date, set up autopay on day one, and give the two holdouts a reason to switch.
When to hire your first assistant: and what to ask in the interview
The enrollment number that makes an assistant pay for herself, and six interview questions that predict reliability.
Twelve rainy-day activities for a mixed-age group
Low-prep, low-mess ideas that work when you have a one-year-old and a four-year-old in the same room.
How to manage a childcare waitlist without losing families
A simple system for tracking waitlisted families and reaching out before they enroll somewhere else.
Text, email, or app: picking one channel for parent updates
Splitting updates across text, email, and paper notes turns communication into a second job. Pick one channel and hold the line.
What to have ready before a surprise licensing visit
The records, postings, and room checks most inspectors look for first, and how to stay ready year round instead of scrambling.
Building a staff schedule that survives a sick call
A weekly schedule with enough slack built in that one sick call doesn't put you out of ratio.
Snack-time activities that double as a lesson
Simple cooking and snack activities that teach counting, colors, or fine motor skills, without adding extra prep to your day.
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