Setting up for Home Child Care - Tips for keeping your house a home!

There are so many wonderful positives when you open your home as a child care service to share with other families and their children…but i'm not going to lie, it can also be frustrating, tiring, intrusive and you might often feel as though your home is no longer your home, just a place of work.

I'm often asked how I handle using my house rather than a garage or spare room or even a granny flat like many home day carer's do. Well, for a start of I actually don't have any of those things and I'm not going to spend extra money to make it happen.

One of the things I love about family day care or FDC for short (what we call home day care in Australia) is that children are entering a home environment each day for their care. It's not huge and scary, not filled with unfamiliar things, not to much unlike their own home and routines really. There are many wonderful spaces in FDC where educators have turned sheds and granny flats into special welcoming environments for children but my own personal belief is that a home care environment adds that something special and unique.

I also like to be able to move around my house during care hours and not be confined to one room or a garage space. Everyone is different though and what works for me might not suit another educator…and that is perfectly ok!

Since I have been asked quite a few times now though I wanted to share how I have set up our home for care but also tried to keep it a welcoming and homely space for my own family…we have to live here everyday after all!

Here's my top tips and strategies….

Setting up a day care service at home - strategies for keeping it your home too! Mummy Musings and Mayhem

Keep your own style

Just because you need to incorporate more children's toys and furniture and necessities doesn't mean you have to let them take over your house. The photo below is of our lounge area and I know we have a big space to use which is very handy and you might not be in this position…but I promise you can still take some of these ideas away with you.

If your household style and decor is modern then incorporate the pieces of furniture you already have and use modern funky tubs, containers, cupboards and other items to store toys and children's items when not in use.

Our house is an old Federation style with lots of wood and older fittings. So I have picked up bits and pieces of old furniture from op shops and garage sales that tie in with my home style…not just because I need storage. I use lots of baskets and soft natural colours as I find them more pleasing to the eye and they don't scream kids at me everytime I walk into a room (unfortunately the kids behind me manage that with little help!)

If your look is industrial then look around where you usually buy your furniture and storage items and go from there. Just because you have kids toys doesn't mean you need to have them on display 24/7. Tuck them away as much as you can!

Utilise movable furniture

I personally love shelves, they hold so many opportunities for storage and yet you can usually still move them around without a lot of trouble if you need to change things.

These box style shelves were a more modern style than I would normally go for but they are so handy and I knew baskets would help soften them a little.

At the end of the day I pack everything into their baskets or place back on the shelves and I feel instantly decluttered and able to reclaim my home. Well, at least until my twosome decide to rearrange and play with everything again after the FDC kids have gone but that's another ‘challenge' Let us not speak of it again 😉

I do a quick clean up with the kids before lunch (it's important they are shown how to pack up and look after their space) and then another pick up when the kids all leave. It only takes 20 minutes or so but it really helps my mindset to see everything put away. I feel I can then move back into ‘my home' mode.

I will be very honest here and say I usually do this again around 8.30pm after my girls finally go to sleep because they have often pulled everything out again in that helpful 3 yr old way…if you don't have younger kids of your own then sweet, no need for this extra step!

The other great thing about shelves is that you can set up little invitations to play on top of or inside them for the children to find around the house as they explore. It also gives them somewhere to aim for when packing up.

I love tables for the same reason…I move my tables around all the time depending on the ages of the children in care and what also works for my own family.

I do put some plastic covers on to protect the surfaces but I try to get patterns that will suit our home decor as well. Because I have young children of my own I usually leave them on, if you don't just give them a wipe and fold away at the end of the day.

This old round table I picked up at a second hand store and I move it all around the house, don't be afraid to try different things out and if they don't suit your family just move them back!

We also took the glass doors off of our entertainment unit for safety and to provide extra shelving space. Again the baskets help to tie it all together I think.

I've even used the dollhouse as shelves on occasion when the kids have tired of dollhouse play for a while.

I asked his patient self to make this in pine and leave natural with just a varnish for protection so it would fit in with our home. Yes I know it still looks like a dollhouse but I'm not trying to hide all traces of children…just tie it all in to our environment as best I can.

Break up your spaces

If you are using the majority of your house for care then try to think outside the box a little and utilise as many smaller spaces as you can.This area is currently a little book nook as I needed to move the lounge to this space for a while so I incorporated it into a reading/quiet area. The bookshelf also hides some drawers from enquiring toddler hands and minds!

This is our dining/kitchen area which is actually quite small. By making a small concession and moving the dining table across to the wall instead of the middle of the room it has allowed a space for a mat as well as the children's table which is used for eating as well as messy craft and playdough activities.

By breaking your spaces up within your home it helps children to find their own interest area or quiet/busy activity and helps slow them down as they find new spaces to explore or work in.

Obviously you will need some childproof locks on your cupboards but if you don't like the look of them all over your house then try the magnetic locks, you won't see a thing!

Organisation and storage.

You will need to be organised and you will need to sort out some storage or you will be constantly trying to find your kitchen table, favourite chair and the carpet!

I have a tiny little room off of one of the bedrooms that I have made a storage room for all the craft and toys we aren't using that month. It makes toy rotation and choosing materials for my program so much easier. If you don't have this sort of space you can find lots of great space saving ideas and storage examples on pinterest.

I like to rotate toys around each month and delve into my craft cupboard at the beginning of each week to organise and take out what I will need for the week ahead according to my planning. Use what ever space you can find…I have very little storage space as this is an old house without built in cupboards but by stacking plastic containers and organising resources the best I can I manage to keep the majority of this stuff out of the main part of the house.

Choose your entry/sign in area very carefully.

I decided to use my back verandah space as my FDC entry. Parents and children come through my side gate straight into our backyard and then up a few steps onto the verandah. Here I have a sign in table, space for children to hang their bags and an old fridge for lunchboxes, bottles and drinks.

It was a little extra work to set up but it means I can keep our front door entry just for family and I don't have parents and siblings always walking through my house. I don't have anything to hide, it's just one way I like to keep a little privacy for my family members.

Nappy Change/Toileting Area – Consider carefully what will work for you…

You will need to have a toilet and handwashing facilities for the children to use close to your play area as well as outdoors. If you only have the one bathroom/toilet, know that you will need to use some childproof locks and display handwashing and nappy changing posters. You will also need your hot water temperature regulated or inaccessible to children.

We have a laundry/shower/toilet area on the verandah behind this door so it is perfect for the children to use especially when we are in the backyard playing. We are fortunate to have another bathroom on the other side of the house that is for family only. If you don't have this luxury I would suggest ensuring that you have a space for family members to store their personal items so they aren't always having to lock them away.

I have made a few minor modifications to this area including a mini paper towel dispenser, nappy and paper towel bins, our necessary hygiene posters that must be displayed, nappy change table and a soap dispenser. We also have child proof locks on all the cupboards and drawers. Each day I have a caddy with nappy wipes and gloves that I just put on top of the washing machine along with the children's nappies and the portable nappy area is all set to go!

The funny looking thing on the mixer tap is our invention to stop children turning the handle to the hot water side. This saved us having to get a plumber in to reset the water temperature. There are always cost effective solutions, you just need to think outside the box.

DIY Safety Cap for Mixer Taps - Great Solution for Home Daycare by Mummy Musings and Mayhem

Be creative – use the space you have outside your living areas

Got a courtyard, an undercover patio area, a verandah? Use them for play, for storage, for a wet weather area.

We are lucky to have our back verandah, before I even started FDC I had made it into a play area for the twins by laying down some budget outdoor carpet from Bunnings and now I change it around all the time depending on the children's interests. They all love this area and it allows for an indoor/outdoor program. The children come and go between the verandah and the backyard play.

Even if you don't have an area like this I urge you to find the spaces that you can, kids don't need large areas, just well organised ones. It will help you to keep some spaces just for your own family – the front verandah is our special space and the girls know they can leave toys here that won't get touched by others and I can sit and have a cuppa without seeing FDC stuff!

Easy to pack away areas

While the children are attending care I like to find ways to make them feel as if they belong and are welcome in our home. But when they go home I want my own family to feel as if the house is again their home so I make sure many of the obvious daycare setups can be packed away easily.

The items on this table below are stored in a box for easy pack up, daycare artworks are displayed on the verandah sign in and play area but inside is just for my own girls artwork, I love photos of children playing but I display them in the sign in area, not throughout my home. Even if your sign in area is inside you don't need to spread everything across your walls. You can use noticeboards and magnetic boards that are easily taken down at the end of the day or week or just keep the daycare art and notices to a specific area. Remember to respect the spaces of your own family members as well.

I spend 30 minutes after the children leave each day to pack up and tidy. It helps me to feel as though I am ‘clocking off' somewhat and can now reclaim my home!

Invest in some outdoor storage

A lot of our play is outdoors as regular readers will know – I would possibly go a little insane without it! We are lucky to live on 8 acres here so we made the decision to turn the backyard into a children's playspace since we have many spaces outside the fence that are just ours.

I know many of you won't have the space we do but what I would suggest is making sure you have a shed or area you can use for storage of outdoor toys and equipment so you can pack everything away at the end of the day if you don't want to look at it in your yard after care hours.

I use a little shed that his patient self built into our retaining wall, we still need to add some more shelves so I can store more resources but it is working well. I usually set up the space on a weekend according to my program and the children's current interests and it will stay like that most of the week.

I tidy but I don't pack everything away and then pull it out again each morning!

Ensure you keep some day care free spaces in the home

Even if you have a small home, make sure you keep a few areas just for you. The door at the end of our lounge is always kept closed as this leads to our bedroom and the twins bedrooms as well as our other bathroom, this is just family space…and a good place to throw everything if I haven't had time to clean up and organise before kids or parents arrive.

If you have your own children I would suggest making their rooms an off limits area to daycare children if you can. It allows a space for your child to keep their special toys or escape to for a little time to themselves away from daycare children.

We also have our front verandah to relax on.

And for us there are always outdoor spaces to explore when the daycare kids have left for the day – have you left yourself some space just for you?

Are you considering setting up a family day care or home child care service?

If you have any questions or queries just leave a comment below and I'll do my best to answer!

Next week as part of my family day care series I will be sharing my tips for managing your own young children and household as well as running a business and providing quality child care for your families from home. Until then you might like to visit some of these previous articles..

Outdoor Playspaces & Activities for Home Educators - Mummy Musings and Mayhem

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Warm Wishes

Comments

Madeline Miller says
24/07/2014 at 12:01 pm
Thanks for sharing all this! The post is amazing and your house is beautiful! Congrats!
- Keshia says
  14/01/2016 at 8:00 pm
  This was very helpful thank you for sharing I am in the process of starting a family day care, and I had no idea where to start
  - mummymusingsmayhem says
    14/01/2016 at 11:58 pm
    So glad it proved helpful to you Keshia – there are a lot more articles for educators which you might also like to view. Just click on the ‘for educators’ tab on my sidebar to the right of the posts 🙂
Anonymous says
31/07/2014 at 12:02 pm
I love this! I agree with Madeline! Thanks for the ideas! I’m a new in home daycare Mom and it does get overwhelming sometimes…I’m definitely pinning you! 🙂
Anonymous says
27/10/2014 at 2:53 pm
Thanks for sharing your home with us! I enjoyed it very much! I am also hoping to start a home daycare and will be writing back to you soon, shortly here, about projects & weekly ideas that you have set up already! -Joy
moving van says
11/01/2015 at 9:26 pm
fantastic picture it will inspire me to do the some thing thanks very much
Chantal says
08/07/2015 at 2:59 am
awesome ideas! Do you have any tips for “nap” time for the little ones?
Christina Aleman says
17/11/2015 at 3:21 pm
Nice idea of arranging a house like that for the kids. I am pretty sure your kids will gonna love their room esp if they are very playful and want to explore new things. They can stay at the house with their friends, while playing and eating healthy foods. I love it.
candace says
09/02/2016 at 7:44 am
hi! in nsw looking to start fdc, how do you find the paperwork side as in admin? do you recieve help? thank you
Joy Butler says
31/05/2018 at 5:56 pm
Thanks for helping me understand how to set up a home childcare. In my opinion, the environment must be very friendly and interesting. My granddaughter is already asking when she’ll go to school, that’s why we are looking for a friendly and creative child care center.
Brenda Steeves says
30/07/2018 at 4:29 pm
Great write-up! I just posted this on Facebook and my followers really enjoyed it. I browse your site fairly often but I’ve never thought to comment. Anyway, keep up the good work. I really enjoy your posts.
Training Express says
26/06/2019 at 8:14 pm
nice idea for setting up home for child care. kids are always important for us and we have to know the proper way of making the comfortable home for our kid along with safety. Well written. Cheers
Tammie Houston says
30/08/2019 at 9:29 am
We used to set our backyard into a granny flat, my little twins are so excited to go to school even though they are only 5 years old. I’m planning to set up a place wherein they can be enrolled with a daycare teacher to teach them with the basic songs and letters in the alphabet. It is true that opening our house to be a care center for our children and their friends is quite frustrating, tiring, intrusive but their happiness is our main priority. I do not want to be the hindrance to their excitement towards schooling.
Ron Booker says
18/10/2019 at 3:28 am
I like that you said that you can add a daycare look to your home with movable furniture and soft natural colors. My wife and I have to work during the day but we want to make our kid feel comfortable in a daycare. I’m going to talk to my wife and see what she wants to do with our kid’s care.
Dianne Miller says
18/06/2022 at 11:47 am
I love reading your article when you talk about ways to have your home transform into a child care center. It fascinates me when you mention that having your home converted to a child care center is the leading cause of making the children feel at home, comfortable, and at ease while in a friendly home environment. Thanks for sharing this information.
Elle Jones says
22/02/2023 at 5:16 am
I appreciate that you said that moveable furniture and gentle natural colors might give your house a daycare feel. Even though my husband and I must work throughout the day, we want our child to feel at ease in a daycare. I’m going to discuss her wishes for the care of our children with my spouse. Thanks for the article!