If you are thinking about starting a new child care business, it is important to understand the market you are getting into. Whether your plan is to open a child care center or a school age program or start providing family or group family child care, knowing what the need is in your area and what programs are already there is essential. In late 2006, Westchester County commissioned a study of the Westchester County child care market to address why enrollments in regulated child care settings were not at the anticipated level, and why use of child care subsidies provided by Westchester County Department of Social Services had recently declined.
The primary reason that enrollments were not meeting projections was the combination of high cost and parents’ dissatisfaction with the quality and flexibility of programs. Parents at all income levels are more often opting out of formal child care programs. As a result, the combined capacity of child care centers and homes in the county is greater than the current demand.
The bottom line is that child care is a business, so if you are planning to open a business you need to plan for it carefully. This means thinking about what “product” you are offering, whether it meets customer needs, who your competition is, how much it will cost you to provide what parents are looking for, how much you will be able to charge, how you will market your product to the community, and many other considerations.
The Child Care Council can help you with resources, technical assistance and training on many of these issues. Read our Professional Development Calendar for the next scheduled info sessions on starting a new program. Or call the Council at (914)761-3456 to be connected to the expert in that area.
What Parents are Looking For
Funding Resources
Salary & Benefits Survey
Child Care Fee Chart
Update Your Information for Our Parent Referral Database
Marketing Your Program
Additional Information:
New Council Best Practices Guide on Subsidy Billing/Collection
We Can Do Better – State Child Care Center Licensing, NACCRRA’s (now Child Care Aware of America) 2011 update on child care center regulation and oversight across the country.
http://www.naccrra.org
2012 Leaving Children to Chance (Child Care Homes), NACCRRA’s (now Child Care Aware of America) assessment of state standards and oversight of small family child care homes.
http://www.naccrra.org
Parents and the High Cost of Child Care: 2012 Update
