Night Care from Home
Night Care from Home
The typical daycare centers are always packed with children, because of the need of good childcare while parents are at work or furthering their education. However, what about those parents that have very unusual work hours and still need childcare? Most daycare centers only offer their services from 6:00 A.M. to 6:00 P.M. anything after that is hard to find and/or very expensive.
This could be such a great ‘business idea’ to give a serious look into for making some needed extra income. Let’s face it; watching children while they sleep is a much easier job than when they are awake. There are also many parents that would like to work these different shifts, but don’t because they cannot find anyone that will take care of their children while they are working these alternative hours.
This is one of those services that you can offer by using your own home, offering to watch children at nighttime, or during those hours between 6:00 P. M. and 6:00 A. M. You will need the space, licensing, supplies such as; toys, books, diapers, wipes, cleaners, sheets, pillows, beds, etc. and the ability to keep kids happy and secure while their parents are gone. You should also have your own playpens or cribs for babies and small children to sleep in if they need to sleepover.
You should be able to handle about five children at a time, depending on their ages and your state laws. When it comes to deciding what to charge for this special service, you might ask about $20 per child, per night. That may not seem like much for up to 12 hours of night-care, but remember that at the end of the month and a typical 5-day workweek, that will add up to $400 a month, per child. If you are able to take care of five children at a time, you have raised your monthly income by $2,000.00 a month. That isn’t too shabby for a side job that can supplement your income. Parents will be so appreciative of your alternative to day-care.
Running a service like this would be ideal for moms, or dads, that want to be able to stay home with their children, instead of having to take their own children to daycare centers while they work outside of the home. This would allow you to be able to spend much more time with your children.
You will also be able to write your business expenses off at the end of the year for the needed beds and cribs etc., If you are using a good sized room set aside just for your night-care business you can also write off by the square footage of your house payments. (Check with your own tax consultant or accountant about the details on these write offs). You can also write off part of your heating and cooling bill. This can make it much easier on young families that are struggling trying to pay their bills at the end of each month.
It should be fairly easy to advertise at your local area schools and day care centers. In addition, target stores that cater to families with children. You could also advertise in your local newspapers.
This type of work will take a person that can be reassuring to both parents and children. You will need to make them feel comfortable, secure, safe, and well taken care of. You may need to get up at night to check on the children on a regular basis, or be sure to have a way to monitor the children with audio or video equipment, so that you can wake up if there is a problem with one of the children. These types of backups can make parents feel at ease and know that their children are well taken care of while they are at work.
Resources:
http://daycare.suite101.com/blog.cfm/night_daycare
http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2007/jun/14/workandcareers.conservativeparty
http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=419743
