| First up let me state categorically that home based | | | | quantifying the financial success of your business. |
| child care is meaningful and valuable work, mostly | | | | Why not think about: |
| undertaken by people with a commitment to meeting | | | | · registering an appropriate business name |
| the needs of children. Many make a lifelong | | | | that describes the activity and furnishes you with the |
| commitment to providing this service and do not | | | | basis of developing a "brand"? |
| intend to change career directions. However, it | | | | · writing regular fortnightly newsletters for |
| doesn't hurt to be prepared... | | | | parents, with a bit about what children are |
| Internationally, there is a huge "home-based" child | | | | experiencing in care and other useful snippets on |
| care industry, with features that make it quite unique | | | | health, wellbeing, family support services etc?, or, go |
| in the world of work. For example, home based care | | | | "one better" |
| is: | | | | · establishing a simple, functional and |
| · essential in order to keep the wheels of | | | | "family-friendly" website with newsletters and other |
| industry turning | | | | information? (great inexpensive marketing tool if you |
| · grossly undervalued by the community in | | | | are looking to attract new care as well) |
| general (including many of the users of this service!) | | | | · developing ways of collecting feedback |
| · often greatly undervalued by those | | | | from parents and children on a regular and ongoing |
| providing the service (e.g. "I just look after kids | | | | basis? |
| during the day") | | | | Implementing ideas such as the ones above will serve |
| · typically a self-employed and very | | | | to enrich the quality of your service and will evidence |
| underpaid venture | | | | a range of skills in a way that may be beneficial in |
| · subject to varying degrees of regulation, if | | | | the future. |
| regulated at all | | | | How does planning help with future flexibility? |
| Value what you do | | | | Why would any of this make a difference, if and |
| Having worked extensively in the area of children's | | | | when you wish to resume a role as a salaried |
| services I have come to realise that even staff | | | | employee? Clearly, if you value the investment you |
| working in commercial or government-funded child | | | | have made in caring for children, you are likely to |
| care facilities can underestimate the importance of | | | | project this positively to others. A quiet confidence, |
| their contribution to the wellbeing of families and the | | | | or self belief conveys itself in many subtle ways. |
| needs of industry. How much harder then, to maintain | | | | Being able to state that you were the owner |
| a realistic perspective when your work takes place in | | | | manager of the "ABC" business (insert your |
| your own home, unseen and unheralded by society | | | | registered business name!) for a given period of time |
| at large! Reframe negative or self-deprecating | | | | also creates a perception of success. |
| perceptions about being the provider of child care - | | | | More importantly, you will be able to articulate your |
| recognise that you have undertaken a professional | | | | experience from a work/business perspective. Your |
| responsibility. | | | | experience in providing care will enable you to speak |
| For many carers there comes a point in time where | | | | with confidence about: |
| they want to take a different direction in their work | | | | · planning |
| lives. However, they may feel that they have few | | | | · marketing |
| skills to offer a prospective employer after years of | | | | · customer service |
| working "out of sight: out of mind". Consequently, | | | | · quality assurance |
| they limit their own opportunities either by not | | | | · financial management |
| making the attempt to establish a new direction, or | | | | · administration |
| by underselling themselves to prospective employers. | | | | · risk assessment and management |
| Planning what you do | | | | · communication and interpersonal skills |
| In reality this is no more than a state of mind, or | | | | · skills in the use of technology (this would |
| attitude about oneself. Prevention of course is better | | | | include managing a website, if relevant) |
| than the cure, and a properly planned strategy will | | | | · compliance with regulation (if applicable)and |
| help you to maintain a positive and realistic outlook, | | | | many other facets of the work you have been |
| as well as being a great investment in your future. | | | | doing. In short, you will be able to identify and |
| Plan your home based child care as a BUSINESS. If | | | | describe a whole raft of skills that will be transferable |
| this sounds cold-hearted, think again. After all, a | | | | to many different contexts. Employers are impressed |
| successful business is as much about quality as it is | | | | by demonstration of skills and competencies and are |
| about income. No business has a viable future without | | | | even more impressed when you are able to |
| both of these factors. Identify the main functions | | | | demonstrate how these might transfer into a new |
| involved in caring for children, such as: | | | | employment situation. |
| · planning appropriate activities to encourage | | | | In summary... |
| and support the development of children. Keep a | | | | Even if you do not want to take up a role as a |
| record of these, for your own benefit and as a way | | | | salaried employee in the future, following the tips |
| of communicating with parents about their children. A | | | | above will assist you in providing a high quality service |
| recording system can be very simple, but will project | | | | to children and families, increasing your perceived |
| your commitment and competence. In a home based | | | | value to clients as well as increasing your "job |
| care environment, this attention to quality is | | | | satisfaction" and morale. In the event you do want |
| paramount. Parents DO NOT want children to be in | | | | to make a career change, you will have a much |
| poor environments, no matter how inexpensive! | | | | stronger platform from which to do so. |
| · invoicing/receipting fees and general | | | | Final tip : To make a good start, ensure you remove |
| administration. Not only will this satisfy tax | | | | the phrase "I just look after kids..." from your |
| requirements in most jurisdictions, but it will reflect an | | | | vocabulary. |
| organised approach to administration as well as | | | | |