Running a day care or afterschool program involves so much more than just taking searching Pinterest for ideas to occupy the children and keep them from burning the building down. In addition to providing quality child care, daycare owners must manage a host of administrative responsibilities in order to keep the business afloat and meet licensing requirements. Understanding the administrative responsibilities that you will have to manage while running your daycare is critical for staying afloat in the wild world of daycare management. Some of the record-keeping responsibilities that you’ll need to manage include:

1. Daycare Payment Management
   
   Daycare payment processing is one of the most important administrative tasks you’ll need to manage. After all, while it is your love for the little darlings that keeps your doors open, it is receiving the regular daycare payments for each of your kiddos that keeps your business in operation.
   
   
   Daycare financial management tends to be a little more complicated than other industries. Between the common occurrence of non-nuclear families and multiple households being involved in a single child’s care taking, as well as government subsidies and employer-sponsored child care credits, daycare payments often come from a variety of sources and often require an added level of record keeping. Not to mention, the tax implications that any business owner faces requires a higher level of financial record keeping than that of a standard employee.
   
   
   Do not despair if this does not sound like something you signed up for, to simplify the process, many daycare owners turn to child care management software to run the side of the business for them.




2. Child Information Record Keeping
   
   There are about a hundred million different data points about each child that you must manage while running a daycare: You must stay on top of medical information about the children, ranging from their immunization records, allergies they have, and medication they may have to take. You also must maintain parent information and a list of emergency contacts to keep the children safe. Having outdated records regarding the kids you take care of could result in a dangerous situation.

   In addition to getting all this information upfront, you must closely manage it to make sure you maintain accuracy. Is important to have parents review the information you keep on hand about their children on a regular basis and update it as necessary.




3. Business Records
   
   Another important factor in your administrative duties as a daycare business owner is maintaining records of licensing and contracts you have with other service providers necessary for running your business. There are a variety of services that you will use to maintain a safe environment for the kids:
   • Insurance records are important for licensing and your own protection.
   • You will need to maintain a variety of leasing agreements and facility records.
   • You will have to stay on top of first aid training records to ensure they are current.
   • Other important records include safety inspections, perhaps food providers, and maintenance support.

   Maintaining the records associated with all the various tasks that you are required to follow in order to maintain your licensing is incredibly important for your business’s success and to reduce your liability.

4. Employee Information
   
   We are confident that you love the kids you take care of as much as if they were your own. We are also confident that the parents of the children you take care of also love them as if they were their own (see what we did there?). For this reason, it is critical to be very choosy about any employees you hire to help tend to the children. In addition to government regulations for employee vetting, you should pay attention to in-depth background checks on every employee you hire, and keep up with regular training and education for them. This protects your business, as well as supports your goals for creating a great environment for the children you take care of. Facilitating the background checks and ongoing training for your employees, and maintaining records of it is another important administrative task you’ll be taking on as a daycare owner.

We want to hear from you! Are you a daycare owner? Did we leave any important administrative tasks off the list? Please share with us below!