Child Care Training Programs
- The Child Care Provider Program: Training for Family Day Homes and Licensed Facilities
- Home Child Care Business Success / El Cuidado de Niños Como Negocio
The Child Care Provider Program: Training for Family Day Homes and Licensed Facilities (SP-73)
What are Texas’ license requirements for child care providers?
Child care workers and managers are required by the Texas Department of Protective and Regulatory Services ( TDPRS) to earn 20 clock hours per year to maintain their licenses.
Does this manual meet Texas’ requirements?
The self-study course included in The Child Care Provider Program: Training for Family Day Homes & Licensed Facilities provides 36 clock hours as approved by TDPRS and is an excellent training guide that will help providers keep their skills up to date. Besides helping providers earn necessary clock hours to maintain their license, this manual will serve as a ready guide to answer questions that come up on a daily basis for providers. In January 2000, TDPRS recognized The Child Care Provider Program as meeting the requirements for the licensed facilities and registered family homes in the following areas:
- Director qualifications: child development, early childhood development, and business management;
- Annual director training: staff supervision or management, child development or early childhood education, and general training;
- Annual staff training: understanding children or improving job performance;
- Caregiver qualifications: course of study in child development to qualify a person age 18 through 20 as a caregiver; and
- Annual caregiver training: hours count towards annual 20 clock hours.
How do providers earn clock hours?
Child care providers, managers, and directors have two choices in how they use this manual. With the first option, providers can earn 36 clock hours by studying the entire book and passing the evaluation with a score of 70 percent or higher. The second option allows providers to divide the book into two sections and earn 18 hours by passing the test for either chapters 1–3 (child development and guidance for ages birth through 12) or chapters 4–6 (nutrition, health and safety, and business) with a score of 70 percent of higher. In option two, the chapters can only be grouped in the two sections described above.
What subject matter is presented?
The Child Care Provider Program covers the topic of child development and guidance in three sections spanning infants and toddlers, ages 3 through 5, and ages 6 through 12. Topics include:
- stages of development,
- reading and homework,
- learning life skills,
- valuing diversity,
- natural and self-motivated learning,
- the value of play,
- developmentally appropriate toys,
- positive partnerships with parents,
- responses to children’s needs,
- encouraging parental involvement,
- television and computers, and
- sharing information with parents.
The “Meeting the Nutritional Needs of Young Children: Infancy–Age 12” section provides information on basic nutrients such as vitamins, fats, and water, and it addresses the issue of how much food is best. In addition, this section addresses feeding infants and toddlers, safety and food preparation, and things to consider with preschoolers.
The section entitled “Health and Safety for Young Children: Infancy–Age 12” includes information on common illnesses and immunizations, safety concerns such as animal bites and burns, safety practices such as child proofing the home, automobile safety, pets, SIDS, shaken baby syndrome, and a suggested first aid kit.
The final section in the manual is entitled “Child Care as a Business” and covers topics such as developing a business plan, professionalism and training, expenses for starting a business, pricing child care, managing time, and marketing the business.
How can I obtain a manual?
The Child Care Provider Program manual can be ordered through your local county Extension agent, or the Texas AgriLife Extension Bookstore (publication number SP-73) . The manual costs $60.00. Your local county Extension agent will administer the evaluation test at an agreed upon time, and a certificate will be issued when the evaluation is passed with a score of at least 70 percent.
Home Child Care Business Success (B-6106); El Cuidado de Niños Como Negocio (B-6106S) (Spanish)
Business management experience is not necessary to start a child care business. However, the Home Child Care Business Success publication provides valuable information that will increase your chances of business success. Owners of day care businesses should be aware of sound business management practices, as well as child care practices, in order to make informed decisions that affect the future of the business.
Six clock hours of training are available upon completion of the book and test. The Home Child Care Business Success manual can be ordered through your local county Extension agent, or the Texas AgriLife Extension Bookstore (publication number B-1606). The manual costs $25.00. The Spanish version is also available from the Texas AgriLife Extension Bookstore (publication number B-1606S) and costs $20.00. Your county local county Extension agent will administer the evaluation test at an agreed upon time, and a certificate will be issued when the evaluation is passed with a score of at least 70 percent.
Some of the topics covered in the publication include:
Is it really necessary to register with the Texas Department of Protective and Regulatory Services when I keep only one or two children?
Home day care businesses are more likely to succeed if they follow legal requirements. Learn about the different types of day care business regulations: licensing, registration, and listing.
Why do I need to be concerned about a business plan if I’m just keeping children in my home?
It gives you a total picture of your ideas, goals, and actions for operating your home child care business successfully. The book provides information on business plans, marketing to keep your business alive, how to identify a market ‘niche’ in child care, how to cover costs of operation, pay yourself and perhaps employees, and guidance for seeking a business loan.
How can I make a living in a child care business?
Every business should be profitable. Fees must be set low enough so that parents can afford it, yet high enough to provide you with a reasonable income. The book lists common costs of starting and operating a day care business in the home and how to cover those costs to stay in business. It also stresses ways to keep your business healthy by creating income that is greater than expenses.
Sometimes parents don’t pay for their child care on time. What should I do?
Avoid collection problems by having a contract with each parent when you begin keeping their child. This reference suggests what to include in a parent-child care provider contract and suggests how to search for sound legal advice, including protecting the business through insurance.
What kind of records should I keep? I don’t have a lot of time.
Keeping good records of all your expenses and income helps you make decisions based on fact. Ideas are presented that can help you become a better planner, organizer, record keeper, and business owner.
