We talked to random providers at the NAFCC conference about running daycare out of their own homes

Leave us a voicemail at 651-300-2277. Your question could help thousands of providers.We brought a microphone to the NAFCC National Annual Conference in Chicago and sat down with family child care providers from seven states. Ratios, curriculum, burnout, staffing, selling a program, and what they would tell someone opening their doors tomorrow.Heads up on the audio. We recorded these on an iPhone in a busy conference hall.IN THIS EPISODEProviders from North Carolina, Michigan, New York, California, Ohio, Oregon, and Illinois talk about how differently this job looks depending on where you live, and how much of it is exactly the same everywhere.CHAPTERS00:00:00 Why this one is late and why the audio is rough00:01:00 Maureen Brown, Charlotte NC, 32 years in00:04:00 Switching to Experience Early Learning00:06:30 Licensed for 12 to 17, but capping at 10 on purpose00:09:00 Supportive husbands and gardening with the kids00:12:30 Amy, Michigan, 25 years in a small in-home space00:15:30 What her own three kids thought about growing up in daycare00:19:30 Advice for new providers: policies first, and give yourself grace00:22:00 Ari Hawkins, Syracuse NY, activity director00:26:00 Second shift, no junk food, and staying in your lane with parents00:30:00 The creek story00:33:00 Yvonne, California, running family child care 24 hours a day00:37:00 Selling the daycare without losing the legacy00:40:00 Unionized child care in California and what it actually changed00:45:00 Delegating and letting your staff run their own age group00:48:00 Taniyah Holmes, Cincinnati OH, licensed for 14 with 19 enrolled00:50:30 Preventing burnout and staying gold rated00:52:30 Brooke McDonald, Oregon, running a program with her mother in law00:55:30 Monique, Illinois, field trips with eight kids under five00:59:00 Manners, Broadway, and finding a local provider group01:03:00 Closing thoughtsKEY TAKEAWAYSYour license number is not your capacity number. Several providers run below their limit on purpose to avoid staffing they cannot sustain.Policies belong in writing before you open, not after your first hard parent.Nobody warns you about wear and tear on your own house. Door handles, floors, walls.Burnout prevention is not a mindset. It is a ten minute break, a second adult, or a hard stop at the end of your shift.Selling a family child care program takes years, not months, if you care what happens to it after you leave.Isolation is the through line. Almost every provider said the same thing: they did not know anyone else doing this until they found a group.GUESTS IN THIS EPISODEMaureen Brown, Charlotte, North CarolinaAmy, Amy's Daycare, MichiganAri Hawkins, Syracuse, New YorkYvonne, formerly of California, now consulting from KansasTaniyah Holmes, Cincinnati, OhioBrooke McDonald, OregonMonique, IllinoisFOLLOW OUR GUESTSNEEDED: confirmed business names and social handles before this block goes live. Do not publish placeholder handles.RESOURCES MENTIONEDNational Association for Family Child Care: https://nafcc.orgExperience Early Learning, formerly Mother Goose Time: https://www.mothergoosetime.comExperience Curriculum inside brightwheel: https://mybrightwheel.com/experience-curriculumCONNECTWebsite: https://www.TheDaycareSisters.comEmail: [email protected]: 651-300-2277#daycareprovider #daycarelife #homedaycare #momlife #childcareproviders