Howell County

The demand for quality childcare has never been greater as parents seek to find a warm, caring and trust-worthy facility to watch their children. It is this demand that motivates many individuals to consider establishing a child care facility, either within their own home, or as a separate facility. Knowing how and where to start in such an endeavor creates many questions.

A new Child Care Start-Up Kit, designed to be a “how-to” guide, was recently completed to provide assistance in establishing child care as a business. The Start-Up Kit is available in two formats: one for a Child Care Home, and one for a Group Home or Child Care Center. This kit was created by Brenda Bell, Human Development Specialist, University of Missouri Extension, Howell County (West Plains) with assistance from the Southwest District regional office of the Missouri Department of Health & Senior Services, Bureau of Child Care & Licensing.

The kit is available in a CD-ROM Format that allows the user to access the Start Up Kit and print the pages at their own convenience. The files are arranged sequentially by sections, one through four. Resources and publications are noted with the appropriate internet site. The CD-ROM is available for the nominal fee of $5.00.

The basic components of the Start-Up Kit include: a checklist of the basic steps for start-up, licensing rules, sanitation guidelines and sample forms , all from the Missouri Department of Health; instructions for completing a licensing application, an overview of the food program, sources for buying toys, equipment and insurance; guidelines for activity centers and equipment; ADA and inclusion requirements, suggestions for developing written policies; professional development and training opportunities, and Starting a New Business in Missouri, from the Missouri Business Assistance Center. The latter resource provides basic information for starting any new business, including the process of developing a business plan, legal formation, taxes, hiring employees, and resources for further assistance.

Included in the Start-Up Kit is a site for The Core Competencies for Early Care and Education, Kansas and Missouri. This booklet defines what professionals need to know and do to provide quality early care and education. Core competencies serve as the foundation for practices, and establish a set of standards for early car and education.

The complete Start-Up kit is available in a binder, as a priced publication with a fee of $20.00 plus shipping if required. To satisfy preliminary interests, a companion flyer is also available, free of charge, which gives a brief overview of the information contained in the Start-Up Kit. This shorter version does include facility guidelines, that is, the number of children who may be cared for in different settings based on number, ages, staff, and space. Additional resources for information and guidance are also listed, to direct potential providers to professionals who can lend their expertise to this endeavor, such as University of Missouri Extension Specialists, Project REACH Associates, Child Care Resource and Referral staff, and Licensing Representatives from the Bureau of Child Care.

If you are interested in child care as a business, the Child Care Start-Up Kit is a resource that will act as a guide through this complex process. Contact The Howell County office of University of Missouri Extension for information on how to obtain the Start-Up Kit and / or the Start-Up flyer at 417-256-2391.


Return to the Howell County main page.
		University of Missouri Extension Center Howell County howellco@missouri.edu Site maintained by Pam Powell powellpl@missouri.edu Updated 07/24/07