How to Become Certified as an At-Home Childcare Provider

Legitimate work-at-home jobs are hard to find. If you search on the internet or peruse the classifieds in your local newspaper, it can often be difficult to recognize which job advertisements are valid and authentic (primarily because nearly all of these advertisements are inaccurate and misleading). And most people are not lucky enough to work for companies that offer opportunities for their employees to work from home at all. But, there is still a solution: start your own in-home childcare business.

Sure, it sounds difficult, but it doesn't have to be if you get the right help in getting started. There are several steps you need to take, and I will outline those here for you. Follow this guideline, and you can have your own in-home childcare business up and running faster than you may think.

First of all, find out where your county welfare department is located. Take a trip down to that office and ask for the paperwork necessary for getting certified as a Childcare Home Provider. Why go through the welfare department? Mainly because getting a certification this way will kill two birds with one stone-you will become a licensed childcare provider, trained and qualified to look after children; and, after you are certified, the welfare department will send potential clients to you.

There are other benefits to going through the welfare department for your certification. For example, if the children for whom you provide care are from families who receive welfare childcare assistance, you will receive payment directly from the state for their care. You may also receive payment from the parents, depending upon the percentage of their care that is covered by the welfare department. Also, depending upon your county policies, you may receive transportation reimbursement if you take these children to and from school. Some counties also reimburse Childcare Home Providers for money spent on meals and snacks for the children for whom they provide care.