Family Childcare Business Management

Estimated completions at the end of the 2nd year: 40 based on current completion projections 

Estimate completions at the end of the 5th year: 100 

Graduates of this program will be equipped to establish and manage a legally compliant, ethically grounded, and culturally responsive family childcare business by applying California state licensing requirements, sound financial and operational practices, and inclusive curriculum design. Students will demonstrate effective leadership, communication, and supervisory skills to create safe, healthy, and stimulating environments that support the diverse needs of children, families, and staff in early childhood settings. 

Federal and State Requirements: 

Identify the process of starting up the family childcare small business and identify the California State licensing requirements of family childcare. 

Develop or revise family day care business practices including cultural competency and employee management plans. 

Acknowledge and apply Title 22 licensing regulation specific to family childcare homes on health, safety, group care, child-adult ratio, nutrition guidelines, and other state and federal codes and relate to quality program standards of practice. 

Assess a situation using the Code of Ethical Conduct and explain which ideals and principles apply to the situation. Analyze problem solving flow chart to determine if there is an ethical dilemma.  

Prepare and organize resources for a Family Child Care Business Management Project/Plan   

Awareness of child abuse signs and signals and reporting requirements and methods. 

Inclusive Program Philosophy & Curriculum Development: 

Develop and apply program philosophy based on inclusive and developmentally appropriate practices. 

Examine the quality component of Identification and Inclusion of Children with Special Needs in family childcare home (FCCH) environments. Explore assessment tools for family childcare homes. Devise action plans with supporting evidence based on assessment tools. 

Plan a series of integrated activities with an emphasis on diversity, anti-bias principles, and goals for mixed-age groups, as well as for children with special needs. 

Leadership and Communication Building: 

Analyze developmental stages of leadership, supervision, and teaching styles, including how they evolve in early childhood settings. 

Examine research and policies that support diversity standards in programs while actively identifying and preventing bias. 

Differentiate communication styles and apply effective supervisory strategies to strengthen team functioning. 

Analyze decision-making processes in adult supervision and use tools that support staff development and training. 

Apply culturally responsive practices when working with children, families, and staff from diverse backgrounds, with attention to equity and inclusion. 

Demonstrate professionalism through effective communication, active listening, conflict resolution, and reflective supervisory practices that support staff growth. 

Interpret quality guidelines, health and safety regulations, and best practices to design safe, healthy, and developmentally appropriate early childhood environments. 

Business and Computer Skills: 

Propose goals and objectives that align with a program mission statement and support an actionable program plan. 

Demonstrate understanding of ECE financial management, including short- and long-range budget planning, budget development, and operational budgeting. 

Critique an existing program budget and prepare a basic operational budget. 

Create and manage professional documents using basic software functions, including inserting graphics, saving, printing, and correcting file errors. 

Diagram the business planning process and apply foundational financial concepts, including the balance sheet equation and comparisons between entrepreneurial and corporate finance. 

There is a growing demand for family childcare services, particularly for infants under 12 months, as families seek high-quality, home-based care during the earliest stages of development. At the same time, care for preschool-aged children has increasingly shifted into unified school district systems through Universal Preschool initiatives, reshaping the early childhood landscape and leaving a notable gap in infant and toddler care. 

Within this evolving context, there is also a clear rise in student interest in entrepreneurship, especially among those seeking independence through owning and operating their own family childcare businesses. However, many aspiring providers enter this pathway with limited formal training in business operations, financial management, or organizational systems, creating a need for more comprehensive preparation. 

ELAC previously offered a Family Child Care Provider Certificate that included several foundational early childhood courses. While the program provided strong content alignment, completion rates were lower than anticipated. In response, the department engaged in a review process and sought guidance from the Advisory Committee to better understand how the program could be strengthened. 

Based on this feedback, the curriculum was intentionally redesigned to include additional coursework in business, computer applications, and management. These enhancements were made to better equip future family childcare entrepreneurs with the practical skills needed to successfully launch, operate, and sustain a small business in today’s complex early childhood education environment. 

There are many Child Development and Early Education certificates in the region, but only one other college in our general area (not commuting distance) offers something specializing in Family Childcare. This is from San Bernadino College: https://catalog.valleycollege.edu/degree-certificate-program-index/child-development/child-development-family-child-care-provider-certificate-achievement/ 

This program would support Family Childcare Providers and entrepreneurs who would like to be more business minded and understand the logistics of running their own small business.

Core Courses:

CH DEV 60 - 1 section per year, 30 students per course 

CH DEV 61 – 1 section per year, 30 students per course 

CH DEV 63 - 1 section per year, 30 students per course 

CH DEV 65 - 2 sections per year, 40 students per course 

CH DEV 38 - 2 sections per year, 40 students per course 

CH DEV 39 - 2 sections per year, 40 students per course 

CAOT 82 -  6 sections per year, 25 students per course 

Management 15 – 4 sections per year, 30 students per course