This is an important question.
What Makes You Qualified?
Many aspiring daycare owners assume that personal experience as a parent is enough. However, statements like these are not qualifications:
❌ “I am a mom of a toddler.”
❌ “My kids never went to daycare, and I took care of them myself.”
❌ “I’m willing to do anything.”
While determination and passion are valuable, they must be backed by tangible knowledge, skills, and resources to succeed in this industry.
What You Need to Run a Successful Daycare
There are multiple key domains you must cover:
1. Knowledge
- Industry Knowledge – Regulations, curriculum, child development, safety standards.
- Business Knowledge – Market positioning, Financial management, operations, staffing, compliance.
2. Essential Resources & Skills
- Operational Skills – Running day-to-day activities, managing staff.
- Capital (Money) – For leasing, licensing, renovations, payroll, and initial setup.
- Marketing Skills – Attracting and retaining families.
To estimate your initial budget, you can use the budget estimator as a starting point. Keep in mind that this tool focuses solely on the most basic renovation and leasing costs. It does not account for expenses such as furniture (tables and chairs), toys (indoor and outdoor), and other essential initial costs.
Filling the Gaps
If you lack any of these, here’s how to bridge the gap:
- No industry knowledge? Hire an experienced supervisor and consultant.
- No business knowledge? Hire a business consultant.
- No operational skills? Delegate management to a skilled director.
- No marketing skills? Work with a marketing agency or consultant.
- No capital? Seek investors, loans, or financial partners.
If you lack all of these, you should rethink your qualifications or actively start learning, partnering and/or hiring the right people.
Better Qualifications Include:
✔️ “I am an ECE (Early Childhood Educator) with 10 years of experience and have served as a backup supervisor. I have money support from my family.”
✔️ “I have significant capital and can hire professionals to cover all necessary skill sets.”
✔️ “I have been a supervisor at an existing childcare center and now want to start my own. I already obtained a bank loan”
✔️ “I have a business partner who is a qualified supervisor, while I handle the financial aspects.”
✔️ “I am an ECE with years of experience, and I have a business-oriented partner and a money investor partner.”
Beware of the “I Know Everything” Trap
One of the biggest risks is believing you “know” everything—when in reality, you don’t even know what you don’t know. This blind spot is dangerous.
Many people stay in their comfort zones, unaware of how vast the childcare industry is. You must assume there’s always more to learn. Read, research, network, and talk to industry professionals. The worst mistake is staying in a bubble of false confidence, only to face a harsh reality when things are not what you have imagined.
Success comes from constant learning, preparation, and adaptation. If you truly want to open a childcare center, be ready to fill in the gaps and set yourself up for success.
