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Transitioning from Home Daycare to Center Care
by Lisa Henderson, B.S. Child Development

I recently closed my home daycare, for financial reasons, and went back to work in a childcare center. It was definitely the right decision for me. There have been many changes for me, most of them positive. I'm teaching a class of four-year old kindergarteners. I absolutely love my new job.

HOURS OF WORK
My home daycare was open from 7a.m. to 7p.m., with drop-in care available any time. My average hours per week in home daycare reached 65. Now that I am working in a center, my hours are 8:30a.m. to 4:30p.m. Yes, I'm driving to work and my center is about 45 minutes from home, but the drive has become my "thinking time" and it's relaxing and enjoyable.

RATE OF PAY
I am grossing the same income at my new center as I was in home daycare, but I've eliminated all the costs of home daycare. I am no longer financially responsible for supplies, food, wear and tear on my house, toys, arts and crafts, field trips, and more. I have the choice of turning in a supply list to my boss or purchasing what I need and being reimbursed for it. I get paid every two weeks now, rather than every week, but I know how much my check will be each time. I don't have to worry when a family drops care, because I get paid by the hour.

QUALITY OF CARE
Well, I'm still in charge of the children in my care. The center I now work for is a very high-quality, academically oriented place. I have total freedom in what curriculum I choose to use in my class. The company provides me with that week's theme (for example, next week is Spring) but it is left totally up to me what I want to do with it.

NUMBER OF CHILDREN
The number of children I now care for has increased dramatically. I have 22 children in my class, but I also have an Assistant Teacher. My job is mainly to teach and plan, her job is to maintain the cleanliness of the room, set up for activities, and do what I need her to do to make my job easier.

CLOTHING
The center I work for requires me to wear a logo shirt and khaki pants (or shorts or skirt). They've already given me three shirts and one pair of pants for free. I have to make sure they are clean each day, but I never have to worry about what to wear. As far as shoes, sneakers are fine. It's been a change for me, since I live in my Levi's, but it's not been hard to adjust.

PAPERWORK
I'm no longer filling out forms for the food program, the licensing department, contracts, and so forth. I turn in my weekly lesson plan to the curriculum coordinator, she copies it, and gives it back to me. I keep one file in my room, filled with accident forms and the kids' portfolios. That's it.

PARENTS
I no longer have to worry if the parents are paying the childcare bill. I speak briefly with the parents who want to talk, but for the most part I'm busy teaching. The complaint department is now at the front desk of the childcare center, not in my home.

CHANGE OF LOCATION
I finally have a living room! I have no furniture in it yet though. It was previously devoted exclusively to the home daycare and I sold off most of my daycare items. It's nice to be able to leave the classroom at 4:30 in the afternoon, and let someone else clean it up after a day of glitter, paint, glue, and applesauce. Plus, my electric bill at home will probably decrease by half.

All in all, I can certainly justify that I made a great decision. The people I work for respect me very highly, are very pleased with the psitive changes I've made in the classroom, and are more than happy to provide me with whatever I need to be successful. I haven't been this happy with my work in a long time. I get instant feedback from the kids, the parents, and my bosses. I am making wonderful new friends who work in the center with me. And I know how much my paycheck will be!

Lisa Henderson