The Four Pillars of Opening a Home-Based Nature Preschool

Pillar 1: Understanding Rules & Regulations

 Topics

• Consider local childcare regulations and residential zoning regulations, and how they affect your home-based program.
• Discuss insurance policies, LLCs, and liability– Protecting your family and business
• Learn more about income, taxes, and deductions– What you need to know before starting a home-based business
• Discuss the importance of properly managing your business income and create a budgeting and bookkeeping plan.

Pillar 2: Creating the Container

 Topics

• Decide what ages and how many children you’ll serve.
• Consider the style of care you’ll offer and review early childhood curricula.
• Write a behavior policy, including expectations and plans for handling challenging behaviors and situations.
• Plan what hours and days you’ll operate.
• Create your annual calendar.
• Create a daily and weekly rhythm/schedule.
• Decide whether or not you’ll need an assistant.
• Decide what to charge.
• Lay out a rough plan for the first three months you’ll be open.

Pillar 3: Prepare the Physical Space

 Topics

• What parts of your home will you share with the school? Will any parts be exclusively for the school program? Any parts off-limits?
• How will you organize the indoor playspace?
• Plan for daily arrival and departure– where families park and how they enter your home
• Consider the challenges of dual spaces (and plan ahead for them).
• Plan for meals, cooking, and eating– what the children eat, whether or not food is prepared during the program, where you sit to eat, etc.
• Consider your bathroom and the toileting needs of young children.
• Create an outside playspace.
• Handle parent expectations around safety and well-being.

Pillar 4: Enrolling Your First Families

 Topics

• Create an enrollment process that ensures your program is a good fit for a child/family and the family is a good fit for your program.
• Create enrollment documents, registration paperwork, waivers, and health forms.
• Set up a fee plan and payment structure that protects the longevity of your school and honors your time and experience.
• Plan and schedule an open house and “meet and greet” to introduce families to your new space.
• Spread the word in your community.
• Enroll the first children in your new program!