1. Where can I find out the basic requirements for starting a child care program?
2. Where can I find help estimating the market demand for my proposed child care services?
3. Where can I find help developing a business plan for my child care program?
4. Where can I go to find out about local zoning and land use restrictions?
5. Where can I go if I have legal questions about zoning, land use, and licensing restrictions?
6. Who can help me assess the appropriateness of a site?
7. Where can I go to find an architect with child care facilities development experience who can help me to design a facility?
8. Where can I go to find a contractor to do the facility work?
9. Who can help me identify financial resources for my facilities development project?
10. How can I learn more about becoming a homeowner as a family child care provider?
11. Where do I go to finalize the licensing process?
12. Who can help me with marketing my program?

1. Where can I go to find out the basic requirements for starting a child care program?

• Your local child care Resource and Referral Agency (R&R) can give you information about the next Licensing Orientation meeting in the community.
  
  
• Your regional Child Care Advocate can answer initial questions about licensing requirements.
  
  
• The Building Child Care (BCC) Project can help you learn about the steps involved in the process of a facilities development project such as renovating or expanding an existing facility or building or purchasing a new one. To learn more about these steps call BCC at 888-411-3535 or visit the Child Care Center Checklists or Family Child Care Checklists on this website.

• Your local Constructing Connections (CC) resource can guide prospective and expanding child care providers through the child care facility development phase from conception through construction.

2. Where can I find help estimating the market demand for my proposed child care services?

• Your local child care Resource and Referral (R&R) Agency can help you understand the existing supply of child care in the community.
  
  
• Your Local Child Care Planning Council (LPC) can provide you with information about the highest need areas for child care in your county, and about the local priorities designed to meet those needs.
  
  
• You can research the existing supply of care provided by large family child care homes and child care centers in your area by visiting the California Community Care Licensing Division website and searching by zip code. This search will not provide information about existing small family child care homes or about license-exempt care.
  
  
• Your local Small Business Development Center (SBDC) can help you to begin the process of conducting a market feasibility analysis to estimate the actual demand for your services using the supply and need information you've gathered.

• You local Constructing Connections (CC) resource can provide prospective and expanding child care center providers technical assistance on child care supply and demand in your county.

Important Note: It is critical to differentiate between the community's need and the demand for child care services. The demand for child care is determined by who will actually use your services and be able to pay the rates you will charge. Using information about the existing supply and highest need for services in the area to conduct a market feasibility analysis will help you to identify the market demand more clearly.

3. Where can I find help developing a business plan for my child care program?

• Your local Small Business Development Center (SBDC) can provide trainings, one-on-one counseling and other services to help you in the business planning process.

• Your local Constructing Connections (CC) resource can help expanding and prospective child care center providers develop a business plan.

4. Where can I go to find out about local zoning and land use restrictions?

• Your Local Planning Department can help you identify zoning and land use restrictions. To find the contact information for the Planning Department in your city visit the California Governor's Office of Planning and Research Directory of City Planning Departments.

• Your local Constructing Connections (CC) resource can provide prospective and expanding child care center providers with information on land use restrictions, planning and zoning.

5. Where can I go if I have legal questions about zoning, land use, and licensing restrictions?

• The Child Care Law Center (CCLC) has staff attorneys available to answer legal questions related to child care. You can call their Legal Information and Referral Line at 415.394.7144 during the operating hours of Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday, 12-3 Pacific Time.

• Your local Small Business Development Center (SBDC) may offer referrals to legal assistance in the community.

• Your local Constructing Connections (CC) resource may be able to provide prospective and expanding child care center providers with legal information regarding zoning, land use, and licensing.

6. Who can help me assess whether a particular site is appropriate and licensable for a child care program?

• Your regional Child Care Advocate can help you assess a particular site by reviewing site plans and advising you on licensing requirements.

• Your local Constructing Connections (CC) resource provides prospective and expanding child care providers information on licensing.

• Public Counsel Law Center in Los Angeles has a Child Care Law Project (CCLP) through which they provide free legal assistance to existing and/or potential state licensed family child care providers and nonprofit child care centers on the legal issues they will face as unique small business owners. To reach them by phone call 213-385-2977 ext.300.

7. Where can I go to find an architect with child care facilities development experience who can help me to design a facility?

• The Building Child Care (BCC) Project has compiled a Referral List of Architects with Child Care Facilities Development Experience in California.

• Your local Constructing Connections (CC) resource can provide prospective and expanding child care center providers referrals to local architects with child care experience.

8. Where can I go to find a licensed contractor to do the facility work?

• The Building Child Care (BCC) Project has compiled a Referral List of Contractors with Child Care Facilities Development Experience in California. This list is limited in scope, however, and is comprised primarily of contractors with child care center development experience.

• Your local Constructing Connections (CC) resource can provide prospective and expanding child care center providers referrals to local contractors with child care experience.

• Ask other providers for recommendations of contractors they've used on similar projects. For example ask local family child care associations. To find associations near you, download the directory of local family child care associations.
  
  
• Child care center directors can ask local Community Development Corporations (CDCs) for referrals of contractors they've used for community facility developments.
  
  
• Family child care providers can ask neighbors and friends in the community for recommendations of good contractors for home improvement work.

Important Note: Funders often have requirements for the contractors you use so also make sure to talk with funders about this step.

9. Who can help me identify financial resources for my facilities development project?

• The Building Child Care (BCC) Project has compiled a list of statewide and local Financial Resources for Child Care Facilities Development in California. Most of these resources are in the form of child care-friendly loans designed for small businesses, community development projects, and in some cases child care facilities in particular. If you have questions about these resources, or how to identify which ones are most suitable for your project call BCC at 888-411-3535 Monday - Friday from 8:30-5:00.
  
  
• Additionally, BCC has compiled a list of Potential Grant Resources for Child Care Facilities Development in California.
  
  
• Your local Small Business Development Center (SBDC) can typically help you package a loan application and identify potential lenders.
  
  
• Your local County First Five or Children and Families First Commission may provide small grants for child care center and/or family child care facilities development work. Contact them directly to find out if your project would fit with their funding priorities. Visit the First Five website to locate the Commission contact information for your county.

• Your local Constructing Connections (CC) resource can provide information on capital financing and grant resources for prospective and expanding child care center providers

Important Note: Most grant resources for facilities work are available only to nonprofit child care center developments.

Important Note: SBDCs can work only with family child care providers and for-profit centers to package loans and make referrals to lenders.

10. How can I learn more about becoming a homeowner as a family child care provider?

• Fannie Mae has a list of Housing Counselors and Agencies by state and region on their website. You can use this list to find organizations in your community who assist potential homeowners with pre- and post-purchase homeowner education and credit counseling.

• The Fannie Mae Foundation has four excellent guides to help Americans learn more about their homeownership options. The guides are titled:
  • 1. Borrowing Basics: What You Don't Know Can Hurt You
  • 2. Knowing and Understanding Your Credit
  • 3. Choosing the Mortgage That's Right for You
  • 4. Opening the Door to a Home of Your Own

To order these FREE guides you can call 1-800-611-9566 or download them directly at www.homebuyingguide.com.

• The BCC publication A Guide to Homeownership for Family Child Care Providers offers a range of useful information about preparing for homeownership; understanding mortgages; accessing special programs and assistance; and selecting a real estate broker.

11. Where do I go to finalize the licensing process?

• Contact your local Community Care Licensing Office for information and to submit final application materials. Download the Community Care Licensing Division Child Care Offices list to find your local office.

• The Enterprise Foundation has a program in Los Angeles called Enterprise Home Ownership Partners through which they help low-income people in the process of purchasing their first home. For more information about this program and it's applicability to family child care visit their website at www.ehop.org.

12. Who can help me market my program in the community?

• Contact your local Small Business Development Center (SBDC) to find out if they have business trainings or counseling services related to marketing.
  
  
• Make sure that your program is registered with the local child care Resource and Referral (R&R) agency so that they can refer parents in need of care to any slots you have available.
  
  
• The Building Child Care (BCC) Project has many publication resources related to marketing listed on this site. To access these publications visit the Child Care Center Publications or Family Child Care Publications sections.

• Your local Constructing Connections (CC) resource can provide prospective and expanding child care center providers with technical assistance on marketing child care locally.