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Become a Daycare Owner
You will learn what a daycare owner does, how to develop your skills to succeed in a daycare owner career, plus how to start your own daycare and get clients.
What Happens in the Daycare Owner Certificate Course Online
The Daycare Owner Certificate Course is an online learning program with suggested readings from the textbook (IAP Career College Guide to Become a Daycare Owner). This course is self directed, which means you may study and complete assignments at times that are most convenient for you from the comfort of your own home. You will learn how to start a daycare, including how to start a daycare at home.
This part-time online Daycare Owner Certificate Course has a recommended completion date of 6 weeks from the start of the program, however, you may choose to complete the course in as little as 2 weeks or as long as 12 weeks, depending on your schedule.
The Daycare Owner Certificate Course Online has been created to allow you to complete it without any teaching assistance. However, if you have questions or need assistance, you can receive help from a Faculty Member throughout the 6 weeks of the course. Your Faculty Member is a valuable resource person who can provide you with personal teaching assistance to help you succeed in the course and advice to help you succeed in the career.
Register NowCourse Topics
The online Daycare Owner Certificate Course has been developed to meet high academic standards, ensuring that as a graduate you know how to start a daycare (including how to start a daycare at home) and can display with pride the Daycare Owner Certificate you will earn from the International Association of Professions Career College. Topics covered in the Daycare Owner Certificate Course include the following:
About Professional Child Care
Types of Professional Child Care
- Independent home day cares
- Licensed home day cares (also known as day homes)
- Stand-alone day care centers
- Drop-in or child-minding centers for a church, community centre or fitness club
Meeting the Needs of Children
- Physical needs: feeding, safety, sleep, hygiene
- Emotional needs: attention, play, social interaction, schedules and structure
- Intellectual needs: training, teaching
- Behavior management and discipline
- Care for sick kids
- Care for kids with special needs
Developmental Stages
- Care for infants
- About separation anxiety
- Care for toddlers
- Care for preschoolers
- About single-age groups and multi-age groups
Preparing for Your Career as a Daycare Owner
- Developing the skills you will need
- Ways to learn about running a daycare
- Certification and training
How to Start a Daycare
Define Your Daycare
- Age groups, number of kids and staff
- Workday programs and on-site daycare for businesses or schools
- After-school care and latchkey programs
- Overnight care
- Part-time or drop-in daycare
- Daycare franchises
Location
- The home daycare
- The out-of-home daycare
- Buying an existing daycare
- Evaluating a potential location (space requirements, neighborhood, etc.)
- Buying or renting/leasing space
- Building codes, zoning for home-based business, fire safety, neighbor relations
Getting Your Daycare Business Started (How to Start a Daycare)
- Creating a business plan
- Choosing a business name
- Business structure and registering
- Insurance
Money Matters
- Start-up costs (sample and worksheets)
- Ongoing costs
- Sources of funding
- Grants and subsidies for daycares
- Evaluating your profit potential
- Estimated operating budget
- Setting your fees
- Ethical ways to cut costs
- Keeping track of your finances
State and Provincial Daycare Licensing Information and Contacts
Setting up Your Daycare
By Age Group or By Activity
- The Play Room
- The Quiet Room
- The Kitchen
- The Bathroom/Potty Area
- Storage Areas
- Office Areas
- Outdoor Areas
- Mudroom/Cloakroom
Childproofing Your Day Care Area
- Physical and chemical hazards
- Safety in the kitchen
- Safety in the bathroom
- Safety outdoors
- Pet safety
Equipment and Supplies
- Furniture (cribs, beds, high chairs, etc.)
- Play structures
- Toys and games
- Diapering/potty training
- Craft supplies
- Kitchen supplies
- Feeding
- Vehicles
Establishing Policies and Procedures
Writing a Policy Manual/Parent Handbook
- Health and illness policy
- Immunizations
- Hours of operation and holidays
- Absentee notice
- Payment policy
- Part-time or drop-in policy
- Termination notice
- Pick-up and drop-off procedure
- Discipline (behavior management) philosophy
- Hygiene procedures
- Meal and menu information
- Administering medication
- What parents should supply
- Emergency procedures
- Field trip policy
Staffing
- Determining your staff requirements
- Child caregiver qualifications and training
- Types of positions you may require
- Covering sick days and holidays
- Typical rates of pay and benefits
- Volunteers
How to Find Staff
- Conducting Interviews
- Signs of a quality caregiver
- Background checks
Training and Managing Your Staff
- Signs of trouble
- Recognizing the signs of caregiver burnout
- Keeping staff happy and turnover low
Running Your Daycare
Planning Daily Activities
- Sample daily schedule
- Large motor skills activities
- Fine motor skills activities
- Imagination-building activities
- Reading and Numbers activities
- Outdoor activities
- Special needs activity considerations
- Parties and special occasions
- Group gatherings with other daycare providers
Age-Specific Activity Ideas
- For infants
- For toddlers
- For preschoolers
- For older children
Meal Time
- Organizing meal time
- Meeting food group specifications
- Planning a menu
- The Child Care Food Program (U.S.) and Reimbursement for food costs
- Allergies and special diets
- Choking hazards
- Infants (breast milk, formula, nursing mothers, solid foods)
- Feeding toddlers
- Feeding preschoolers
Sanitation and Board of Health Regulations
- Hygiene
- Hand washing
- Tooth brushing
- Diapering
- Toilet use
- Food, dishes, eating
- Toy and equipment cleaning
- Communicable diseases
Common Behavioral Problems
- Hitting, biting, crying, not napping, etc.
- Ways to respectfully discipline
- Ways to positively manage behavior
- What caregivers must not do
Accidents and Emergencies
- Your first-aid kit
- When to call an ambulance
- The accident/injury report
- Evacuation procedures
- Scheduling fire drills
Getting and Working With Clients
Marketing Your Daycare
- What parents are really looking for
- Choosing a niche
- Evaluating the need in your community
- How to position yourself in the market
How to Find New Clients
- Advertising
- Hosting an open house
- Joining an agency
- Free media publicity
- Promotional tools and events
- Other marketing ideas
Client Interviews
- Set up a meeting
- Presenting your credentials
- How to make a great impression
- Providing a rate sheet
- Typical questions
- Following up
What’s Next
- Enrolling a child into your daycare
- Managing a waiting list
- When a child (or family) is not suited to your daycare
Communicating with Parents
- Parent “types” and how to handle
- Developing a trusting relationship
- Daily/weekly charts
- Monthly newsletter
- Formal progress reports
- Special events
- When accidents happen
- What to do if there are problems at home
Fees and Invoicing
- Sample invoice
- Issuing receipts for tax deduction
- Collecting government childcare subsidies
- Late payments
- Increasing your fees
What Is Included in the Daycare Owner Certificate Course Online
This all-inclusive Daycare Owner Certificate Course package includes:
- Registration for the Daycare Owner Certificate Course Online
- Lifetime access to course materials
- Access to a Faculty Member to provide you with personal teaching assistance and career advice
- (Optional) 2026 membership in the IAPO International Association of Professional Daycare Owners for only US$ 2.99 per month
- Downloadable Daycare Owner Certificate personalized with your name and the seal of the International Association of Professions Career College which you may print
- (Optional) Opportunity to order official certificates printed on fine linen paper and embossed with the gold seal of the college
- Textbook: IAP Career College Guide to Become a Daycare Owner (e-book edition)
Register for the Daycare Owner Certificate Course
BACK TO SCHOOL SPECIAL
It’s easy to change or cancel your course registration. See our FAQ page for details.
You can have all this for an incredible price. It can cost hundreds, or even thousands, of dollars to take other programs. (We found courses based on old editions of our guides with registration fees of up to $999 and more.) We are able to offer you online courses at a significantly lower cost to you because of our expertise from over 20 years of producing the leading online guides for non-traditional careers.
Our online certificate courses have previously been offered for a registration fee of $297 U.S. and include a textbook and professional membership – a total value of almost $377.
BACK TO SCHOOL SPECIAL: This all-inclusive registration package for the Daycare Owner Certificate Course is priced as only US$ 189.00 for the September 14, 2026 course.
Associated Courses
Register today for the Daycare Owner Certificate Course. Enrollment is limited and registration is on a first come first served basis, so we recommend that you register early for the Daycare Owner Certificate Course online to avoid disappointment.
If the course is full, please email support@iapcollege.com to be notified when a new course date is scheduled.
Student Spotlight:
A Graduate's Success Story
Gabriela Santos “This course truly gave me the tools and confidence to turn my dream into reality.” As a mom of two, Gabriela left the corporate world to spend more time with her family while still helping to support them financially. That’s when she found the Daycare Owner Certificate Course at IAP College. Three years later—with one more little one added to their family—she now runs a thriving childcare business filled with wonderful children and families. Best of all, her own kids are growing up in the safe, nurturing environment she built for them. “I’m so grateful I took that leap.”
Herndon, Virginia, USA
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What does a Daycare Owner do?
A daycare owner runs a childcare business, making sure kids are safe, happy, and learning. They hire staff, plan activities, handle paperwork, talk with parents, and make sure everything meets licensing rules. In smaller daycares, owners often care for the kids themselves too. It’s a mix of hands-on work and running a small business.
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What will I learn in the Daycare Owner Certificate Course?
In the Daycare Owner Certificate Course, you’ll learn the skills necessary to excel as a daycare owner, including:
- Meeting emotional and physical needs of children
- Caring for children in different developmental stages
- Licensing and certification requirements
- Setting up your daycare business
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How long does the Daycare Owner Certificate Course take to complete?
The Daycare Owner Certificate Course is designed to be self-paced, with a recommended completion time of 6 weeks. However, you have the flexibility to complete it in as little as 2 weeks or extend it up to 12 weeks, depending on your schedule.
Need more time? No problem. All of IAP’s Courses include lifetime access. -
How much can I earn as a Daycare Owner?
Successful daycare owners can make $100,000+ per year. Annual income will depend on a variety of factors, including location, your experience, and how much revenue your daycare generates.
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Do I need any prior experience or education to enroll in this course?
No. This course is intended for beginners, and will help to familiarize yourself with childcare and behavioral basics, as well as business essentials.
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Can I take the Daycare Owner Certificate Course from outside of North America?
Absolutely. Our courses are 100% online and self-paced, allowing you to study from anywhere in the world.
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Will I receive a certificate when I finish the course?
Yes! Upon completing the course, you will receive a Daycare Owner Certificate from IAP Career College. This certificate will demonstrate your proficiency in childcare and running a daycare, and help you stand out as you pursue your career in this field.
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What is IAP Career College?
The International Association of Professions Career College (IAP Career College) is a leading online career college offering online certificate courses and professional certifications for non-traditional and "dream" careers.
Since 1999, we’ve helped over 500,000 students across six continents get started in dream careers—from life coaching to event planning to end-of-life care. Our courses are flexible, beginner-friendly, and designed for adult learners looking for practical, self-paced options.
