Family Child Care Class

Today Don stayed home with the kids so I could attend my family child care class. It was just a consultation class that told me everything I need to do in order to get my license (which is a lot by the way). It seems like the money is quickly adding up on getting licensed. So far I've had to pay $50.00 for the pre-application, $20.00 for CPR certification, $30.00 for Basic First Aid certification, and $38.50 for fingerprinting, background check, local law enforcement check, etc. Don will also have to get the fingerprinting thing done so that will be another $38.50. Then I have to take a required 30 hr. training course that costs $96.00 and the test for that course cost $30.00. Then there's another class I have to take that costs $10.00 and the test for it which is $5.00. Then I also have to pay for the fire inspection (I'm not sure how much that cost but I think it's $45.00). That doesn't include any equipment that I will have to buy to pass inspection. I know it is required to have a wired smoke alarm with batter backup in the room the kids will be sleeping. We only have a smoke alarm in the great room (it is hard wired though). Our house is so small, it wouldn't be hard to hear from any room in the house but to pass inspection, we'll have to get an electrician to come out and hard wire another one in Joshua's room. Plus, I'm going to have to buy a child's size table and chairs, cots or nap mats, some extra outside play equipment because there has to be at least 12 outside activities for the kids, some bookcases to store toys because they have to be stored for the kids to be able to access them, I'm sure there is probably other stuff I haven't thought of yet. Luckily they consider Valrico a rural area so I qualify for a program through the Rural Social Services Partnership which will give me $1,000 to help me start my business. At least that is what I was told...I have to call tomorrow and get the details.

I was only planning on keeping a couple of kids but I may have to watch more just to make up all the money I spent getting licensed. On another note, it looks like Don will be working part-time at Lowe's again. Thank goodness, because we really need the extra money especially until I get licensed. It will probably be at least 3 months before I can get licensed since the finger printing/background check takes about 90 days to get back.