How to open a daycare: the complete checklist.
This daycare startup checklist covers every task it takes to open a licensed daycare in the US, grouped into four phases and sequenced so nothing slips. Work top to bottom and you will not miss a step.
Everything you need to open
The full opening checklist
Thirteen steps across four phases. Several depend on the ones before, so resist skipping ahead.
Choose home-based or center-based
Your model shapes budget, licensing, and timeline.
Research your state's requirements
Read your state licensing agency's rules before spending a dollar.
Write a business plan
Startup costs, tuition, expenses, and break-even enrollment. See our business plan guide.
Register your business & pick a structure
LLC or sole proprietorship; get a free EIN and a business bank account.
Meet licensing requirements
Background checks, CPR & first-aid, training hours, application, inspection. See license requirements.
Confirm zoning & prep the facility
Confirm zoning before you sign a lease; meet all safety requirements.
Calculate startup costs & secure funding
Budget working capital. See the full cost breakdown.
Get insurance
General liability and professional coverage at minimum; a home daycare needs its own commercial policy.
Set ratios, then hire & train staff
Staff to your state's ratios; every hire needs the same checks and certifications.
Curriculum, policies & daily schedule
Choose a curriculum and write a parent handbook.
Set tuition, fees & billing
Price from real costs and automate collection with billing software.
Market your daycare & fill enrollment
Build a website, claim your Google Business Profile, and start a waitlist before you open. Skip the agency bill: the MyKidReports AI website builder builds your daycare site — domain, tour & waitlist forms, local SEO — for about $10/month.
Run your pre-opening walkthrough
Confirm every item below before your first child arrives.
Open with billing and check-in ready
Set up MyKidReports before day one — free for up to 5 children, then $0.99 per child.
The final walkthrough before day one
Do this the day before you open, as if children were arriving in the morning.
Opening a daycare, answered
What do I need to open a daycare?
To open a daycare you need a chosen model (home or center), a business plan, a registered business, a license (background checks, training, and a passing inspection), insurance, a safe facility, staff hired to ratio, tuition and billing set up, and enrolled families. This checklist walks through all of it in order.
What is the first step to opening a daycare?
The first step is choosing your model — home-based or center-based — because it shapes your budget, licensing path, and timeline. Right after, research your state's requirements before spending any money, so you build to code from the start. See the full how to start a daycare guide.
How long does it take to open a daycare?
A home daycare typically takes about two to six months to open; a center takes six to twelve months. Licensing — background checks, training, and the safety inspection — drives the timeline, so start it early.
What do people forget when opening a daycare?
The most commonly missed items are confirming zoning before signing a lease, budgeting several months of working capital, buying the right commercial insurance, starting marketing before opening, and automating billing from day one instead of chasing checks.
Do I need a business plan to open a daycare?
Yes — even a home daycare benefits from a business plan, and you will need one for any loan or grant. It forces you to work out startup costs, tuition, monthly expenses, and your break-even enrollment before you commit money. See our business plan guide.
The all-in-one platform new owners open with
Check the last box before you open: the software that runs your day. MyKidReports handles billing, check-in, enrollment, and messaging. Free for up to 5 children, then $0.99 per child per month.
Billing & autopay
Automated invoicing, autopay, and online payments so tuition arrives on time.
Contactless check-in
QR and PIN check-in/out with live attendance and ratio tracking.
Digital enrollment
Online admissions, waitlists, and paperless enrollment packets.
Parent app & messaging
Daily reports, photos, and two-way messaging families love.
Website builder
A daycare website that gets you found by nearby families.
Reports & records
Licensing-ready records, food program logs, and owner reports.
The full daycare startup series
Four connected guides that walk you from first idea to open doors.
How to Start a Daycare
The complete 13-step guide from idea to open doors.
Read the guide → BudgetStartup Costs
What it really costs — home vs center, itemized.
Read the guide → LicensingLicense Requirements
Background checks, training, ratios, inspections.
Read the guide → PlanningBusiness Plan
The 8 sections and financials lenders want.
Read the guide →Open organized — and stay that way.
Once you're licensed, MyKidReports runs the daily operations you just mapped out: billing and autopay, contactless check-in, digital enrollment, and parent messaging. Free for up to 5 children, then $0.99 per child per month.
No setup fees, no contracts. Website and marketing tools available when you're ready.
