After-School and part-time child care at home
Look after a few school-age or part-week children in your home for a few hours or days.
- $300-2k
- Side hustle
- From home
- Licence or permit needed
Estimates for a small start in the US, not guarantees.
Official data
82,162 US businesses with employees in this field, +2.5% in a year
NAICS 624410 “Child day care services”. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns 2023.
What it is
A smaller, flexible home-based care service covering after-school hours, school holidays or a few days a week, with snacks, homework time and play.
Your first three steps
- Ask your state's child care agency whether caring for a small number of children for limited hours needs a license or has an exemption
- Take a CPR and first aid course and set up a safe homework and play area
- Tell neighbors, local school parent groups and community boards about your hours and rates
Who pays
Parents who need care around school hours, part-week work schedules or school breaks.
How it makes money
Hourly or daily rates per child, with weekly packages for regulars and holiday camp-style days during school breaks.
Skills that help
- Friendly and dependable with children
- Able to help with homework
- Good scheduling and planning
- Calm handling of different ages
Watch out for
- Exemptions for small or part-time care differ by state, so confirm the rules for your situation rather than assuming you are exempt
- Check your insurance coverage and ask about liability cover for child care
- Check lease, HOA and zoning rules for running a business at home
- Income can be uneven because demand follows school calendars
- Transport from school may add driving insurance and safety requirements, check these
Deep research report · US
Everything you need to start: after-school and part-time child care at home
Researched with live web search for United States: real startup prices, the licences and rules, what others charge, a break-even example, how to find your first customers and a 30-day launch plan. With sources.
- Startup costs with real prices
- Licences, registration and rules
- Pricing: what others charge
- Break-even example
- Finding your first customers
- 30-day launch plan
- Risks and how to reduce them
Questions people ask
How much does it cost to start after-school child care at home?
Estimates suggest startup costs typically around $300 to $2,000, depending on your space, supplies and insurance. Monthly revenue is typically estimated at around $600 to $3,000, depending on how many children you care for and which days.
Do I need a license for part-time child care at home?
Exemptions for small or part-time care differ by state, so confirm the rules for your situation rather than assuming you are exempt. Also check your insurance and liability cover, lease, HOA and zoning rules, and any driving insurance and safety requirements if you collect children from school.
What skills and hours does home child care need?
Useful skills include being friendly and dependable with children, helping with homework, good scheduling and calm handling of different ages. Estimates suggest at least about 10 hours a week. Income can be uneven because demand follows school calendars.
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