Become a Child Care Provider or Expand Your Existing Program
Want to learn more about how to start or expand a child care program in Ohio or find opportunities to work in child care programs? If so, you’re in the right place!
Work In Child Care
- If you want to work in a child care program, there are many openings across the Miami Valley and Southwest Ohio. Please visit our job board to find employment opportunities.
- If you want to pursue a career in early childhood education, connect with us at childcarecareers@4cforchildren.org to begin the journey towards making a difference in the lives of children.
Expand Your Child Care Business
- If you are already a child care provider and need help expanding your existing child care program by adding classrooms, learn more about help that is available.
- If you want to expand your business by becoming a larger family child care home or moving from a family child care home to owning a center, you’ll need to obtain a new license. We can help! Please continue with the steps below.
Take the First Steps to Start Your Own Child Care Business
Starting your own child care program means you can make a lasting difference in the lives of local children and families. You and your new business will not only provide the quality child care that is essential to children and working families, you’ll also be serving the community as a whole.
Explore the Resource Library for Starting a Child Care Program
- To enter the library, you’ll first need to provide some brief contact information and let us know if you need help and how you’d like to be contacted. Get Started Here!
- Once in the library, you’ll find resources to help you learn about the different types of child care and the required Ohio pre-licensing education and training. In addition, you’ll find how-to guides, workbooks, business forms and so much more.
- If you still have questions after exploring the library resources, you’ll find contact information in the library for 4C for Children staff who serve our 15-county region.
Register for Free Coaching
When you’re ready, you can use the Resource Library for Starting a Child Care Program to register for coaching sessions that will walk you through many of the steps to obtain a license. These one-hour sessions are a great place to get ideas and find answers to your questions and challenges.
If you’re still thinking and aren’t ready for coaching quite yet, that’s fine too. You can access the tools and sessions simply to learn more or start to make plans.
Explore Startup Funding Options
4C for Children may have funding options to help you start your business.
- Complete the Readiness Assessment found in the Resource Library to help us match your needs with our resources.
- Once completed, you’ll get a customized response with recommended next steps to making your dreams of business ownership come true. Available funding is for very specific locations and program types. If there isn’t available funding now, we will contact you in the future should additional dollars become available. Knowing what you need will also help us seek funding for what you need!
4C for Children, working closely with the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, provides a variety of free business and training resources and support to potential child care program owners. These services are made possible through the generosity of individuals and organizations who believe all our community’s youngest children deserve quality early education opportunities.