Family child care, is it for me? The benefits of family child care ; Is this for me? ; Kinds of family child-care providers ; How is a family child care different from other kinds of care? ; Styles of family child care ; Do you have the room? ; Take inventory of your skills and experience ; Are you willing to run and maintain a business? ; Outfitting a family child care on a budget ; The three most common reasons a family child care doesn't succeed ; Visit a provider

Starting out. Where to start ; The next step : licensing and/or registration ; The basic components of licensing ; Planning to make a profit ; It's not really as hard as it sounds

Policies and procedures. Enrollment records and policies ; Setting your fees ; Termination policy ; Hours of operation ; Holiday schedule ; Vacations ; When the children (or you) get sick ; Meals ; Guidance or discipline ; Other policies you may wish to consider

Your daily schedule. Age mix of the children ; Your background and training ; Your temperament ; Devising a daily schedule ; Mealtimes : an essential part of the day ; Naptime ; Free play ; Structured time ; Special events ; Storytime

Fun activities for children. Language activities ; Science activities ; Learning games ; Movement activities ; Cooking and snack activities ; Music activities ; Art activities ; Personal safety activities

Positive guidance tools. Children's developmental ages and stages ; Discipline/guidance techniques ; Increasing good behavior ; Decreasing difficult behavior ; Fostering good social skills ; Where to go when a child needs more help than you can give ; Ten common guidance problems

Back to business. Generating enrollment ; Screening parents and children ; Setting up your office ; Computer and printer ; Record-keeping

Solving common problems. Problems with parents ; Problems with your family ; Problems with a multi-age mix of children ; Minimizing interruptions

Planning for the future. Small versus large license ; Your physical and emotional well-being ; Planning for a substitute ; Hiring an assistant ; Increasing your fees ; Networking : the importance of being well connected ; Planning for accreditation ; Setting goals ; A word about professionalism ; A wish for success

Appendix. Publications ; Mail-order catalogs for publications and other products ; Software ; Professional organizations and associations ; State child care home pages/information on licensing ; Sample forms and worksheets ; Frequently asked questions.