Setting up Your Childcare Centre – Post Build
Planning for this should begin months before as suppliers need considerable lead time.
This article examines some of the many tasks you need to undertake whilst the build is in process, so you have everything ready when needed. Timing is vital as you need to be operational without costly delays. Each week you are not open is another week you are not making a return on your childcare centre investment.
Once the build is complete you have many tasks ahead in setting up a childcare business and appropriately equipping it prior to achieving your Service Approval.
During the build process
While others are busy on-site, you need to attend to a minefield of documentation and paperwork. You will deal with state and federal government departments and each has significant time allowances (60-90 days) to process your paperwork, so forward planning is essential. This is where a good childcare industry specialist is worth their weight in gold as they are familiar with the required documentation processes and can assist with preparing the documents correctly and efficiently.
You will also need to decide on the name and logo of your centre at this stage as many documents will require that information. The next article will discuss branding and marketing issues for your centre.
Aside from the paperwork, you will be required to undertake an interview where the Department of Education will determine if you are a fit and proper person to operate or oversee an early childhood service. This can take up to 60 days to complete so plan well ahead. You need to understand your obligations and responsibilities as an Approved Provider (AP) to be granted that status. (Refer to my previous article, The Role of the Approved Provider for more details). A good consultant can help prepare you for this interview.
Once you have successfully achieved your Approved Provider status, you need to submit your Service Approval application. This can take up to 90 days to process.
The Service Approval application requires you to have many documents ready for the operation of the centre. A good consultant can assist in providing compliant documentation for you.
You will need to organise and order many other items well in advance. The list is extensive, and it would be difficult to include all items here. A good consultant can take care of that for you so again, it saves you a great deal of time. Many of the items are very specific and knowledge of the sector is imperative.
