Professional Family Child
Care Alliance of Georgia
Congratulations! If you want to start a family child care home in Georgia, this is a good place to look for information. We do not have all the answers, but we will help you find them.
The Professional Family Child Care Alliance of Georgia (PFCCAG), welcomes anyone who is considering family child care as a career. This site offers help to individuals who are in the early stage of exploring family child care, individuals applying for a license to open a Family Child Care Learning Home (FCCLH), and newly licensed providers. Our goal is for you to create an FCC home that is financially stable, high quality, and part of an ongoing community support process.
A FCCLH home is a great way to support working families and earn income at the same time. If you intend to care for between 3 and 6 children for pay, you must be licensed by Bright from The Start: Department of Early Care and Learning (DECAL). If you care for 2 or fewer children for pay, you do not need a license.
Where Do I Begin?
Some providers just begin informally. That is, a family, friend, or neighbor asks them to care for a child and they agree to do so. Suddenly they must decide how much to charge, how many hours are they willing to care for the child, do they need a crib or some other piece of equipment, where will the child nap, and so on. Others begin knowing there are licensing requirements addressing health and safety standards, the number of children they can care for, and other child caring standards. They do not want to begin until they understand and can meet licensing requirements.
This “Start Your Business” webpage begins with information for individuals still in the exploration stage, that is, before you decide to apply for a license or take other steps to open such as buying toys and equipment. But even if you have applied for a license, set aside an area of your home for your family child care business, designed your marketing flyer, or taken other steps to open, we believe you will find useful information here.
Information to help you get started
Information on this site, and even an opportunity for coaching and other support, is arranged around three subjects.
Practical Help Bulletins are built on the advice and experience of current PFCCAG provider members as well as from family child care advocates in Georgia and around the country. Some bulletins are translated into Spanish, and we are working on additional translations.
Meeting Local Requirements offers information on how to comply with zoning, business permit, fire inspection, and other local requirements which are included in the DECAL licensing process.
The United Way of Greater Atlanta (UWGA) Project offers specific help to open an FCC home to applicants in the 13 county UWGA area.
Coaching Support. NOTE: If you do not live in the 13 United Way of Greater Atlanta counties, we may still be able to help you. To apply for that help go here.
We Welcome Your Comments or Questions!!
If you find a statement which is incorrect or do not understand or if you have a question about opening a FCCLH home, please send an e-mail to: info@pfccag.org.