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Welcome!  We at The Nurturing Center are so happy to see new licensed child care in our area!

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Read more about The Nurturing Center Here.

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The Nurturing Center - Strengthening Families & Sustaining Communities

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The Nurturing Center's mission is to provide supportive, respectful services that strengthen families, increasing the number of children raised in healthy, nurturing environments.
The Nurturing Center was founded in 1978 to provide comprehensive support, education and resources to families in a way that focused on empowering parents to build stronger families and healthy, happy children. Our facility in downtown Kalispell reaches out as a resource to the entire Flathead Valley community as well as Lake, Lincoln, and Sanders counties.

Our founder, Susan Christofferson, started The Nurturing Center in 1978 with a passion for children and a conviction that they deserved happy, healthy lives. Susan was a firm believer that the work we have to do is to give children an opportunity to live their life to the fullest. Her lifelong efforts on behalf of children were born out of this belief. She was a strong advocate for changing thinking and preventing bad things from happening before they occurred. Her vision blossomed into The Nurturing Center - a multifaceted agency with a single purpose: to ensure that children are respected and have the opportunity to grow up in safe, secure, and healthy relationships. More than anything she wanted to have positive change begin at the beginning so that children could grow up to be whole, healthy human beings.

The Nurturing Center's programs are designed around the Six Protective Factors that, when present in a family, can eliminate or greatly reduce the risk of abuse or neglect and have been found to be essential in keeping children safe, happy, and healthy.

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The Nurturing Center's mission is to provide supportive, respectful services that strengthen families, increasing the number of children raised in healthy, nurturing environments. The Nurturing Center was founded in 1978 to provide comprehensive support, education and resources to families in a way that focused on empowering parents to build stronger families and healthy, happy children.

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Need to know more about where to get fingerprinting? How to complete First Aid and CPR? How to learn about the Best Beginnings Scholarship Program?

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The Nurturing Center - Strengthening Families & Sustaining Communities

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Current First Aid and CPR cards are required for all individuals working in licensed programs. The Nurturing Center offers this course through the American Heart Association as a hybrid. Individuals will take the online course work and register for a skills session through The Nurturing Center front desk. You must complete both parts of the course to receive your completion certificate (your Pediatric/Adult CPR/FA card). You will need to complete the Pediatric CPR/FA online course, including ALL optional modules (adult CPR/AED) and then bring the completion form to their skills test. Once both components have been completed, instructors will assign the accepted card to the participant.

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Resources for Directors & Staff | The Nurturing Center

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Current First Aid and CPR cards are required for all individuals working in licensed programs. The Nurturing Center offers this course through the American Heart Association as a hybrid. Individuals will take the online course work and register for a skills session through The Nurturing Center front desk.

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New Child Care Center Rules and Regulations

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Why should I have a Program Philosophy Statement? 

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Why should I have a Program Philosophy Statement? 

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Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching

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It is important to start by describing where you want to end. In other words, what are your objectives as a teacher? The rest of your philosophy statement should support these objectives which should be achievable and relevant to your teaching responsibilities; avoid vague or overly grandiose statements. On the other hand, you will want to demonstrate that you strive for more than mediocrity or only nuts-and-bolts transference of facts.

Consider these writing prompts:

Do you hope to foster critical thinking and problem-solving strategies, facilitate the acquisition of life-long learning skills, or prepare students to function effectively in an information economy?

What is your role in orienting students to a discipline, to what it means to be an educated person in your field?

How do you delineate your areas of responsibility as compared to your students' responsibilities?

In what specific ways do you want to improve the education of students in your field?

Are there discussions in academic journals or in professional organizations about shortcomings in the education of students today or unmet needs in the discipline and do you have ideas about how to address those shortcomings and needs?

How will you achieve those objectives?

Once you have a clear vision of your teaching objectives, you can discuss the methods you use, or will use, to achieve those objectives. Here is also where you can elaborate on your knowledge of learning theory, cognitive development, curriculum design, etc. as the topic(s) relate to the teaching strategies you implement.

It is useful to explain specific strategies or methods you use and tie these strategies directly to your teaching objectives. For example, if you include a field trip as part of your course, what are the learning objectives associated with the fieldtrip? How do you decide whether to use collaborative or individual projects based on your teaching objectives? When appropriate, relate your strategies to national-level needs for teaching in your discipline. If you have developed instructional materials that have been or could be disseminated, be sure to discuss them and how they support your teaching objectives and possibly national-level disciplinary objectives.

How will you measure your teaching effectiveness?

In this section discuss how you intend to measure your effectiveness relative to the objectives and methods you have outlined. Because your teaching objectives are most likely related to student learning, you will probably use measures of student attainment of learning outcomes, rather than simply how many chapters you can cover from the textbook. The end of semester course evaluations completed by students can also be used to measure teaching effectiveness. Consider having a peer evaluate your teaching and provide input on the quality of teaching materials you have developed as well as your effectiveness in the classroom. Having multiple methods of evaluation rather than just a single source provides a more comprehensive picture of your teaching effectiveness.

A final section to include in your teaching philosophy statement is quite simply- Why do you teach? Here is where you can be, if not grandiose, at least a bit grand. What, to you, are the personal rewards of teaching? How do you want to make the world or at least higher education better? When you are overworked and feel undervalued, to what ideals do you return in order to rejuvenate yourself and inspire your students? How do you want to make a difference in the lives of your students? Why does teaching matter to you?

Responses to all of these questions will require some reflective thought and you will likely benefit from discussing them with other faculty in your department. Consider bouncing your responses off of your colleagues, ponder their responses, re-evaluate your positions, revise, talk some more, etc. Over time your responses will change to reflect how you have grown and changed as a teacher. Think of your teaching philosophy as a work in progress over the course of your career.

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Writing a Teaching Philosophy Statement - Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching

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It is important to start by describing where you want to end. In other words, what are your objectives as a teacher? The rest of your philosophy statement should support these objectives which should be achievable and relevant to your teaching responsibilities; avoid vague or overly grandiose statements.

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Setting goals gives you long-term vision and short-term motivation . It focuses your acquisition of knowledge, and helps you to organize your time and your resources so that you can make the most of your life.

By setting sharp, clearly defined goals, you can measure and take pride in the achievement of those goals, and you'll see forward progress in what might previously have seemed a long pointless grind.

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Running for the sake of running is great, but I find that I always perform better when I have a specific route and destination in mind. That way, I know exactly where I'm going, even if that destination is back to my house. I always feel like I'm going toward something.

Similar to that, setting goals in your business will keep you moving forward toward the following:

Long term vision and direction. Goals define where you ultimately want to go and give you your direction.

Motivation. As you achieve your short term goals, you and your team will strengthen your operations, refine your processes and receive that extra boost to move onto the next goal. They give you something to visualize. If your goal is to retire to a beachfront house, you can visualize that house.

The ability to decide and prioritize. When you have specific, well-defined goals it will be easier to make day-to-day decisions in your business. For every decision you have to make, ask yourself: "Which option will help me achieve my long-term goal?" Usually the decision will be much clearer after that.

When you're setting your startup business goals, follow these four guidelines.

1. Be specific.

"Some" is not a number and "soon" is not a time.

"We want to bring in as much revenue as possible as soon as possible" is too vague to be a goal. But, "We want to hit $1 million in sales by our fifth anniversary" is a concrete goal that gives you a solid timeline to follow.

Even the goal of being the most visited or best type of business in a defined geographical area within a certain time frame works because "most visited" and "best" still connote a number: one.

For example, being the No. 1 most visited coffee house in Mariposa County, California, within three years works as a specific goal.

2. Divide your goal into pieces.

Specific goals can be intimidating. When you're starting out, "$1 million in sales in five years" can seem monolithic and make you think it's impossible to tackle. That's where your short-term goals come into play.

By starting with specific numbers, you can easily do the math to break those big goals down into smaller, more palatable chunks.

If you want to reach that $1 million-by-five-year-mark, you can easily figure out how much you'll need to make per year, per quarter, per month, etc. These smaller numbers will give you something simpler to achieve and you'll be able to see results quicker.

For that Mariposa coffeehouse, you'll need to do a bit more difficult math and rely on some extrapolations. But, you should be able to do some research and figure out an approximation of how many times people visit the bigger chain coffee houses in Mariposa county, which will give you a number to strive for. (Because this is your own personal business goal, the accuracy of the numbers isn't really the important part. They're just to give you something to strive for.)

Once you have your number for average visits of the big coffeehouses, you can figure out how many people you'll need to draw in per year/month/day and how you'll go about doing that. (Opening another location, moving to a better location, expanding your offering, etc.)

3. Make your goals both feasible and measurable.

Crazy ambitious goals are good for keeping your dream going, but it's the realistic goals that will help you achieve that dream. And goals that are easy to reach are helpful when you're starting out, but they stymie growth in the long run.

A good goal should be at least 25 percent -- but no more than 60 percent -- achievable with absolute certainty. Only making them partially achievable with a degree of certainty will keep them challenging enough to push you forward while making you slightly uncomfortable.

You also need a way to measure your goals. Number of sales, number of repeat sales, number of distribution channels, revenue, transactions per team member, customer satisfaction ratio, etc. are all quantifiable and will give you an indication month to month if you are headed in the right direction.

4. Always follow your goals.

You cannot take a break from your goals or put them on pause. If you have a problem following your goals religiously, get yourself a "goal buddy" to hold you accountable. Meet regularly to check in with each other to ensure you're both staying on track and trying to attain your respective goals.

Choose someone who is as ambitious as you. That person could be trying to achieve their own goals or they could have already had success in attaining lofty goals.

Strategic business goals will act as a guide for you as you start your business. Set both short-term and long-term goals and make them achievable, but not easy. Having goals to strive toward will help your business grow and prosper.

Running for the sake of running is great, but I find that I always perform better when I have a specific route and destination in mind. That way, I know exactly where I'm going, even if that destination is back to my house. I always feel like I'm going toward something.

Similar to that, setting goals in your business will keep you moving forward toward the following:

Long term vision and direction. Goals define where you ultimately want to go and give you your direction.

Motivation. As you achieve your short term goals, you and your team will strengthen your operations, refine your processes and receive that extra boost to move onto the next goal. They give you something to visualize. If your goal is to retire to a beachfront house, you can visualize that house.

The ability to decide and prioritize. When you have specific, well-defined goals it will be easier to make day-to-day decisions in your business. For every decision you have to make, ask yourself: "Which option will help me achieve my long-term goal?" Usually the decision will be much clearer after that.

When you're setting your startup business goals, follow these four guidelines.

1. Be specific.

"Some" is not a number and "soon" is not a time.

"We want to bring in as much revenue as possible as soon as possible" is too vague to be a goal. But, "We want to hit $1 million in sales by our fifth anniversary" is a concrete goal that gives you a solid timeline to follow.

Even the goal of being the most visited or best type of business in a defined geographical area within a certain time frame works because "most visited" and "best" still connote a number: one.

For example, being the No. 1 most visited coffee house in Mariposa County, California, within three years works as a specific goal.

Specific goals can be intimidating. When you're starting out, "$1 million in sales in five years" can seem monolithic and make you think it's impossible to tackle. That's where your short-term goals come into play.

By starting with specific numbers, you can easily do the math to break those big goals down into smaller, more palatable chunks.

If you want to reach that $1 million-by-five-year-mark, you can easily figure out how much you'll need to make per year, per quarter, per month, etc. These smaller numbers will give you something simpler to achieve and you'll be able to see results quicker.

For that Mariposa coffeehouse, you'll need to do a bit more difficult math and rely on some extrapolations. But, you should be able to do some research and figure out an approximation of how many times people visit the bigger chain coffee houses in Mariposa county, which will give you a number to strive for. (Because this is your own personal business goal, the accuracy of the numbers isn't really the important part. They're just to give you something to strive for.)

Once you have your number for average visits of the big coffeehouses, you can figure out how many people you'll need to draw in per year/month/day and how you'll go about doing that. (Opening another location, moving to a better location, expanding your offering, etc.)

Crazy ambitious goals are good for keeping your dream going, but it's the realistic goals that will help you achieve that dream. And goals that are easy to reach are helpful when you're starting out, but they stymie growth in the long run.

A good goal should be at least 25 percent -- but no more than 60 percent -- achievable with absolute certainty. Only making them partially achievable with a degree of certainty will keep them challenging enough to push you forward while making you slightly uncomfortable.

You also need a way to measure your goals. Number of sales, number of repeat sales, number of distribution channels, revenue, transactions per team member, customer satisfaction ratio, etc. are all quantifiable and will give you an indication month to month if you are headed in the right direction.

4. Always follow your goals.

You cannot take a break from your goals or put them on pause. If you have a problem following your goals religiously, get yourself a "goal buddy" to hold you accountable. Meet regularly to check in with each other to ensure you're both staying on track and trying to attain your respective goals.

Choose someone who is as ambitious as you. That person could be trying to achieve their own goals or they could have already had success in attaining lofty goals.

Strategic business goals will act as a guide for you as you start your business. Set both short-term and long-term goals and make them achievable, but not easy. Having goals to strive toward will help your business grow and prosper.

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Setting Business Goals for Your Startup: Why You Should Do It and How to Do It Effectively

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Running for the sake of running is great, but I find that I always perform better when I have a specific route and destination in mind. That way, I know exactly where I'm going, even if that destination is back to my house. I always feel like I'm going toward something.

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Statewide registries across the country work to increase the number of high-quality early care and education programs by helping to develop and track a knowledgeable and skilled early childhood workforce. They are based on an individual's verified professional achievements. Registries provide important data about the workforce to help raise the status of early care and education as a viable and unique profession in our society, and advocate for better compensation for the field.

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How Do I Apply to the Practitioner Registry? 

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How Do I Apply to the Practitioner Registry? 

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Transcripts showing graduation date,

High School Diploma,

or a High School Verification form.
This form applies to any applicant currently in High School, currently obtaining their GED/HiSet, or applicants that did not obtain their High School Diploma

*High School Verification is not required when you submit Higher Education Transcripts that can verify your High School Graduation.
CPR/First Aid

CPR must include Adult, Child, and Infant and be completed in a Hands-on Setting.
Employment Verification

This form needs to be filled out by the applicant and then signed by the employer. You can access the most up to date version of this form here: Employment form

If applicable:
Higher education transcripts:

Transcripts must include First and Last name, Name of college/university, program of study, course, and grades.
Certificates and Credentials
OPI License, CDA Credential, Montana Infant/Toddler Certification, etc

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What Level will I be on the Practitioner Registry?

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What Level will I be on the Practitioner Registry?

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What are the Required Orientation Courses and Where do I Take Them? 

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What are the Required Orientation Courses and Where do I Take Them? 

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*Program Management Essentials (take through the Nurturing Center)
*Early Childhood Essentials
*New Staff Health & Safety Orientation
*Infant Safety Essentials
*Together We Grow

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Hello and Welcome to Childcare Training!

Let's get started!

If you are a brand new childcare provider for a Group/Center (never been a childcare provider) and need to take the Orientation Courses, click below.

If you are a new Family, Friend, or Neighbor (FFN) childcare provider, click below.

If you are a returning patron, looking to fulfill hours for your Practitioner's Registry, or need to complete the Health and Safety Review (2019-2022) course, click below for our full Course Catalog.

Last modified: Friday, May 6, 2022, 10:03 AM

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Hello and Welcome to Childcare Training! Let's get started! If you are a brand new childcare provider for a Group/Center (never been a childcare provider) and need to take the Orientation Courses, click below. If you are a new Family, Friend, or Neighbor (FFN) childcare provider , click below.

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How many training hours do I need to keep current on the Practitioner Registry?

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How many training hours do I need to keep current on the Practitioner Registry?

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Sixteen (16) Early Childhood Approved training hours are required annually in accordance with Child Care Licensing.  You will need to have 16 hours to submit your renewal application.  If you attend a training or conference that was not ECP approved prior to the event, individuals have the option to submit for approval of these events by completing an Individual Request for Training Approval online.

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Polices and Paperwork to Post and Have on File

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Polices and Paperwork to Post and Have on File

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A child care parent handbook is the foundation of parent-staff communication and alignment. It should lay out all of the information parents need to establish a common understanding that keeps your child care running smoothly.

By reading your handbook, families should know what to expect - and what not to expect - from your child care facility. It should answer all of the questions that parents have about your policies, rules, and procedures and outline your approach to childcare.

Handbooks must be well structured, comprehensive, and updated regularly. Creating or revising a handbook is a time-intensive task that may be out of your comfort zone if you are not a natural writer. That's why we have made this outline, which can serve as a guide. We have included key points to underscore in each section, and have structured the guide to make sense to parents.
For more ideas on what to include in your family handbook, check out our free templates!
1. Introduction and welcome

Begin with a welcome to families; it is a great way to stress your commitment to community and your excitement about what is to come. Keep this first section short and sweet, but craft it with care. This sets the tone for your center's relationship with parents.

2. Child care and teaching philosophies

Every child care has its own approach to teaching and early childhood education. Laying out your approach will give parents a good idea of what to expect for their children. Will you focus more on academic skills? Are you using play-based learning? Knowing this will help families contextualize what their child learns each day and how your teachers approach all the learning opportunities and development benchmarks that will come up throughout the year.

Be sure to use language that parents can understand: While you and your staff understand lesson planning and the intricacies of conflict management for 3 year olds, parents may not. One way to approach this section is to detail the specific outcomes you aim for at your child care and the best ways to get there.

3. Operating information

This section of the child care parent handbook is an important reference for parents and staff alike. Include facility hours, care schedules, a calendar, start and end dates, half days, and holiday policies. Parents should know which days they can expect care and which days are "off." If you send parents a digital handbook, make the calendar page easy to print.

In addition to a calendar, include all of the contact information for your center: phone number(s), email(s), website, child care app(s), and physical address.

4. Enrollment, wait list, and withdrawing policies

Even if your child care parent handbook is made available only to families who have already registered, include your childcare enrollment information. Parents may want to reference it to reenroll their children or to refer another family. Include program costs and eligibility requirements for enrollment.

Include wait-list information so that returning families know, for example, whether they get preference for spots or whether there are early-enrollment windows. Also, can parents expect to get a sibling into care even when you have a wait list? And when should families on your wait list expect to hear back?

Both of those areas are vital for families looking to enroll. Your handbook is a great tool for showing prospective parents what your center is all about, and if you give the handbook to guardians on the search for child care, those sections are key.

And because families' best-laid plans can change, make sure your handbook includes withdrawal information as well. How should parents notify you if they have to move? How far in advance is best? Are families penalized for withdrawing a child? Although withdrawals may be infrequent, laying out this information can make ending a care agreement smoother because everyone knows exactly what the procedure is.

5. Sign-in and pick-up procedures

Laying out your sign-in and pick-up procedures will help make families - especially new families - feel safe and confident. Knowing how everything should run means parents can prepare their child for the process before they step through your doors.

Don't forget to include information about late and early arrivals/departures. Do you offer digital sign-in? How does it work? This is also the time to outline your policies on non-parent pick-ups.

6. Sample daily schedule

Let parents know what to expect from day-to-day care. For example, how many meals are served? At what times? When do children nap? When do they play outside? This information affects what children will do and need at home. If, for example, you feed the children at 3:00 p.m. and your pick up is 3:30, parents may not need to prepare an at-home snack.

A sample daily schedule is also a great way to help potential families understand how your center operates, if you provide a copy of your handbook to them.

7. Supplies and snacks rundown

This straightforward and comprehensive section covers the food you provide and lets parents know what they need to bring. For example, must parents provide wipes and diapers? What about painting clothes or other outfits?

If you provide snacks/meals for children, how do you handle allergies? What types of foods will children eat? Are parents allowed to send snacks with their child, or is that prohibited? If you don't provide snacks/meals, how do you handle food storage? Do you allow children to share food?

Parents are busy. If tuition doesn't cover supplies or snacks, can they pay additional fees to have them supplied?

8. Sick days and schedule interruptions
Sick days:
Although parents know their child best, what criteria can be used to determine if a sick day is appropriate? If a child has a fever, when are they allowed back to child care? Include how parents should notify you that their child will not be coming in.

What criteria do you use to call parents if a child is sick with, for example, a fever of over 100 degrees? Your handbook should include those guidelines as well as your protocol for contacting parents and emergency contacts if a child needs to go home. You can also include the types of over-the-counter medications you give to children if needed (e.g., Tylenol) for minor injury or illness.
Schedule interruptions:
Aside from sick days, how do you handle when parents need to interrupt their child's child care schedule - for example, if they are taking a family vacation? How should they notify you, and how far in advance? Does it affect their payments?

What are your policies on weather-related schedule interruptions, such as snow days or flood warnings? How will parents be notified? Include information on half-day or early pick-up procedures, if applicable.

9. Special classroom activity rules

Here is a chance for you to outline any rules about special classroom activities. Parents may have questions about birthday guidelines in particular, especially for older children. Can parents bring in snacks?

Another activity to cover is field trips. Do you have any trips on the calendar? What are the guidelines, including parent permissions? What happens if a parent doesn't give their child permission?

10. Codes of conduct and discipline procedures

Sharing your codes of conduct with parents sets the expectation for how the members of your child care community treat one another. By articulating your position, everyone comes in with the same understanding of mutual respect. Outline how you expect teachers to behave toward children and children to behave toward teachers as well as other children.

You should also outline any disciplinary procedures for children and staff. While this may be an uncomfortable topic, your community should know how you will handle a behavioral issue involving a teacher or a child. Include information on how parents should expect to be notified of any incidents.

11. Health and safety regulations

Here, provide all necessary information about health and safety at your child care. Be sure to include how you comply with state regulations, such as child-to-staff ratios or outdoor playtime, and where parents can check your certifications. If you are accredited by any group outside of a state agency, put that information here as well.

12. Emergency procedures

Being prepared for an emergency includes informing parents of your emergency procedures. Whether it is a weather alert or an accident, detail your procedures here. Be sure to give information on where your emergency meeting points are in the event that your child care's building is damaged, and be clear about how parents will be contacted.

This is also a good place to outline information on how parents of children with medical conditions, such as severe allergies, can work with teachers to create an emergency plan.

In this section remain factual. The likelihood of a true emergency happening at your child care is not high, and chances are that your next session will be relatively uneventful. While it is critical that teachers and parents are prepared for an emergency, nobody needs to be unduly alarmed.

13. Parent conferences and communications

You have already covered specific cases where parents need to contact you or vice versa, but it is worth including a section on general parent communication - your center will connect with parents far more than in the few ways outlined above.

In this section, include the following:

How often do you expect to meet with parents over the course of a session, and when?

What is covered in a parent conference, and what parents should prepare?

How can parents expect to hear routine updates from you - do you have an app you use daily, or a weekly newsletter, for example?

How can parents contact you with a nonemergency question, comment or concern?

How can parents change or update a child's basic information, such as address? Do you have an online system they can log into, or do they need to fill out a form?

To make a childcare center run, a lot of family/staff communication is needed. Setting out the basics in your child care parent handbook is a good way to facilitate that communication.

14. Billing policies

Your child care parent handbook should be an exhaustive resource for parents to consult regarding payments. You must include the following:

What your pay structure is

When are payments due

What happens when parents are late with a payment

How parents can pay (e.g., by check or autopay)

What variable charges a parent can expect to see, if any (e.g. for field trips)

How sick days, holidays, and other schedule interruptions affect billing and payments

At the end of the day, your child care is a business, and detailing your billing policies will help it run more smoothly. Parents, too, will appreciate having all of the information laid out so they can avoid any surprises and be prepared when bills are received.

15. Forms to return

Make a checklist of any childcare forms that need to be returned before the session starts so parents have an easy way to see whether they have completed everything necessary for enrollment. You can include any relevant forms in your parent handbook, but even if you have a separate forms packet, this can serve as a nudge to get everything in.

16. Acknowledgment and signature

At the end of your child care parent handbook, include a small section that parents sign and return. It should state that the parents have read your policies and understand them and that they agree to any stipulations you set out in your handbook.

You get out what you put in

A well-constructed handbook will streamline your parent/center relationship and answer questions before parents even know they want to ask them. That builds trust between your child care and the families you serve because it sends a strong message that you prioritize building the best environment for children and the best community for families.

Further reading:
Interested in learning more about how brightwheel can help delight your parents and manage your center? Download it today or book a demo with us!

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What to Include in Your Child Care Parent Handbook

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A child care parent handbook is the foundation of parent-staff communication and alignment. It should lay out all of the information parents need to establish a common understanding that keeps your child care running smoothly. By reading your handbook, families should know what to expect - and what not to expect - from your child care facility.

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Five Tips for Family Child Care Providers

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Five Tips for Family Child Care Providers

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Family child care providers are self-employed taxpayers who must report their business income and expenses to the IRS. It is important to become familiar with all of the IRS requirements for filing your taxes. To help you prepare for this, here are ten record keeping and tax tips to help you as you start your new profession. By following these tips you will be better able to organize your records, claim the maximum legal deductions, and reduce your taxes.

1. Receipts Keep receipts for every business expense. Your goal should be to have receipts for every penny of your expenses. Because most of the costs to clean, maintain and repair your home can be partially deducted as a business expense (light bulbs, toilet paper, garbage bags, snow shovel, etc.), collect receipts whenever you go to the drugstore, hardware store, etc. Record on your calendar when you go on field trips or travel because of business. A canceled check may not be as acceptable to the IRS as a store receipt.

2. When can expenses be deducted?You must report all income from caring for children even if you do not meet or have not completed local regulation requirements. You should begin deducting business expenses as soon as you begin caring for your first child, even if you do not meet local regulations. The only expenses you cannot deduct if you do not meet local regulations are expenses connected with your house (utilities, insurance, taxes, interest, depreciation and repairs).

3. Food Expenses Because food costs will probably be your single biggest expense, you should begin keeping careful track of the number of meals you serve each day, including meals that are not reimbursed by the Food Program. Multiply these meal counts by the standard meal allowance rate to claim food expenses without having to keep any food receipts.

4. Monthly Review Do not wait until the end of the year to collect your receipts and other records. Conduct a monthly review to make sure you have everything in order. Keep your records in one place. Use envelopes to store receipts by category of expense. Make sure receipts are labeled and can be read. If you forgot to get a receipt or if you could not get one (parking meter, garage sale, etc.), make one of your own to remind you of the expense.

5. Estimated Tax You may have to pay some federal income tax before the end of the year. To find out if you must pay estimated tax, estimate your income and expenses through the end of the year. If you will owe $1,000 or more in taxes, you may have to pay in quarterly installments due April 15, June 15, September 15 and January 15. There are a number of exceptions to this rule. See IRS Publication 505 Tax Withholding and Estimated Tax

6. Employees If you hire someone as a substitute or helper in your business, you should treat this person as an employee, which means you must withhold Social Security and income taxes for the employee and pay federal and state unemployment taxes. You may also need to purchase workers compensation insurance. Many providers treat helpers as independent contractors and do not withhold taxes, but this practice is not advisable. Only someone who is in the business of providing substitute care or is doing a special service could be considered an independent contractor.

7. Household Inventory Your house and items in your house that are used in your business are being worn out at a faster rate than if you were not doing family child care. As a result, you can deduct or depreciate a portion of the cost of these items that you owned before you went into business. Conduct a thorough room by room inventory and list every item (furniture, appliances, lawn mower, etc.) in your house. Consult the Inventory-Keeper for a room-by-room listing of items.

1. Year End Expenses Be aware that if you purchase 40% or more of items that last longer than one year during the last three months of the year, you may not get all the deductions for all of your capital expenses for that year. To avoid this "mid-quarter convention" rule, plan your purchases before October or after December. If you begin your business during the last quarter of the year, this rule will apply to you.

2. Time-Space Percentage The number that will probably make the greatest difference on your tax return is your Time-Space Percentage. You will use this percent to calculate how much of your expenses for business and personal use can be deducted as a business expense. The more hours you work and the more space you use in your home, the lower your taxes. Track all the hours children are present, from the moment the first child arrives until the last child leaves. Add to this all the hours you use your home for business when children are not present doing cleaning, cooking, preparing activities, record keeping, interviewing parents, etc. Track at least two months of these hours on a calendar

10. House ImprovementsYou should begin depreciating a portion of your house as a business expense. The amount of your house you can depreciate is based on the purchase price of your home (minus the value of the land) plus all home improvements made before you went into business. Go back and record all of your house improvements (new roof, furnace, remodeling, etc.). Save receipts. Get replacement receipts from contractors, if necessary. As a last resort, photograph the improvements and write down your best recollection of the cost and date it was done. Keep records of any house improvements you make after you start your business. When you sell your home, these home improvements may reduce the amount of taxes you may have to pay.Tom Copeland - www.tomcopelandblog.comImage credit: https://nara.getarchive.net/media/xenia-vazquez-a-family-child-care-provider-gives-5eac8a For more information, see my Family Child Care Record Keeping Guide.

Family child care providers are self-employed taxpayers who must report their business income and expenses to the IRS. It is important to become familiar with all of the IRS requirements for filing your taxes. To help you prepare for this, here are ten record keeping and tax tips to help you as you start your new profession. By following these tips you will be better able to organize your records, claim the maximum legal deductions, and reduce your taxes.

1. Receipts Keep receipts for every business expense. Your goal should be to have receipts for every penny of your expenses. Because most of the costs to clean, maintain and repair your home can be partially deducted as a business expense (light bulbs, toilet paper, garbage bags, snow shovel, etc.), collect receipts whenever you go to the drugstore, hardware store, etc. Record on your calendar when you go on field trips or travel because of business. A canceled check may not be as acceptable to the IRS as a store receipt.

2. When can expenses be deducted?You must report all income from caring for children even if you do not meet or have not completed local regulation requirements. You should begin deducting business expenses as soon as you begin caring for your first child, even if you do not meet local regulations. The only expenses you cannot deduct if you do not meet local regulations are expenses connected with your house (utilities, insurance, taxes, interest, depreciation and repairs).

3. Food Expenses Because food costs will probably be your single biggest expense, you should begin keeping careful track of the number of meals you serve each day, including meals that are not reimbursed by the Food Program. Multiply these meal counts by the standard meal allowance rate to claim food expenses without having to keep any food receipts.

4. Monthly Review Do not wait until the end of the year to collect your receipts and other records. Conduct a monthly review to make sure you have everything in order. Keep your records in one place. Use envelopes to store receipts by category of expense. Make sure receipts are labeled and can be read. If you forgot to get a receipt or if you could not get one (parking meter, garage sale, etc.), make one of your own to remind you of the expense.

5. Estimated Tax You may have to pay some federal income tax before the end of the year. To find out if you must pay estimated tax, estimate your income and expenses through the end of the year. If you will owe $1,000 or more in taxes, you may have to pay in quarterly installments due April 15, June 15, September 15 and January 15. There are a number of exceptions to this rule. See IRS Publication 505 Tax Withholding and Estimated Tax

6. Employees If you hire someone as a substitute or helper in your business, you should treat this person as an employee, which means you must withhold Social Security and income taxes for the employee and pay federal and state unemployment taxes. You may also need to purchase workers compensation insurance. Many providers treat helpers as independent contractors and do not withhold taxes, but this practice is not advisable. Only someone who is in the business of providing substitute care or is doing a special service could be considered an independent contractor.

7. Household Inventory Your house and items in your house that are used in your business are being worn out at a faster rate than if you were not doing family child care. As a result, you can deduct or depreciate a portion of the cost of these items that you owned before you went into business. Conduct a thorough room by room inventory and list every item (furniture, appliances, lawn mower, etc.) in your house. Consult the Inventory-Keeper for a room-by-room listing of items.

1. Year End Expenses Be aware that if you purchase 40% or more of items that last longer than one year during the last three months of the year, you may not get all the deductions for all of your capital expenses for that year. To avoid this "mid-quarter convention" rule, plan your purchases before October or after December. If you begin your business during the last quarter of the year, this rule will apply to you.

2. Time-Space Percentage The number that will probably make the greatest difference on your tax return is your Time-Space Percentage. You will use this percent to calculate how much of your expenses for business and personal use can be deducted as a business expense. The more hours you work and the more space you use in your home, the lower your taxes. Track all the hours children are present, from the moment the first child arrives until the last child leaves. Add to this all the hours you use your home for business when children are not present doing cleaning, cooking, preparing activities, record keeping, interviewing parents, etc. Track at least two months of these hours on a calendar

10. House ImprovementsYou should begin depreciating a portion of your house as a business expense. The amount of your house you can depreciate is based on the purchase price of your home (minus the value of the land) plus all home improvements made before you went into business. Go back and record all of your house improvements (new roof, furnace, remodeling, etc.). Save receipts. Get replacement receipts from contractors, if necessary. As a last resort, photograph the improvements and write down your best recollection of the cost and date it was done. Keep records of any house improvements you make after you start your business. When you sell your home, these home improvements may reduce the amount of taxes you may have to pay.Tom Copeland - www.tomcopelandblog.comImage credit: https://nara.getarchive.net/media/xenia-vazquez-a-family-child-care-provider-gives-5eac8a For more information, see my Family Child Care Record Keeping Guide.

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Ten Record Keeping and Tax Tips for the New Provider - Taking Care of Business

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Family child care providers are self-employed taxpayers who must report their business income and expenses to the IRS. It is important to become familiar with all of the IRS requirements for filing your taxes.

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Common Family Child Care Business Deductions

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Common Family Child Care Business Deductions

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Click here to view various additional resources for you and your child care program!

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The 360 Support Plan is put into place to support new child care programs throughout the first months of opening your business.

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Please contact Tiffany Krushensky if you have any questions or need additional resources.

Email: tiffany@nurturingcenter.org
Phone: 406-756-1414 ext. *216

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Twenty Steps to Partnership with Parents

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Twenty Steps to Partnership with Parents

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A Note to Parents about Primary Caregiving

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A Note to Parents about Primary Caregiving

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How to set goals to advance your career in the new year

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This award has been developed with the goal of improving the quality of early care and education for young
children and families, by promoting early childhood education college coursework, college certificate, and degree
attainment. PDIA-HE participants may receive $1000 for completion of a minimum of 6 early childhood credits or
$400 for completion of 2-5 early childhood credits.
In order to qualify for the award applicants must meet the following requirements:
1. An individual must have a current Practitioner Registry Certificate at the time of application. ECP will check your registry status online upon receipt of your application.

2. Applicants must currently work a minimum of 15 hours per week in one of the following settings. Settings must be licensed with the state of Montana.

State licensed registered group or family child care home

State licensed child care program

Montana licensed Head Start or licensed Tribal Head Start

Montana Child Care Resource and Referral Agency

Regulated Licensed Tribal child care

3. The following education will qualify:

College courses that lead to a national credential such as Child Development Associate/CDA), Montana Child Care Development Specialist Apprenticeship Certificate, 30 College Credit Early Childhood Certificate, Associate's, Bachelor's, or Master's Degree in Early Childhood. Verification of completion of coursework with a grade of 'C' or higher is required.

Undergraduate and graduate courses must be taken through a regionally accredited Montana college or
university.

If the MT Infant Toddler or Preschool Teacher Education Course is being taken for 4 college credits along with additional early childhood courses, it may be used to receive this award under the 6 credits or more option. If you choose to do this, you will not be eligible to receive the $500 award for I/T or Preschool course completion through the Early Childhood Services Bureau.

How To Apply
Incentive Awards for Infant Toddler or MT Preschool Teacher Education Classes

These awards have been developed with the goal of improving the quality of early care and education for young
children and families, by promoting participation in one of the 60 hour classes. Applicants must have completed either the 60 hour Infant Toddler class or the 60 hour MT Preschool Teacher Education class to receive the award.
In order to qualify for the award, applicants must meet the following requirements:
1. An individual must have a current Practitioner Registry Certificate at the time of application. ECP will check your registry status online upon receipt of your application.

2. Applicants must currently work a minimum of 15 hours per week in one of the following settings. Settings must be licensed with the state of Montana.

State licensed registered group or family child care home

State licensed child care program

Licensed Montana Head Start or Tribal Head Start

Montana Child Care Resource and Referral Agency