Cornell Cooperative Extension

Oneida County
Start A Child Care Business

Have you thought about becoming a licensed child care provider?

Start A Child Care Business

Do you love children? Do you wish you could stay home with your children, but your family depends on your income? Consider becoming a New York State certified child care provider, and begin a career so nice it hugs you!

Here is a step-by-step explanation of how to become a registered* or licensed* child care provider:

Step 1. Watch the Child Day Care Online Orientation webinar. This course from OCFS will help you to learn about NYS regulations, the application process, possible grant funding, and services the Child Care Council offers to you.

Step 2. You will receive a NYS Child Care application packet after you complete the online course. If you need help with this application, please contact the Child Care Council.

Step 3. Complete your application packet. Some things to remember:

  • The prospective provider, all household members 18 years or older, and any substitute need to be fingerprinted and complete State Central Registry background check.
  • There may be a possible inspection of water and/or heat source, and/or environmental hazard clearance.
  • Completion of a full written application includes detailing example child care routines, explanation of discipline policy & health care plan, and mapping of program area.
  • Prospective provider and all household members must submit proof of current medical physical condition.

Step 4. Submit completed application to licensed/registered representative/completed application is received by licensing representative. While waiting for your licensing representative to review your application packet:

  • Research updates to new and current insurance policies-liability, health, home and auto.

Step 5. Licensing/registrar representative will visit the program site to ensure that it complies with NYS child care regulations, passes the site if it meets NYS regulations for childcare. Prospective provider becomes registered/licensed by NYS to provide childcare as outlined within NYS regulation. If your program/site does not meet regulations for child care, inadequacies will have to corrected.

Contact

McKenna Clark
Early Care & Learning Subject Educator
mc2498@cornell.edu
(315) 736-3394 x243

Last updated February 17, 2023

Start A Child Care Business

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The NYS Office of Children and Family Services is offering a grant opportunity to help you open a new child care program.  Child care deserts are areas that don't have enough licensed and registered child care to serve the children who live there.  The Invest in New York Child Care Deserts grant hopes to address child care deserts by offering $100 million in funding to help build child care in the areas of New York with the least supply.  NOTE: this grant opportunity is no longer accepting new applications for either RFA1 or RFA2.

For more information on this grant program, click here.

Who is your licensing representative?

For family day care and school age child care programs in Oneida County, contact the Neighborhood Center at (315) 272-2630.

For group family child care and child care centers in Oneida County, as well as all modalities of care in Herkimer and Madison counties, contact the Office of Children and Family Services Syracuse Regional Office at (315) 423-1200.

Technical Assistance

Technical assistance is available to regulated child care programs. Feel free to contact our specialists for assistance with whatever questions you might have regarding your child care program. Call 315-223-7850 for information.

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