HOUSTON COUNTY, Ga. — With the rising cost of childcare, some parents are choosing to start their own home learning centers to stay home with their kids and bring in extra income.
Charla Gregory made that choice nearly three decades ago while her husband served in the military.
"I was stationed at Eglin and wanted to stay home with my boys, so I started family childcare. Then we went to Yokota Air Base, Japan, and I continued it. Then, we got stationed here in 2000, and I've been doing it ever since."
She loves working with kids and has a lot of fun built into her day, but it is a lot of work, too.
"There's a Bright from the Start Georgia orientation that you have to go to. CPR, first aid. It's a lot that has to be taken care of. Then, you have to get your city license along with state license," she says.
That is all on top of her biggest priority, which is making sure the kids are learning.
"Learning is fun, and we have to allow children to know that learning is fun."
Gregory says starting a home learning center can be a lot.
"Don't just say, 'I want to start a home daycare because I want to be home and I want to make money.' You have to have a love for children," she says.
She says there is a difference between a home learning center and a babysitter and cautions parents to know the difference. She says a home daycare provider should have an outline of policies and procedures. She says parents should also ask what they can expect their child to learn and do while in their care and ensure they have all of the proper licenses.
The Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning has a list of questions parents should consider when choosing childcare. Parents can search licensed providers and daycare centers on the DECAL site for details and inspection reports.
To help more home daycare providers get started, Gregory started a support group seven years ago that has now grown to about a dozen providers.
"We have a lot of resources. We have a lot of extra stuff, and we can really set up their daycare if they want that," she says. "We talk about policies, procedures, and how we can better our program."
Almost every provider in the group is Quality Rated through the state.
"It's considered being in the best of the best of the best of the day cares."
She says they also keep their fees the same because there is no reason for competition. She says most providers in the group are full.
Numbers from the Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning show an average of 56 new home daycares licensed in the state each year from 2019 through 2023. Gregory says that is still not enough. She wants the state to consider allowing home providers to care for eight children instead of six.
"When I say there's no room for children, there's no room for children. We get calls all the time. So what are these parents doing? That's the concern."
She says increasing their numbers may not decrease childcare costs, but it will give parents more choices. She hopes that will fill at least a piece of the larger childcare puzzle.
Gregory says the provider support group is open to anyone who has a home learning center or is interested in getting started. She says you can call her at (478) 320-1175 for more details.