text: what do i need to do in order to start at home daycare?   the first step is to prepare a business plan. even if you will not be applying for a bank loan, a business plan helps you to think through your business - what it needs, who it will benefit, how much it will cost, and what is its potential. here are free business plans on childcare business that you may want to look into:  http://www.sba.gov/library/pubs/mp-30.doc http://www.misbtdc.org/documents/bpworkbk.pdf http://www.misbtdc.org/documents/cdcplan.pdf http://sbdcnet.utsa.edu/sbic/bplans.htm   you may want to read the free article "how to start your own day care center" http://www.powerhomebiz.com/vol40/daycare.htm it covers various aspects of starting and running a daycare center including the demand for daycare centers, how to start this business, shoestring strategies, how to operate a daycare center, tips on caring for the children, income potential, how to manage your daycare, marketing your business and other additional income potential. there are so many things to learn about the business that the first step is to read everything you can find.  for in-depth information, i suggest checking out the following books:  - start and run a profitable home day care  - the daycare provider's workbook  - start your own at-home child care business  - so you want to open a profitable child care center :  everything you need to know to plan, organize and implement a successful program   it is also important that you learn the tax rules affecting daycare centers, especially if you are going to open one from your home. here is the irs page on child care centers: http://www.irs.gov/businesses/small/industries/content/0,,id=99878,00.html  as for the licenses and requirements in your state, the administration for children and families provide a state by state listing of contacts for licensing and regulations governing child care businesses: http://www.nccic.org/statedata/dirs/regoffic.html