Staff and owner in one person
A person who runs a child-care business from home is usually self-employed. Families pay you, and no employer sits above you with a benefits plan. You also set the hours and the weeks you close. Licensing rules are set by the state and, in some counties, by the county, and this page is only about health insurance.
If your spouse has a job with a plan, compare it with a plan of your own. If you work as an employee at a center, ask what the center offers; some set a waiting period or a minimum number of hours.
Tuition arrives on the families' schedule
Your income depends on how many children you care for and whether parents pay on time. A family leaves, a child is out sick, a holiday closes the day or a storm closes your home for several days. The groceries, the supplies and your own bills still come. Use the deductible guide linked below, and ask what you would owe for care in a month when enrollment dips.
Germs, lifting and a day that never stops
Colds go around. You lift children, kneel to their level and stay on your feet from opening to closing. Ask which clinics near you are in the network, how urgent care works, and whether telehealth is included, since it is hard to leave a full house for an appointment. We take calls evenings and weekends, so you can call after the last child goes home.
The daycare's insurance is not your health insurance
Providers often carry insurance for the business, such as coverage for the home and for liability if a child is hurt. That protects the business and does not pay for your own doctor visits. Ask your business insurance agent what your policy covers, and ask us what a health plan covers and excludes.
If you have assistants
Your own plan and a plan for your staff are two projects. If you pay assistants on payroll, ask us about employer-sponsored plans for your business, and we can talk about both on one call.
What a private plan requires
With a PPO (preferred provider organization), the plan gives you a network of doctors and hospitals it prefers. Staying in the network usually costs less, and the plan's own rules say what it pays outside it. The plans we offer are private plans, not ACA Marketplace plans, and they have exclusions and limitations. An advisor explains the details.
If you run a home daycare and are under 65, a private plan can be applied for at any time of year, with no employer plan to join. Plans may not cover every benefit, so your advisor goes over the terms with you before you apply. If a private plan is not the right fit, we will tell you.
Taxes: a general note
Providers who run their own business may be able to use the IRS self-employed health insurance deduction, figured on Form 7206 and reported on Schedule 1 of Form 1040. Supplies, food and the part of your home used for the business follow their own tax rules. This is general information, not tax advice, so talk with a tax professional about your situation.