What licenses do you need to start a pre-school?
Early Childhood Development Centre have to be registered with the Department of Social Development (DSD). This registration can be done through your local branch of the DSD.
The DSD suggest that you follow the following steps:
- Complete an application form for registration as a place of care. You can get the application form on the web.
In order to apply you must submit a weekly menu and daily programme and then submit the following information:
- A building plan/hand drawn sketches of building
- A copy of constitution, signed and dated (only if you also require funding)
- Service/Business Plan (for application for funding
- Financial report of the past year (for funding purposes)
- Contract with the owner of the building (lease – for funding purposes)
Once the documentation is approved, you will have to undergo an assessment from the Local Authority on structural and health requirements
What types of child-care services can be offered
Before you open your doors to the first child, you should decide on the services you’ll provide and the policies that will guide your operation. To simply say you’re going to “take care of children” is woefully inadequate.
- How many children?
- What ages?
- What hours?
- Will you provide food or ask their parents to?
- What activities will you offer?
- What sort of price and payment policies will you have?
- And the list goes on.
Your first step is to check with the appropriate regulatory agencies, which in South Africa is your local municipality and the local division of the Health Department. They will explain to you what’s involved in providing particular services.
For example, each province has its own guidelines for the maximum number of children and maximum number in each age group in a family child-care facility. Municipalities in various regions also have guidelines regarding caregivers. There will likely be other requirements and restrictions, depending on the type of facility you run.
Decide what services to offer based on your own preferences and what your market research says your community needs. Your choices include:
- Full-time care during traditional weekday hours
- After-school care
- Non-traditional hours (very early mornings, evenings, overnight care, weekdays and/or weekends)
- Drop-in or on-demand care, either during traditional or non-traditional hours
- Part-time care
- Parents’ night out (weekend evening care)
- Age-based care.