When you think of home-based child care businesses, you likely start to picture single-family homes with spacious, fenced-in yards. However, most states also allow licensed child care programs in townhouses and apartment buildings (and we believe all states should).
In areas where housing is scarce and expensive, apartment-based programming could make a significant impact. Below, we’ll share why apartments make excellent child care environments and explore the financial benefits of starting small. We’ll also share how government leaders can optimize apartment-dense areas to help combat today’s child care crisis.
In urban areas, child care providers often face financial constraints due to the high cost of housing and the generally low wages in the early childhood sector. Many providers can't afford to rent or buy larger homes or townhouses, especially in cities.
Let’s examine why this is true, with New York City as our example:
These numbers make apartment living a practical starting point for launching a child care program.
But do apartments have enough space to host high-quality child care programming? Yes — even smaller spaces like studios can work with adequate planning:
For many child care providers, starting a program in an apartment can be more financially rewarding than working at a larger child care center. By beginning with a small, manageable group of children, providers can keep overhead low and focus on delivering quality care. As the program grows, Wonderschool can support providers in transitioning to larger spaces, whether that's a bigger apartment or a single-family home.
We've witnessed several success stories where providers start in an apartment and eventually expand to larger centers or even purchase their own homes.
One provider in San Francisco began her journey in an apartment and has since grown her business to a full-fledged child care center. Recently, she shared that she has purchased a home in San Francisco, all thanks to starting small.
Ultimately, parents choose the best care for their children based on their preferences and comfort levels. Though some parents prefer a different environment, we’ve witnessed several thriving, apartment-based child care programs with satisfied parents. Space does not take away a good provider’s ability to offer quality care and build strong, trusting relationships with families.
Some families may even prefer apartment-based care, particularly if they:
Government leaders — we encourage you to support regulations that allow for child care programs in apartments. By doing so, you’ll significantly impact the child care needs of urban areas — where space is scarce, and costs are at an all-time high.
Allowing providers to start in apartments increases the availability of child care options, ultimately benefiting families, communities, and the economy as a whole.
At Wonderschool, we believe that apartment-based child care, with the right support and regulatory environment, can help meet the growing demand for child care while enabling providers to build successful, sustainable businesses.
If you have additional questions or need help establishing government support in this area, reach out to our team today. We’ll work alongside you to improve your local child care sector, positively impacting families, providers, and the economy as we go.
Find a child care program that meets your needs from thousands of listings using our Child Care Finder. If you're a provider, create a listing to get discovered by families near you!
