M.C.
M., You will be surprised by what I am going to say, but people with college degrees cannot find work either. You need to work full time and your employer wants you to work full-time, so you see you aleady have what you need. A degree will not guarantee that a job is permanent. It will cost you a lot of money, besides tuition, books are unbelievably expensive these days, and then add to that the cost of child care and the wear and tear on your marriage and the cost to your child of your being away and needing to study. No, the answer is not education, not at this time in your life. I have a home daycare, that is an option for you. You will be home with your son and once you get going, if you can provide reliable, safe care, then you can make $30,000 a year, with good clients. Call up your local YWCA and they can tell you about licensing and how much you can charge in your area. There are advance levels of day care but in my opinion that is too complicated. During the year you will need to take some training courses, 15 hours that will cost around $100. They will give you an opportunity to be in a learning environment. That is enough, it is basically who you are and how clean and safe your home is and how well you can handle children. It is not too complicated to meet the State requirements. You will have to take CPR and first aid before you start, $35. You need to have smoke alarms and a carbon monoxide alarm and a fire extinguisher. I have my parents bring porta-cribs for infants and pre-schoolers. If the child is too big for that, you can ask them to buy a crib or pick one up at a garage sale. The point I'm making is that as in everything in our society, there are businesses which cater to daycare and they would like you to buy this and that. You may and they will certainly want you to think you have to invest in a lot of things and turn your home into what a day care looks like. That is not necessary. They want you to have a daily program and all sorts of age appropriate toys. Did you grow up in a day care? Probably not, but in a home with a back yard and some toys and some books and a park nearby. This is my approach and so overhead costs are minimum and what you earn is all profit. Do not give in to the temptation not to report your income. It is very simple to pay your taxes and you will sleep better at night and your clients will be able to claim their payments to you on their taxes and they will see you as being honest. Most importantly, you have to have a good character, a love of children and an appreciation of the stages that kids go through. There are state guidelines and they are a great help as far as what is allowed for discipline, food, etc. Well, I did not begin this letter thinking I would tell you this, but I have. Whatever you do, look at the long range picture. If you spend $20,000 on school how soon will you get in back in increased income, that is over and above all the expenses of leaving your home to work? These days education is also a business and they want your money too. If your husband is a good man and will cooperate with this scheme, well and good, that is necessary also. My way, spend as little as possible to make money and spend as little as possible to live on. God will provide.
