Furnishing Your Daycare Center: What You Need and Where to Find It
Make It Stand Out.
Congratulations on opening your daycare center! Your rooms will soon be filled with tiny voices and big personalities, but before that - you’ll need to fill the rooms with a little bit more. Furnishing a daycare center can be a daunting task, no matter what circumstances you find yourself under - but especially if you’re working with a small budget. So be honest and realistic with yourself about how small or big the budget really is.
Once you've determined what you can spend, you'll want to think about the various types of furniture you'll need for each of your age groups, as well as for your staff. Here you will find a general checklist for your infant through preschool rooms:
Infant
Cribs
Changing table
High chairs
Rocking chairs or gliders
Play mat or rug
Storage units
Bookshelves
Toddler
Toddler beds
Age-appropriate table and chairs
Toy storage
Bookshelves
Soft seating
Art easel
Dress-up area
Preschool
Age-appropriate table and chairs
Storage units
Bookshelves
Art easel
Cozy reading area
Dramatic play area
Activity center
For all of your classrooms, don't forget to include safety features like safety gates, plug covers, and corner guards. (insert safety checklist/health and safety mini-course).
A good rule of thumb when furnishing your program is to use a tool like the ERS-3 to ensure you’re including items that will yield the highest quality for your program. Budgets can be tight when you’re just starting out, but it’s important to purchase quality supplies that are age-appropriate, engaging, and safe for your program.
Although something may not seem like a big deal, it could create unnecessary liability for your program. Investing in quality products at the start may cost more, but in the long run, it will pay for itself and provide you with peace of mind that your center is safe, while you’re working on other areas of your business.
And in the end, we know it all comes back to the budget, so here are a couple of options for when you’re struggling to find the finances to furnish your center:
Business Estate Sales
You may find gently used but great-quality furniture from a program that may be upgrading or closing its program.
Financing Services
Most furniture suppliers offer financing, you can order the items you need while making payments. Just remember to add the payment costs to your budget.
Once you have all of your items, you can begin designing your classrooms! If design isn’t your forte or you’re looking for a more hands-on approach from a professional, rest assured that many early childhood furniture suppliers offer classroom planning/setups. Depending on your area you may even be able to have someone come and assist you with classroom planning onsite - there are many businesses that provide this service! The Learning Lab Consulting Firm can also work with you and your supplier to provide a classroom set that is aligned with your program goals.
All in all, furnishing your child care center can be a creative and exciting process, so don't forget to have fun with it too!
If you’re looking for assistance furnishing your program click here(link)
