A day in the life

What’s It Like to Own a Daycare Center?

A Day in the Life of a Discovery Point Daycare Owner

Wondering what it’s like to be a daycare owner? At Discovery Point, we help facilitate a work environment that gives our center owners freedom to implement their own vision of child care within the framework of our proven approach.

As a result, it’s easy to create a work schedule that promotes a comfortable work-life balance, offers plenty of flexibility, and ensures you never have to sacrifice your quality of life to run a successful business.

Below is an example of what a day in the life looks like for many Discovery Point daycare owners

Starting the Day My Way



6:20 a.m.

My alarm clock goes off. I roll over to grab my phone off of the nightstand and I open the Procare app to check in on my center. I see that my trusted Director and teachers have opened the center, as usual, and have gotten the day off to a great start as our early arriving children are dropped off at 6:30.

I can see what time each child has arrived and I can check to make sure that the center is properly staffed, all from my phone as I lie in bed.

Some days, I like to get up early and go into my center to open it, myself. It’s good to get that recharge every so often and see those bright, smiling faces of the children as they arrive – and the grateful faces of their parents as they drop off their little ones before they head out to face the day.




Building Relationships On-Site

8:45 a.m.

Most days, I’ll get to the center sometime between 8:30–9 a.m. There are families still arriving for morning drop offs and it’s a great opportunity to build relationships with the parents and their children. Plus, I’ve found that it’s reassuring to parents to see the owner of the center on-site and present. They can see that I care about their children and that I’m dedicated to running the center in the best way possible.

9:15 a.m.

I check in with the front desk staff to make sure things are running smoothly. Afterwards, I like to make my rounds. I’ll walk the entire building and check in on every room. I connect with the teachers in each classroom and I greet the children (one of my favorite parts of my day!). Above all, I’m keeping a watchful eye on quality – both in the efforts of my staff and in the state of center, overall. It’s a mini-inspection and it helps me feel confident about the level of quality and care my center is providing.

Taking Care of Business

10 a.m. - 12 p.m.

Now it’s time for my office hours. I’ll settle into my desk in my office near the front door and dive into some operational tasks. Depending on the day, it may be reviewing vendor accounts, or paying bills, or conducting job interviews, or just reviewing a list of tasks for the week.

Discovery Point Franchising (the corporate team) provides a list of specific tasks for each day of the week. This is always very helpful as it helps to keep things organized and on-track. This list includes agency funding reviews, payroll and staff hours, laying out next week’s schedule, handling HR situations, and returning parent phone calls.

11 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

It’s lunch time for the children!

Either I or my director will keep an eye on food prep and service. This is a good time to interact with the children and to also get some first-hand feedback on what meal items are popular.

12:30 p.m.

After lunch, while the children are napping, I find this is a good time for a daily management meeting with my Director and Assistant Director. We discuss family engagement and individual student focus, we review materials and supplies to make sure our inventory is in good shape, and we go over the status of the upcoming lesson plans and curriculum. This is also a good time to go over HR and staffing needs. My directors have their finger on the pulse of this center and they know the comings and goings of each teacher and staff member.

Interacting with the Community & Families

1:15 p.m.

When the management meeting is over, I take some time away from the center. I’ll grab some lunch for myself, run some personal errands, and perhaps drop off some new enrollment coupons at a few children’s retail stores around town. From there, I might swing by the parks and recreation department to drop off my sponsorship application for an upcoming health event. I enjoy these visits around town as they help me to connect with my community and it expands the Discovery Point brand and the reach and influence of my center.

2:30 - 3:30 p.m.

I return to the center to man the front desk as my Directors head out on the afternoon bus pickups at the local schools. During this stretch of time, I get to greet and interact with the afternoon part-time staff, or I might answer the phone to talk with a parent inquiring about enrollment, as well as chat with parents who have come by for early pickups.

Wrapping Up the Day

4 - 4:30 p.m.

By this time of day, our school-agers are here and our afternoon staff has settled into their routines. At this point, I’m free to go and could call it a day, if I so choose. It’s entirely up to me. I know the center is in good hands should I choose to head home.

But some days, I like to stay a little longer. It’s a great time for staff interaction and comradery – chatting about fun adventures of the day or just getting to know them better. This is also a perfect time to schedule a parent conference if one is ever needed. I may walk the building again, keeping that ever-watchful eye on our quality. I’ll also keep an eye out for any possible building maintenance issues that may come up. It’s also good to be at the center around this time simply to be a part of the end-of-day routine for our families.

5:30 p.m.

For me, the last hour of the day is my favorite. There is a calm that comes over the center as things wind down from the energetic hustle and bustle of the day. It’s a great time to make new connections, build on existing ones, and to see how a child’s day went.

I love this time of day because I get to see the results of my efforts. It gives me a deep sense of accomplishment and pride to see the impact my childcare center has made. I love it because when all is said and done… I go home happy.

Become a Discovery Point Daycare Owner

As a Discovery Point daycare owner, you’ll have the opportunity to engage in rewarding and fulfilling work while living your dream of running your own business. Learn more about what we offer through our turnkey franchise packages today. Call our franchising team at 770-623-1140 for details about purchasing one of our franchise locations.