How to Start a Successful Daycare Business in Kenya [Full 2024 Guide]

In this guide, we will show you how to start a highly successful daycare business in Kenya. If you love taking care of kids, this might be something you’d be interested in. 

Yes, you can actually turn your love for kids into a viable business!

The best part is, you don’t need a lot to start. 

But why is starting a daycare a good idea in this day and age? Read below to understand.

Should You Start A Daycare Business in Kenya? 

The truth is, starting a daycare center is not as straightforward as it seems. There are a lot of things to factor in including legal requirements. 

However, if you are willing to put in the hard work, this can be an incredibly rewarding business. Whether you enjoy taking care of kids, helping parents out, or simply looking for a way to make extra income, starting a daycare in Kenya comes with several benefits. 

Here are some of them. 

• It’s Emotionally rewarding: It is no doubt that spending time with kids can be very emotionally rewarding. You get to have and slightly escape the reality of adulthood. You also learn to be tient, compassionate, a good leader and appreciate the simple things in life. 
• You get to learn more about personal child care: If you are a mother with a child or two, opening a daycare is a great idea. You will not only be making extra money but getting your kids to socialize with others. This will help them develop their social skills while giving you an opportunity to learn more about kids, how to care for them and how to be a better parent. 
• You can get additional opportunities: By starting a daycare, you will be opening doors to additional opportunities. For instance, you could be hired as a kindergarten teacher or take part in private and national child programs. 
• You get to make extra money: If you are a stay-at-home parent, starting a daycare will enable you to make extra income alongside taking care of your kids (More about profitability below). 

Now let’s go to the main part; where do you start? How much do you need? What are the best areas to start a daycare business in Kenya?

Before we answer these questions, let’s look at one of the most common questions people looking to start a daycare business have; Can I make money with a daycare business in Kenya? 

Is a Daycare Business in Kenya Profitable? 

Yes, a daycare business in Kenya can be profitable. The amount you can make will vary depending on several things such as: 

• Number of children 
• Your location 
• Your marketing strategies 
• The financial state of the parents 

How Much Can You Make With a Daycare Business in Kenya?

Most parents, especially those in urban areas, are willing to pay up to Ksh.30,000 per child every term. So, if you have 20 children, you can expect up to Ksh.600,000 per term which translates to about a cool 100k per month. 

We will talk more about how to charge for your daycare services later in this guide so… read ahead. 

How Much Do I Need to Start a Daycare Business in Kenya?

You will need at least Ksh.100,000 to start a successful daycare business in Kenya. However, if you choose to start small (for instance operate from home), you can invest about Ksh.50,000 or less. Several factors, however, will determine the cost of starting a daycare business in Kenya. 

They include: 

• Location; urban is more expensive than rural 
• The equipment and supplies you need 
• Rent if you are using a leased building 

Steps to Starting a Daycare Business in Kenya

Below are the steps to follow when starting a daycare business in Kenya

• Step 1: Get the Necessary skills 
•  Step 2: Identify the right location 
• Step 3: Understand the licensing requirements 
• Step 4: Get the right daycare equipment and supplies plus decorate the facility
• Step 5: Hire people to help
• Step 6: Develop a Marketing Strategy
• Step 7: Decide how much you will charge
• Step 8: Decide on your mode of operation

Skills: What Skills Do I Need to Start a Daycare Business in Kenya? 

Childcare is an art. You need skills and the right personnel to be successful. 

And while you can bank on your love for kids as a backdrop for your business, you will need to ensure you have the necessary skills to run a daycare facility. 

Children are sensitive, you can’t try approximation and error on them. You and any of your employees need to have more than a great rapport with kids. From the basic skill of changing a diaper to performing first aid, you need to be well-equipped before setting up the business. 

You can choose to attend a few ‘baby and me’ classes if you’re not a parent. Better yet, go ahead and get an ECD certificate. If you lack the certification, make an effort to hire at least a single person who has it.

To understand which skills you need as a daycare worker, you will first need to understand your duties and responsibilities. 

Duties of a Daycare Worker 

• Supervise children and ensure they are safe 
• Draft a meal schedule and snacks for children 
• Ensure the children are clean at all times 
• Change diapers for toddlers and infants 
• Come up with a basic learning curriculum and fun things  for the children to do
• Engage children in sufficient and safe physical activities 
• Ensure that children get enough rest after playing 
• Ensure the kids socialize and develop friendships with one another 
• Keep progress of children progress and report any worrying behavior to parents

Drawing from the above duties, a good daycare worker should have the following skills 

Communication skills to communicate with the parents, staff, and the kids 

Decision-making skills: you will need good judgment to make quick decisions in emergencies. 

Skills Needed to Run a Daycare 

• Instructional skills to communicate and explain different things in a way that young kids can understand. 
• Interpersonal skills to develop a good and cordial relationship with the kids, parents, and staff. 
• Patience: working with kids is sometimes frustrating and you need to be able to respond calmly and in a friendly manner even when the situation is overwhelming. 
• Physical stamina: children are energetic beings and you will need to keep up with them while engaging in physical activity

What Degree Do You Need to Start a Daycare?

You won’t necessarily need a fancy degree to set up your own daycare business. With a simple ECDE certification and the above skills, you will be good to go. 

Now, let’s look at how to find the perfect location for your childcare business. 

Location: What are the Best Places to Start a Daycare Center in Kenya? 

There are two places you can set up a daycare in Kenya:

• At your home 
• In a rented room

Parents usually have no problem with either type of daycare, as long as you prove they can trust you with their loved ones.

Should I Start a Daycare at Home

If getting the capital is a problem, and you have extra space in your house, you can have a mini daycare for up to 5 kids. This will help you cut costs until you save enough to afford a bigger room. There is no additional rent to pay, minimal things to buy, and you might not even need licensing. 

Your friends, family members, and neighbors can be your clients.

However, if you are looking to start a successful daycare business (which is why you are here), operating from home is not a good idea, especially if you have limited space. For your daycare to thrive, you need to look beyond your neighborhood and consider high-paying clients. 

This means you will need to set up a full-fledged licensed business with a name, staff, and the right equipment. 

Let’s talk more about that below… 

Finding the Best Location for a Daycare in Kenya

If you decide that operating from home is not the right fit for you, consider renting a bigger room. Make sure that the room is located in a strategic location where a daycare can thrive. 

Parents want the convenience of dropping off and picking up their kids effortlessly to and from work. The place should be serene, strategic, and above all spacious. Kids need a lot of space for playing around.

In general, the best location to start a childcare facility in Kenya should be: 

• Spacious with minimal environmental hazards 
• Near an estate or neighborhood with many working parents 
• Serene to give children peace of mind

You can get such a room for about Ksh. 5,000 in rural areas and up to Ksh 20,000 in urban centers. 

Best Locations to Set up a Daycare Business in Nairobi

• Buruburu
• Donholm
• Imara Daima
• Kasarani
• Kilimani
• Langata
• Nairobi West
• Roysambu
• South B
• Umoja
• Embakasi

Not from Nairobi? Comment your location below and we will tell you the best places to start a Daycare in your specific area.

 The advantage of renting a space in comparison to your own home is you can accommodate more kids, therefore you will earn more and your venture will be more professional.

Legal Requirements: What License Do You Need to Operate a Daycare Business in Kenya? 

For starters, you will need to get a business permit. On top of that, you will need a fire and health certificate as well. You will get the first and the second document from your local county government. Visit any of their offices and they will help you out with the process including how much you need.

The amount you will pay for a business permit depends on your local government. This can be any amount from Ksh.4,000 to Ksh.15,000. The second certificate is cheaper, at around Ksh.3,000.

For the health license, you will part with about Ksh.3,000 as well. Finally, the health certificate for you and your personnel will cost you approximately Ksh.1,500. Get both from any public or private hospital around you.

In a nutshell, here are some of the legal requirements you might need to start a childcare business in Kenya: 

• Official business permit – Shows that you are eligible to legally operate a business in Kenya 
• Fire certificates – Shows that the facility has sufficient fire fighting equipment or few fire hazards. 
• Personal Health certificates – Shows that you do not have any contagious illness you might infect the kids with. 
• Insurance – To insure your business against unprecedented situations. 
• Public health license – This shows the facility is safe to use and doesn’t pose any dangers to the kids or the public. 

You might not necessarily need all of these certifications. For instance, the public health license can be taken care of by the owner of the facility and not you. 

Customization: What Supplies and Equipment Do I Need to Start a Daycare Business in Kenya? 

While it’s important to make your childcare facility as exciting as possible, it should also be childproof. Paint colorful cartoons on the walls both inside and out, including the gate as well if you can. That is the first impression your daycare will make, you need to sell it right. 

That aside, work on interior décor too. The goal is to make it as exciting, safe, and as engaging as possible for the children. Among the things you should buy include:

• Both soft and hard toys like dolls and cars.
• Coloring books
• Playmats
• A few mattresses and bedding for younger kids.

If you plan to take care of toddlers, the mattresses are mandatory since they take cat naps at least twice a day. Additionally, you might need appliances like a microwave to warm up food and a fridge to store stuff like medicine in case one of them is under medication.

In total, you will need about Ksh.20,000 for the different equipment and supplies. Later on, when the business picks up, you can have more fun stuff like slides and bounce houses which are quite expensive.

Exciting Equipment to Have in a Daycare Facility

• Baby gear: Cribs for sleeping, changing table, feeding chairs, strollers 
• Toys: Balls, climbing toys, games, dolls, dress-up clothes, puzzles, small slides
• First aid kits: Bandages, disposable gloves, first-aid cream, gauze, medical tape, cold packs, scissors, tweezers and shields for CPR breathing
• Fun furniture: Chairs, tables, desks, storage closets, bookshelves and cupboards 
• Feeding supplies: Food, refrigerators, snacks, safe drinks, cooking utensils, pans, plates, cups

Hire Staff: What Qualifications Are Needed to Work at a Daycare?

As we already mentioned, taking care of kids can be frustrating. That’s why sometimes you might need people to help out. 

When starting, we don’t recommend you hire more people than you need. One or two is enough. 

 Several factors should determine how many people you need:

• The number of children you have or expect to get
• Magnitude of activities at the daycare
• Type of equipment you have (you might not know how to use some)
• Need for special care personnel, such as people to help change diapers and feed infants. 

When it comes to paying them, you can agree for them to work on a commission basis. That means

giving them a certain percentage of the fee any child they handle pays. For a more solid deal, you can

agree to pay your personnel a certain amount weekly or monthly.

Make sure that all your staff have the skills listed above. You can either hire those with certificates in childcare or train some yourself.

How to Make Your Daycare Business Successful in Kenya

Now that you are all set up, it is time to let parents know that they can trust you with their kids. In this sections, you will learn how to: 

• Draft an effective marketing strategy 
• Write a Daycare business plan 
• Charge for your daycare services 
• Properly manage your daycare business 

How to Draft an effective Daycare Business Marketing Strategy 

When you launch, there is a chance that a few people know about your business yet. It is up to you to get the word out about your daycare business. 

Get your daycare known everywhere around you. Print simple brochures and flyers to spread the word to all prospective clients. Make the parents understand why they need you specifically to take care of their young ones and not other daycare businesses. 

Win their trust, and offer them convenient and lucrative deals.

Parents, especially mothers, need to know that whoever is with their kids will take care of them the same way she would. Show your professionalism and don’t sound too good to be true, that might trigger a negative response.

You will need less than Ksh.5,000 to print the fliers and distribute them. Get a manual laborer to give them a token of about Ksh.500 if you can’t do it yourself. Just remember to include your contact in case any interested parent needs to make some inquiries.

You can also talk about your business on social media. We recommend: 

• Facebook – Post about your daycare business on relevant groups. You can also create a page get, get parents to like and post regularly about your services. 
• Instagram – Create beautiful images about your business and share them with your followers. 
• LinkedIn – Post on relevant LinkedIn pages about your business
• Twitter  – Tweet regularly and don’t forget to use relevant childcare hashtags 
• WhatsApp – Post status updates and maybe ask friends and family to do the same

How to Charge for Your Daycare Services 

This is the part where your investment should pay off. What you charge should be able to sustain the daycare and give you some profit. The figure will depend on the services you will be offering and the attention a child needs. Sometimes, the financial situation of your clients may determine how much you should charge. 

If you offer ECD classes, you can’t charge the same as someone who doesn’t. Also, if you intend to cook meals for them instead of eating home-packed food, you will have to charge more. Younger children need constant attention unlike their older counterparts too. 

Long story short, do not shy off from charging your services their due worth. Also, it will be entirely up to you if you will bill parents daily, weekly, or monthly.

Mode of Operation  

Have specific opening and closing hours for reliability. You also need to agree with the parents if they will drop their children and pick them up or otherwise. For convenience’s sake, you can decide to go for the kids at home and drop them off once the day is done.

For that to run smoothly, you will need to hire a van twice a day. If the parents will be dropping them off, ensure they register their names once they do. Keep a record book for accountability.

Note down arrival and departure times, any specific instructions a parent might give you for their child, and any observations you might have for a certain child or recommendation.

The Bottom Line

So there you have it, how to start a daycare business in Kenya with Ksh 50,000 or less. If you are an entrepreneur, a passionate parent, or someone with ECD skills, this business will be a perfect fit for you. Better yet, it is not a demanding start-up. Use what you have before you achieve what you want. Don’t just sit, psych yourself up, and make a dime!