Family Child Care Home Provider Business Support
Tax Tips for Registered Family Child Care
Don’t Let Tax Time Get You Down! We have resources to help!
2025 Taxes (for filing in the Spring of 2026)!
On February 26, 2026 Child Care Aware of New Jersey held a tax preparation webinar going over basic concepts, business expenses, shared expenses, IRS forms, and worksheets and templates to help FCC providers. If you missed the session, you can watch the recorded video here. The slide presentation is also available in English and Spanish.
Tax Concept One Pagers – Simple Explainers (See Below Documents)
- The Time-Space Percentage Explainer (one pager). The time-space percentage is important because this is the percentage that is applied to shared expenses (i.e., expenses that are partially business related and partially personal) when adding deductible expenses to your tax forms. English & Spanish
- IRS Form 8829 Explainer (one pager). This is the IRS form where you list shared expenses. The time-space percentage is used for the calculation on this form. English & Spanish
- IRS Schedule C Explainer (one pager). This is the IRS form where you list all your expenses that are 100% related to operating your business. English & Spanish
Worksheets & Tools to Make Filing Taxes (and record-keeping) Easier!
- IRS Schedule C Expense Worksheet (Explained 100% Business Expenses List adjacent to IRS Schedule C Form, February 2026) English & Spanish
- IRS Form 8829 Shared Expense Worksheet (Explained Shared Expenses List adjacent to IRS Form 8829 Form, February 2026) English & Spanish
- Time-Space Worksheet (Excel tool to calculate time-space percentage, February 2026) English & Spanish
- Time Tracker (Use this worksheet to track your working time every day/every week to prepare for the time-space percentage used in IRS Form 8829 — not just the time you spend caring for children but all the other things you do to support your business) English & Spanish
- Monthly Attendance and Payment Log. (Excel, use this template to track child payments & Monthly Meals & Snacks). English & Spanish
- Monthly Business Expense Log (Excel, use this template to track business expenses to support your FCC program) English & Spanish
NJ Shared Resources Online Family Child Care Toolkit
Check out the business resources in the NJ Shared Resources Platform online family child care toolkit!
- Discounts on frequently purchased products
- Financial management and templates
- Record-keeping forms and parent contracts
- Forms and policies
- Creating a profit & loss statement
- And more!
Contact your local Child Care Resource and Referral (CCR&R) agency if you need help gaining access to the NJ Shared Resources Platform. CCR&R staff can also help identify resources in the toolkit to help with your day to day work. Download this cheat sheet of resources contained in the platform.
Marketing Resources
The NJ Shared Resources Platform has a wide array of marketing resources – including a list of 25 no cost (or low cost) ways to market your program!
- Email marketing for Beginners (Video)
- Google Ads for Beginners (Video)
Key Child Care State Agencies
Department of Human Services, Division of Family Development
Department of Children and Families, Office of Licensing
Links to Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Forms & Material
- IRS Form Schedule C – Profit or Loss from Business (Sole Proprietorship)
- IRS Video – Schedule C: Who need to file this form and how to do it
- IRS Publication, Schedule C Instructions & Additional Information
- IRS Form 8829 – Expenses for Business Use of Your Home
- IRS Publication, Form 8829 Instructions & Additional Information
- All IRS Forms and Publications
Health Insurance Resources
The American Rescue Plan makes health care coverage more affordable! If you do not currently have health insurance or, have health insurance through Get Covered New Jersey, you may be able to get free or greatly reduced cost health coverage. Read our one pager to learn more!
- American Rescue Plan Health Insurance One Pager (August 29, 2022)
Professionalize Your Family Child Care Home
- Recorded Webinar with Q&A. How to Effectively Use Contracts & Policies for Family Child Care Homes in the Age of COVID-19 by Tom Copeland, February 22, 2021
- Tom Copeland slide deck from the February 22, 2021 Recorded Webinar
Basic Business Resources
- FCC Financial Management Toolkit (Opportunities Exchange)
- FCC Financial Management Self-Assessment (Opportunities Exchange)
- FCC Budget Template | Provider (Excel Download, Opportunities Exchange)
- Child Care Management System Software (Software to help you run your business).
- Frequently Asked Questions (Opportunities Exchange)
- Child Care Business Tax Resources (Civitas Strategies)
Federal Help for Child Care Businesses
- Small Business Administration (SBA): Support America’s small businesses. The SBA connects entrepreneurs with lenders and funding to help them plan, start and grow their businesses.
- Women Owned Business Center: Find your local Women Owned Business Center for support for women business owners.
- Score: The nation’s largest network of volunteer, expert business mentors. They have helped more than 11 million small business owners since 1964.
Access to Capital – Loans
Emergency Planning
Federal and state laws require all regulated child care businesses to have an emergency plan.
There are many templates. Contact your local Child Care Resource & Referral (CCR&R) agency today for help in drafting your plan!
Thriving by Three
The Thriving by Three Infant and Toddler Child Care family child care home grant helps support the development and creation of infant and toddler slots and provides technical assistance to providers for the expansion of child care spaces. This program accepted applications from November 2023 through January 2024.
Eligibility Summary
Eligible Providers must:
- Comply with state and federal health and safety requirements for registered family child care providers,
- Comply with the current family child care registration standards for infant and toddler child care, including, but not limited to, child-to-staff ratios and health and safety standards,
- Be in good standing (no enforcement action and/or funding misrepresentation investigation or misuse of funds),
- Use the funds to develop or expand quality child care spaces for infant and toddlers, and
- Participate or apply to participate in the state’s child care quality rating and improvement system, Grow NJ Kids, no later than 12 months after initial grant approval.
How-To Documents
Submitting an Application Video
Webinar Recording English | en español
Overview PDF English | en español
Other Resources from Tom Copeland
- Tom Copeland’s web site (Tom has retired. Civitas Strategies is carrying on his work)
- How to Find, Choose and Work with a Tax Professional (January 16, 2021)
- How to Apply for the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) Program (February 4, 2021)
- Top Three Record Keeping Tips
- 2024 and 2025 Standard Mileage Rates Allowed (IRS)
- The Truth About Parent Receipts
- What Are the Tax Consequences of a State Grant? (February 8, 2021)
- Recorded Webinar with Q&A. Money Management and Retirement Planning by Tom Copeland, March 1, 2021
- Slide Presentation from the March 1, 2021 Recorded Webinar
- Individual Retirement Account (IRA) Comparison Matrix (One page explainer, March 2, 2021)
Additional Videos for Family Child Care Providers
- The Best Business Structure for a Family Child Care Provider (Tom Copeland)
- Three Record Keeping Tips for Family Child Care Providers (Tom Copeland)
- The Two Most Important Terms to Include in a Contract (Tom Copeland)
- How Do Providers Pay Themselves? (Tom Copeland)
- How to Find and Choose a Tax Preparer (Tom Copeland)
- Is Your Home, Business and Vehicle Properly Insured? (Tom Copeland)
NJEDA Child Care Facilities Improvement Program
In 2023, NJEDA accepted applications from child care centers for facility improvement. The agency is now offering a similar program to registered family child care homes. See the NJ EDA Phase 2 FCC Facilities Improvement Program web page. Phase 2 is a pilot grant of $5 million to support New Jersey Registered Family Child Care homes (FCCs) with the purchase of furniture, fixtures, and equipment (FFE) that will contribute to Health, Safety and Accessibility and/or High Quality Learning Environments. Grants between $10,000 and $20,000 are available pending approval of an application.
Webinars:
- Program Overview Webinar Presentation – English
- Child Care Phase 2 (English recording)
- Información general: Grabación en español
FAQS:
Tools You Can Use to Support Your Registered Family Child Care Home!
Have your heard about the online family child care toolkit? Learning resources, business templates, discounts on frequently purchased products and more!
Recorded Webinar. Overview of the Online Family Child Care Toolkit (January 23, 2021)
Slides (Introduction to the webinar)
For more information contact your local CCR&R!
Overview Resources
Child Care Aware of New Jersey:
- Child Care & Recordkeeping (One Pager, May 1, 2021)
- Expense Tracker Template