In America today, it takes two incomes in most cases to live a regular middle class lifestyle. This is due to rising costs of necessities such as housing, power, and insurance and Americans are seeing many non-necessities as needs such as cell phones, cable, and video games.

A few generations ago, one income would support a family. Dad would work and Mom would stay at home and play homemaker. Most people raising families in those generations were much more frugal and children were not spoiled. Many of the things we pay for today on a monthly basis didn't even exist then. How much do you pay for internet, cable/satellite, cell phone plans, big birthdays, name brand clothes, video game systems and video games? If these things existed back then, most families could not afford them.

A major problem for single parents is childcare. Unfortunately many single mothers can not even afford to work, because childcare would cost more than what they would bring home in a paycheck, leaving them stuck between a rock and a hard place.

The answer for homemakers wanting to help their husbands bring in some money or for single mothers who can not afford child care themselves may be a pretty basic idea: Start your own home daycare.

As long as mothers are working, childcare will always be a service in demand. This could be an ideal solution for a mother with children who wants to stay home with them and bring in an income. Watch other children along with your own children. Your children will have playmates and you will get paid.

There are basically two things you need to make sure you have before you start a home daycare:

1) Patience and love for children.

2) A suitable place to keep them.

This is written under the assumption that you know that watching children all day is hard work!

If you live in a cramped apartment, this isn't a good idea until you move to a better place. Parents would like to place their children in a home that has plenty of room and a place outside to play.

What you earn depends on where you live and how many children you keep. Childcare costs are high in some areas of the country, while other parts are relatively low.

Many parents prefer home daycares to regular daycares because their children get more attention, they have the same sitter everyday, and it costs less than regular daycare. You could also just be a regular babysitter, but many parents feel better knowing their childcare provider is licensed by the state. Plus, if you are licensed you are allowed to keep more children.

Before you start a home daycare, you will need to do some planning and it will take time before you are officially open for business. You will need to get a license, your home will be inspected, you will need to child proof your home if it isn't already, and get some extra toys and baby equipment and decide on meal and snacks everyday.

Then you will need to decide what you will charge, draw up contracts which parents will sign and begin marketing. Put up fliers, get business cards, tell your friends and family to spread the word, and put an ad in the paper. Some home daycares are filled up soon after opening, while others will take time to get established.

An example of one successful home daycare owner is a single mother who could not afford to put her own children in daycare. So, she decided to open up a home daycare and is now making $1,600 a month gross, with the benefit of being able to raise her children herself and be with them everyday. She could earn more money because she is able to watch more children, but has decided to limit her business to watching 4 other children and they are charged $100 a week. However, if she wants, she has options on earning more money from her business.

If she worked outside the home, she'd be only making about $300 per week and would be paying $300 per week for her two children to be in regular daycare, meaning she'd make nothing for working hard all week. Now, she makes $400 per week, doesn't have to pay a penny to put her kids in childcare and gets to spend tons of quality time with them. With her home daycare income and child support, she is doing well for herself.