For someone who's totally new to hedgies, it's nice to have a book. One that maybe the boss and daughter can read together. Sadly, there are a lot out there with old/outdated/incorrect/possibly harmful info that could lead to trouble, so I'd like to recommend a particular book that's pretty darn good: "The Hedgehog Primer: Everything You Need to Know about the Basic Care of Pet African Hedgehogs" by Antigone Means-Burleson. You can see a copy here:
http://www.hedgehogvalley.com/primer.html
Quick answers to your questions:
cages - There are lots of options. Two big things to consider are (1) size & shape and (2) how to keep hedgie warm. Hedgies can squish through big openings and climb things they shouldn't; they can fall and hurt themselves big time. So you'll want a cage that has plenty of floor space... and no levels unless you make walls to keep hedgie from falling off the ledge and from falling of the ramp up to the ledge...and small openings while still providing ventilation (ie, no aquariums). Hedgies have a heat requirement - roughly 75F... depending on the hedgie, it could be a few degrees warmer or cooler, and it needs to be pretty consistant. So if boss is wanting to heat up the room to that temperature (including at night when people usually turn the thermostat down), there are many options - C&C, Sterilite tub, wire-top with plastic bottom... If boss isn't interested in keeping hedgie's room consistently ~75F, then I'd recommend a big plastic bottom, wire-top cage and you can set up a ceramic heat emitter that's plugged into a thermostat controller.
diets - Hedgie is going to need a mix of high quality cat kibble as the staple food. I'd use this list as reference:
http://www.hedgehogcentral.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=15
It should be a mix because no one cat food is going to provide for all of a hedgie's needs. Stay away from pet store food labeled "hedgehog food" - some is manufactured to meet the needs of European hedgies... a diet that would slowly starve pet African hedgies to death
Mealworms are a big hit... though I'd wait to buy until hedgie is in the house. And various veggies - baby food versions of sweet potato, butternut squash, green beans, carrot, and peas are big hits in my house.
toys - hedgies sure are different when it comes to toys. Many like toilet paper rolls cut lengthwise; others like small cat toys or mini beanie babies. Mine has a plastic dump truck that she used to be able to fit into as a baby.
exercise - WHEEL is an absolute necessity. I'd recommend a bucket wheel (either self-made or bought on line) or a giant "Comfort Wheel" that you can buy in most pet supply stores. Steer away from the "Silent Spinners" and "Wodent Wheels" - both have design flaws when it comes to hedgies.
cleaning - um, the hedgie or the hedgie's belongings? As for hedgie, bathe infrequently as their skin tends to be on the dry side. But if they've made of mess of themselves, a nice oatmeal bath does the trick. Depending on the hedgie, a daily footbath (<1" of warm water to soak the poop-boots off... poop-boots happen when hedgie poops and pees in the wheel and then runs through it... it's a hedgie thing... you come to appreciate poopy little feet in the mornings and worry when it doesn't happen) is needed; some seem to clean their own feet and isn't quite as necessary to do every day.
As for hedgie's belongings... there are a number of different variations depending on what you put in the cage... a few quick thoughts: be prepared to clean a poopy wheel every morning (I read talk about vinegar & water... I just do it in my tub with human shampoo) if hedgie's on liners made of fleece, again, you run into lots of variations, but the main idea is use scent-free detergent in the wash... their little noses are less than a centimeter off the ground. And it's easy enough to hang to dry to avoid those scented dryer sheets... I'm also not so sure if you want a hedgie curled up in fabric softener all the time.
