You can make your day care stand out from the crowd, set it apart from the competition and as such, keep it full to capacity with children of happy parents. There are a number of relatively small, easy to do and cheap methods of achieving this end. Some take a little effort, others a little thought and some a little money but that investment in your business will supply you with unique selling points that will ensure the success of your day care.
You want parents to know that you provide excellent quality child care but how do you convey that to a nervous, cynical parent on a visit to your day care? Effective policies will indicate to parents the philosophy of your service and how your agreed and consistent methods of doing things will ensure the wellbeing of their children. They will clearly define what procedures occur in relation to certain events and should essentially; outline a step by step guide to how your day care is run.
Thorough, well developed policies show potential clients that there are definitive expectations, understandings and guidelines for all daily operations ensuring consistency and accountability at all times. It is vital that you meet all legislative requirements and your policies should reflect current best practice indicating that you are on top of your business and constantly striving for perfection.
Gaining a third party accreditation is a great way to differentiate your day care from the herd. Potential parents love to see evidence of recognition from respected, related organizations. You will need to pay an annual joining fee and undergo an assessment by one of their inspectors (but you won’t have anything to worry about because you’re already doing everything right anyway!). Then you roll out all your stationary and brochures and have your accreditations emblazoned across absolutely everything.
These organizations can also provide tremendous support to day care owners in the form of information, training, publications, workshops and conferences. Accreditation can be acquired from some of the following places: * National Association for Family Childcare - www.nafcc.org * Canadian Childcare Federation - www.cccf-fcsge.ca/home_en.html * National Association for Education of Young Children - www.naeyc.org * National After school Association - www.naaweb.org * Council on Accreditation - www.coanet.org
Unfortunately, horror stories abound focusing on children being abused and neglected in day cares all over the world. Fortunately, you can use this fact to your advantage by providing parents with proof that yours is a reputable operation. Get yourself background checked and display the results for all to see. There are many companies who provide this service for a small fee. Have an open door policy and promote it with gusto. Consider the expense of installing a CCTV and see your prospective parent’s eyes light up with joy. The peace of mind from being able to see your little one on a daily basis is invaluable.
New parents will walk several steps closer to enrolling their child in you day care if you take some or all of the above mentioned steps. Forming a bond based on trust is vital for new parents and if you can ease some of their fear and apprehension that trust has begun. Stand out from the crowd by presenting proof of your exceptional, quality care. ———————————————————-ARTICLE END
To discover more about starting a day care, visit Child Care Only where you will find this an much more, covering all aspects of starting a home daycare.
- Fiona Lohrenz
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