The Child Care Business Owner Institute

It is vital that your childcare business takes the necessary steps to effectively communicate and connect with parents.

In fact, planning to communicate effectively with families is a sure way to have a mutually working relationship with parents.

Planning to communicate effectively is a sure indicator that your childcare business strives to connect with families.

Here are five effective ways to communicate with parents:

1. Upon enrolling new children, plan to hold a pre-enrollment visit to allow the family and child to be introduced to the classroom or simply hold a family orientation meeting.  This process helps to make the transition into your program much smoother for the child and family.

2. Consider posting a sign that invites parents to visit your program and observe at any time. In the event that a parent has the day off, it is good to know that parents are welcome to stop in and observe their children. You are sending a message that parents are welcome and you are confident about the practices in your program.

3.  Are parents involved in program planning? Many parents feel guilty because they must work and one way to help them to feel involved in their child’s experience in your program is by asking them to get involved. Here are some ways to invite parents to get involved:

• Ask parents to donate needed items for parties
• Invite parents to get involved with program events
• Invite parents to offer field trip ideas
• Share menu ideas
• Serve on your PTA
• Share their family cultures and incorporate into your curriculum

4.  Be sure that you interaction with parents are always warm, friendly and respectful. Train staff to smile and greet parents when they see them. Express empathy when parents have concerns and strive to have a win-win relationship. Here is one thing to keep in mind,  People don’t care how much you know, until they know how much you care.

5.  Does your program have a variety of ways to communicate with parents?  Having a variety of ways to communicate with parents promotes good communication and is a sure way to creating a positive connection with families.  This includes:

• Creating and issuing a parent handbook
• daily infant/toddler reports
• Greet parents upon arrival and hold brief conversations
• Schedule an annual or bi-annual parent teacher conference
• Create a festive and inviting parent information area/bulletin board
• Weekly/monthly newsletters
• Periodic phone calls to discuss important issues or to thank parents for choosing your program
• Email information to parents about upcoming events, etc

It’s time to review the way that you communicate with parents. Moreover, it’s time to make the necessary changes to assure that you are effectively communicating with parents. To prevent from being overwhelmed with too many changes, make one change at a time.

Good Communication with parents is Vital to having a Successful Child Care  Business!

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Your Child Care Business Coach,

Shiketa