Inspirational and Empowering Child Care Business Owners To Build Successful Child Care Businesses

Posts tagged ‘staff members’

Motivate Your Staff With Incentives

Staffing a childcare center with dependable staff can be a challenge for Center Owners and Directors. In fact, I must say that when a center is not staffed with dependable staff, it can have a negative affect on the center. Most of all, this is why it is important to have dependable staff on your team and systems in place that motivates good attendance and excellent performance.

I recently incorporated a point system to keep track of staff tardies and unexcused absences. Also, I incorporated an incentive system to encourage the staff to show up on time and to consider our point system before calling off. In fact since we incorporated the point system, there has been fewer tardies and no call offs.

I’m not claiming to have the answer to all your staffing issues, however, I felt led to share with you what has worked for my center.

  1. My Director bought a spin wheel for the staff to spin when they have no tardies or call off for each month of employment.
  2. We also reward the lead teachers for decorating their classrooms with our curriculum theme in mind. The teacher with the best creativity wins a gift basket and a gift card.

This new incentive system has added accountability and also motivated our staff. What are your thoughts about this post and has this post inspired you to reward punctuality? Please feel free to share your thoughts..

Shiketa Morgan

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Marketing

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How To Reassure Staff During a Low Enrollment Season

Every year in August as my summer camp comes to an end, many of the school-age children leave the program to go back to school and this usually leaves 16-to-20 slots for me to fill. In fact, this year, I started marketing my program 6-weeks before the camp ended, so that  as the school-age kids were leaving the program….the preschoolers would be coming in.

Several days prior to writing this blog post, I was observing two of my staff members as they talked about how many of the kids had already left the program due to the summer camp ending. One of the teachers looked really concerned. So, I walked over and said to her, “You seem to be worried about the enrollment?” She (sadly) replied, “Yes I am.”

I kindly reminded her that this season is not going to last long and that we will have new students coming soon. Also, I encouraged her  not to worry about her hours being cut or losing her job. After I spoke with her, she smiled and appeared as if two buildings were lifted off her shoulders.

Moreover, since my talk with the teacher who was concerned about low enrollment, I have enrolled six new students and this was the response that I received from that concerned staff member, Wow! You said more children would be coming!

I only have a few more enrollment slots to fill, however, I am so thankful that I did not have to lay off staff due to a sudden shift in enrollment after the summer camp ended. Furthermore, after my brief talk with that teacher, I also realized the importance of having open and supportive communication with your staff during tough seasons.

Furthermore, be careful of  the words that you speak over your childcare business as you build enrollment. Your words are so powerful. So, be sure to stay in a mode of expectation.

I shared my story with you to encourage you to reassure your staff when there is a change in enrollment, especially during low enrollment seasons.

Here’s something to think about: you depend on the money from your business to pay your bills and your staff depends on you to provide them with a  job to pay their bills, so in the event that you foresee or anticipate a shift in enrollment, they should be informed. This will help to minimize unnecessary anxiety or gossip.

Also, be sure that you are not worried and always have confidence that more kids are coming. As you walk in confidence during a Low Enrollment season, you can be assured that your staff will catch that same attitude!

With Enrollment in Mind!

Shiketa

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Budget, Business Management, Child Care Center, daycare, Enrollment Building, Marketing

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