Daily Connect

A home daycare center is a business that’s crucial to your community, supporting parents, families, and children. But it’s not an easy business to run: there’s a lot to keep track of, from childcare regulations to managing things like parent billing and enrollment. Today, there are digital tools that many established childcare centers rely on to assist their overall operations, parent communication, and business growth. Now, at-home childcare providers have access to these same childcare software, and can use them in the same way to help them make the most of their small business. 

Childcare is always in high demand, and where there is scarce or unaffordable care in a town or city, at-home daycare is a welcome alternative. Some families even prefer at-home daycare to larger childcare centers, valuing the closer, more personal relationships that they, and their children, build with their childcare provider. In fact, close to 30% of infants and toddlers receive childcare from at-home caregivers, nearly half of which are made up of paid home daycare providers. 

If you’re thinking about starting an at-home daycare or if you’re looking to improve how you keep track of the one you already run, here are six ways affordable childcare software can help. 

1. Track Attendance and Daily Routines

Once you have children enrolled in your home daycare program, you need to stay on top of their logistics and day-to-day routines. As a licensed daycare center, you’re responsible for the supervision, safety, and activities of the kids in your care. 

Childcare software mitigates the stress of misplacing attendance sheets and activity logs. With a childcare app, keeping track of who arrives and leaves throughout the day is as easy as tapping a button on a screen. These software platforms will log the timestamps, attendance reports, name, and sometimes even a picture of each child. It will update live whenever their parents check them in or out.

Logging daily routines or events is another helpful feature. You can make a note when each child:

• Naps
• Bottle feeds 
• Eats snack
• Completes a milestone
• Uses the bathroom
• Gets hurt
• And more

Keeping track of how a child is doing with daily routines and activities also makes it easier for you to update parents on their child’s progress, strengthening the relationship between you and your customers.  

2. Improve Parent Communication with Childcare Software

A top priority of families who send their kids to daycare is receiving detailed communication from teachers. Childcare apps like Daily Connect let childcare providers and parents directly message one another within the app, encouraging responsible dialogue and daily reports. 

Parents may appreciate the option to use an app for managing their childcare scheduling, documentation, and communication. Having access to a digital tool also reassures parents you’re a professional who invests in ways to make your business more effective. 

With technology today, video clip sharing is a social norm. This can also delight parents while their child is in your care. Send videos or photos of memorable moments from the day, or document minor concerns like a child’s injury or challenging behavior.

3. Abide by Early Childhood Education Standards

Learning and socialization are major parts of early childhood development. Your daycare is a place where children get to experience new things that add to their growth. The best at-home daycares will follow established Early Childhood Education (ECE) standards for preschool. 

Childcare apps are designed to support state standards and help you execute learning frameworks. Documenting the requirements for your daycare and including developmental milestones in your lesson plans help you be the leader that parents are paying you for. It also helps the children learn at a healthy pace. 

Following ECE standards and detailing learning assessments within the app can also save you trouble if you ever get audited. With all your license forms, regulations, and guideline documents in one place, you’ll have the information you need to run your business properly while keeping local regulators happy. 

4. Use Childcare Software to Organize Lesson Plans and Activities

When planning, you no longer need to search your computer for last month’s lessons or confuse the playtime activities you had planned for next week. With daycare software, you can upload calendars and lesson plans in one place. This helps you and any assistant teachers remain organized and on task.

By logging lesson plans and activities digitally, you can always go back and update the curriculum in the future. You can also review each child’s learning assessments over the year, determining which developmental areas you should focus on with each child.

By looking back at your curriculum at the end of the year, you might notice topics you missed. When planning next year’s curriculum, you can use the data provided by childcare software to get a clear picture of what needs to be improved. 

5. Encourage Health and Safety

Ever since the COVID-19 pandemic hit, society has had to adjust its health and safety precautions. In large and small gatherings, such as daycare, mandates continue to change. 

When you have to log or report illness symptoms or positive coronavirus tests, using an app that supports you and your home daycare is a huge help. Request temperature reports or family surveys to be aware of any time there’s a sign of an outbreak in your class. Notify parents all at once with group emails directly from the app, if necessary. 

Childcare software tools give families the options for contactless sign-in, which is another solution for improving health and safety in your business. Parents and guardians have peace of mind with touchless tools for drop-off and pick-up. 

6. Manage Your Childcare Business Finances 

Another significant benefit of using childcare software for your at-home daycare is the ability to easily keep track of all the billing and payment processing required to run your business. Parents can set up automatic payments for tuition. You can instantly receive notices of late payments. Billing reminders can save you from ongoing financial frustration. 

When you’re able to log all of the billing and payment info from your home daycare, everything is in one place when tax season arrives. You can record expenses, income, and deductibles so your books stay clean. If you have an accountant, they can access everything they need. 

Daily Connect provides daycare providers with a range of parent billing services, including invoicing, online payments, and a simple dashboard that helps you manage the financial side of your childcare business. You can learn more about Daily Connect’s parent billing features in this post. 

Making the Switch to At-Home Childcare Software

If you’re ready to reap all the benefits of a new childcare software, it’s time to invest in your business and the families you support. Outdated computer software and free childcare apps can provide the most basic features, but there are affordable ways to take your daycare operation and administration tasks to the next level. 

For a small monthly subscription, Daily Connect provides at-home childcare leaders with the tools they need so that their daycare can thrive. While other childcare apps cost upwards of $15.00 per month on average, Daily Connect’s premium software starts from only $8.99/mo and includes a free trial period so you can determine whether it’s the right fit for you.  

To get more features when you switch to the full digital childcare app, sign up for Daily Connect today. 

The past couple of years have brought about many changes to the childcare industry, many of them driven by the COVID-19 pandemic. Many daycare providers have had to fundamentally change the way they operate in order to provide an environment that’s as safe as possible while still delivering the fun and learning experiences that make childcare so important. Childcare industry trends continue to evolve, and it’s important o keep up to date.

We’re turning our minds towards what’s to come in 2022. It promises to be an exciting year, with growth forecast across the childcare industry. If you run a childcare business or are considering what to expect when starting one in the future, here are five important 2022 childcare industry trends you need to be aware of. 

1. Increase in Demand for Childcare Services

Parents from all over the world are still experiencing changes to their work schedules and employment conditions. And while many companies are encouraging their employees to come back into the office, a lot of parents continue to work from home. Whichever situation a family finds themselves in, the demand for childcare is on the rise. 

Since 2020, nearly 20% of working adults have quit working because they couldn’t locate a feasible childcare option amidst work and school closures. The demand for babysitters, tutors, nannies, and visiting teachers increased more than ever before. Many public childcare centers saw devastating losses in business despite the need for childcare services, with the COVID-19 pandemic the key driver. 

But now, as our economy continues to reopen and more and more parents head back to work, centers are experiencing high levels of demand. With the Build Back Better Bill, eligible families may have the opportunity to receive more affordable, high-quality childcare. This bill expects to offer childcare for nearly 20 million children in the United States while providing even more jobs to new and upcoming childcare workers. If it passes, it’ll be a major boost for the childcare industry. This is one of the most important key childcare industry trends and points to a bright future.

Is your childcare center equipped to handle this increase in demand? With the right approach, 2022 could be a great time to operate a childcare center, with plenty of new enrollments and all kinds of opportunities to grow your business.

Want to learn more? Check out this article: 7 Tips to Run a Successful Daycare Business

2. A Focus on Flexibility

Flexibility will be key for childcare centers in 2022. So much has changed in the past couple of years, and with government guidelines, childcare best practices, and more continuing to evolve, it’s crucial that childcare providers remain flexible.

Social and safety routines are not what they used to be, as gatherings are required to follow social distancing practices. Childcare centers are coming up with new and creative ways to involve young children in activities without risking illness, and instructing classrooms to interact in ways that encourage safety.

Another way public childcare centers are remaining flexible is in giving parents more grace than in recent years. Consider giving families more flexible options, like the opportunity to schedule childcare three days a week, instead of five. It’s a challenging time as everyone tries their best to maintain schedules and livelihoods, but if you can provide that level of flexibility required by parents, you’ll build high levels of loyalty with the families you work with. 

To keep running a childcare center effectively in 2022, centers around the U.S. will also have to stay up to date on changing health advice from the CDC as it relates to children. Regulations change all the time, and it’s important you adhere to these to ensure you create a safe environment for families.

3. Technological Advances In and Out of the Classroom

The use of technology within the classroom will continue to evolve throughout 2022. The use of online communication, cloud document storage, and digital tools are no longer limited to higher-level learners: they’re increasingly being adopted by childcare centers. Technological platforms can help Early Childhood Education (ECE) students and teachers alike. 

In addition to changes in the physical childcare environment, advances continue in the online classroom as well. Some childcare centers now allow hybrid care, where children can continue to learn via Zoom while at home with their caregivers. Online activities are used in addition to hands-on learning, and interactive lessons help fill developmental gaps.

Kids aren’t the only ones who benefit from technology— parents increasingly expect more consistent communication between teachers and staff thanks to parent communication apps. Instead of brief interactions upon child pick up, parents can receive direct videos, online messages, and notification reminders about their child’s activity at daycare. 

4. Analytics in Early Childhood Education Learning Assessments

Digital tools aren’t the only technological development contributing to upcoming childcare trends – the use of data and analytics is starting to play more of a role too. By utilizing online platforms specifically for childcare centers, teachers and directors can unlock useful insights that help improve the learning experience. 

Childcare center management apps can log the developmental and learning progress of each child, making it easier for teachers to communicate among themselves. During a learning assessment, online documents from throughout the learning year come in handy. Additionally, teachers can deliver thorough progress reports to parents backed by daily observations of their children’s development.

Comparing a child’s progress with the designated learning and assessment framework for your local area can help teachers to track how each child is developing. Center-wide data can reveal weaknesses and give insight into how teachers can adjust lesson plans to address any gaps and ensure a high-quality learning experience.

5. Health and Safety Regulations 

Following health regulations, parents and teachers limit direct contact with one another in many circumstances to prevent the spread of COVID and other illnesses. New options like contactless check-in and check-out are easy to perform with the click of a button. Daily health requirements like temperature checks and health questionnaires for students are another way to catch any issues early.

Teachers now have another safety protocol to check off their do-to lists: sanitization of the classroom. The CDC recommends cleaning and disinfecting surfaces, meal areas, play areas, and changing surfaces at least once per day. 

Parents play an integral role in the health and safety of not only their child but others at the childcare facility. It’s important they remain honest about any symptoms their child or household members may experience. 

With online parent surveys available at check-in, childcare staff members are able to maintain contact with a parent if any warning signs appear. This is an excellent way to take precautions in case anyone at the facility contracts the COVID-19 virus.

How to Grow with 2022 Childcare Industry Trends

Growing your childcare business during challenging times is still possible. While many daycare centers experienced budget cuts and closures throughout the past two years, today, many are in a good position for next year and beyond. The childcare industry trends we’re set to experience this year are trending in a positive direction.

One way to ensure your childcare business is successful in 2022 is by using a digital childcare center management platform. Software such as Daily Connect can help you access faster, more affordable solutions to the everyday problems of your childcare business. 

From recording children’s health status to improving learning assessments and parent-teacher communication, Daily Connect was created to help childcare professionals focus on what really matters: the children.

Organize and automate the administrative tasks with the app so you can spend more quality time teaching your students and keeping them safe. Whether you want to focus on staying compliant or you simply need help delivering the type of childcare your community needs, it’s time to get on track with growing technological trends.

Take the first step towards a successful 2022 and get started with Daily Connect today.

Done right, running your own childcare business can result in major success. You can provide an important service to your community, helping young children learn important skills, while also making a great living for yourself. But one of the most frequent difficulties business owners in the daycare industry face is managing childcare center billing.

With the right tools and practices in place, setting up a childcare center billing system can help the owners, staff members, and parents provide the best childcare possible. If you’re trying to improve the financial aspect of your childcare business, here is a quick guide to set yourself up properly.

Set Your Cost of Tuition

To bill effectively, you first need to know the cost of tuition for someone to enter your childcare program. If you’re running a daycare that is already well-established, you likely have tuition down, as well as all the details that come with it. 

Determining Tuition Costs

If you’re new to running a childcare business, here are some of the things to consider when setting up the cost of tuition:

• Business expenses (rent, payroll, utilities, etc.)
• Insurance and licensing costs 
• Marketing budget
• School supplies
• Taxes and deductions
• And more

Competition and Capacity

Your tuition rates will also depend on how much local competition charges, as the parents who are considering your daycare center will compare with other schools. Look at how much they’re charging and how they handle their tuition process so you know what to base your pricing on. 

Another thing to consider is the capacity of your facility. How much will rates change if you’re not at maximum capacity? Some childcare centers leave wiggle room so their maximum capacity brings in extra revenue. Others are comfortable always running at maximum capacity with a long waitlist. If you have specific financial goals for your center, you may have to factor in future gains in your tuition setup. 

Pricing Structure 

Once you know your tuition costs, you need to decide how to best structure your pricing. When parents sign their child up to attend daycare, they want clear expectations of how and when they’ll pay the bill. 

Some daycare providers charge hourly, whereas others run on a weekly or monthly payment plan. Other things to make clear in the pricing structure is special additional fees such as:

• Enrollment fees
• Late pick up fees
• Special holiday prices
• Late payment fees
• Summer vacation childcare plans
• Special deals for advanced payment 
• Optional extras, like field trip fees

If there are any other specific details necessary to families in your childcare center, make sure that you outline them clearly in your payment policies. 

Childcare Center Billing: Payment Methods and Policies

Once the parents enrolling in your daycare understand the pricing structure, the next issue they’ll  have questions about is how to make payment. It’s best to create a set of client policies that clearly explain costs, payment methods, and tuition agreements. 

How to Collect Payment

Most daycare providers collect payments through online payments, using methods like credit cards or ACH bank transfers, but others will accept cash or checks. Having an online payment system is the most convenient option for childcare centers today, enabling payments to be collected on auto-pilot. Whether it’s through a payment collection page on your school’s website or a childcare center parent billing software, many parents appreciate the option to pay online. This way, they can monitor their bills and set up recurring options. 

Parent Policy Handbook

Instead of sharing a random collection of paperwork and documentation with the parents who enroll in your childcare center, most childcare centers offer a handbook. Whether it’s a paper handbook or a digital handbook, a parent policy handbook will make it easy for the parents to have all their questions answered in one place. If your daycare center accepts any form of financial aid, make sure you set up details about that in the policies as well

Tracking Billing and Accounting 

Every childcare center needs to keep track of parent billing and payments on an ongoing basis. With consistent accounting, you’ll save yourself the headache of losing track of late or missed payments, misfiling paperwork, and developing poor communication with parents. 

Billing Frequency

Determine how often you will bill at your childcare center. Will payments be due once a month? Bi-weekly? Weekly? Depending on your facility’s bills and expenses, make sure you’ll receive childcare payments in a timely manner so you have enough overhead to operate your business. 

Bookkeeping

How will your daycare center managers keep track of all the payments that come in and out of your business? It’s a good idea to keep track of all your revenue and expenses on a central platform. Some of the areas you should track are: 

• Tuition from each family
• Invoices
• Receipts
• Additional fees
• Online payment dashboard
• Log of transactions 
• Operational fees and dues

While some daycare center owners do their accounting and bookkeeping themselves, you can also consider hiring a professional accountant who is familiar with the childcare industry.

All-in-One Childcare Center Billing Software 

Having childcare software that handles all your parent billing needs will streamline your processes, and can make your life a lot easier. Some childcare software systems such as Daily Connect offer invoicing, parent payment tracking, and a variety of payment processing. All of these can be done within the app, saving you and your staff a lot of time and resources. 

Childcare software also allows your business to keep a close eye on payments and parent communication simultaneously. For example, you can set up an automated invoice that will be sent out on a designated date each month, so parents never miss an upcoming bill notice. It allows them to pay instantly through the app or online. Or, if they prefer to set up automatic payments, they have the option to do so. 

Other features of this type of software include: 

• Sign-in and sign-out tracking
• Student learning and assessment tools
• Staff-teacher communication boards
• Parent-teacher direct messaging 
• Childcare center management software
• Documentation and compliance tracking
• And more

If you’re ready to implement a full-featured childcare software that can handle the billing for your childcare business, get started with Daily Connect today. See what Parent Billing can offer your center. If you have other questions about childcare software, set up a demo with our team to learn more. 

Every city, town, and village needs childcare centers. They’re crucial parts of local communities, enabling parents to work and creating healthy, happy experiences for kids to learn and bond with others. If you’re thinking about how to start a childcare business, there are several things you should be aware of.

In this article, we’ll cover everything you need to know to start a childcare business that lasts.

Choose a Location

The first thing you need to decide when considering how to start a childcare business is whether it’s going to be an at-home center or a daycare facility.

Many small but mighty childcare businesses are run by one professional in their home. It’s a flexible option where even your own young children can be present with you while you run the childcare business. However, the cost of this startup can be difficult without ample preparation or support. You need the right amount of space dedicated to the daily activities of your business, meaning a smaller living situation isn’t ideal. 

Running a childcare center at a facility can be easier if you have enough money to rent or buy a dedicated space. Renting out a childcare space is convenient, as you get the entire space to run your business. But if you’re committed to operating a facility, there are often more regulations you need to follow.

Learn the Regulations and Get Licensed 

One of the most crucial parts of starting a childcare business is obtaining the right licenses and abiding by regulations. It’s wise to get yourself covered early so you don’t run into any conflict with the law and so you can start operating your business smoothly.

Look into everything you need at a federal and state level. Some cities and counties have different regulations you’ll need to be aware of, too. Do your research and contact local education boards to find out exactly what you need to get legitimately licensed.

Establish Your Finances 

Get clear on the financial requirements of your new childcare business before getting too far into launching into the business. Create a forecast that makes clear how many children you’ll need to enroll, and at what prices. This means knowing your budget, the cost of any overheads you’ll have, and any fees due for licensing. It should also include clear financial goals so you can work your way up toward success in your business.

Learn how to create a childcare center business plan which will help you have a clear direction in your business, especially for the first several years. If you need assistance with the finances during startup, look into government grants and tax credits available to you.  

Set Up Bookkeeping and Accounting

Along with getting clear on the financial details of your business, you need to plan what type of bookkeeping you’ll use. This includes the details of:

• Enrollment and tuition costs
• Financial tracking
• Parent billing
• Childcare software 
• Tax details
• Organizing write-offs and school supplies

If you set good accounting practices in place before your business gets up and running, it will make it much easier for you long-term. Don’t try to do it alone — consider investing in a digital platform geared specifically for childcare providers. This will save you a lot of time, money, and energy for years to come.

Create the Curriculum

What’s a childcare center without a curriculum? Come up with the learning plan for your daycare center. Tie in your childcare center’s core philosophy and modes of operation in your schedules and methods. 

Consult the Early Childhood Education (ECE) standards in your state and implement a balance of play, hands-on learning, and structured lessons daily. Make it unique— your childcare center stands out somehow, so include it in your teaching model.

Hire Staff to Join Your Team

If you’re planning to run a childcare business with the help of others, you’ll need to think about your hiring process. Here are some key questions to consider when getting ready to hire employees for your team:

• What qualifications are you looking for?
• What are the childcare center’s values, principles, and philosophies?
• What level of experience do you expect each staff member to have before hire?
• What curriculum will you direct the teachers and staff to implement?
• What will you include in the employee handbook?
• How will staff communicate with each other on-site during work hours?
• What will be the clear expectations for each level of staff?
• How will the onboarding process work?

Every childcare center is different, so choosing employees that reflect the standards of your business is essential.

Marketing and Promotion

You’ll need a strategic marketing plan to ensure that families can easily find you and enroll their kids in your new daycare center. It’s helpful to have an online presence, whether with a custom website, social media accounts, or online listings on sites like Angie’s List or Care.com.

Know which demographic you serve in the area your childcare center will be in. Target your marketing plan toward the niche you serve and you’ll have better luck converting leads into sign-ups. Leverage local outreach opportunities, such as public bulletins, family planning centers, neighborhood parks, and local babysitting services.

Write Your Policies and Contracts

When it’s time to finally set your business in stone, finalizing it beyond licensure is a milestone worth celebrating. Create your school’s policies, guidelines, and contacts for:

• Parent and teacher agreements 
• Health and safety standards
• Food and allergy protocols
• Staff files
• Legal documentation
• Emergency plans
• Field trip liabilities
• And more

If you need help, hiring a lawyer might be a good idea so you can make sure all your bases are covered and nothing is left out. 

Invest in a Childcare Software

When you’re finally welcoming kids to your new childcare center, run your business smoothly by using a childcare management software. These digital tools help you organize your business in every way possible. 

From payment processing to ongoing parental communication, childcare software apps like Daily Connect provide you with the streamlined processes you need to run your business. 

Features of childcare software include: 

• Shared event calendars
• Parent-teacher communication 
• Center-wide communication tools
• Health and COVID-19 protocols 
• Staff communication and attendance tracking
• Contactless sign-in and sign-out
• Billing and payment management
• Documentation and authorization file management
• Learning and assessment tools
• And more

If you’re starting a childcare center, the process can seem overwhelming. Having all the tools you need in one versatile platform gives you quick and easy access to the most important information you can always refer back to. 

Whether you’re just beginning to think about how to start a childcare business or you’re learning how to improve your new daycare business for long-term success, contact Daily Connect today to see how our platform can guide your everyday operation. 

Running a successful childcare business takes work. So much of your care, time, energy, and financial resources goes into making it operate at its best. But things can become scattered and confusing when there isn’t a solid childcare center business plan set into place. What exactly is a business plan, and how can childcare providers use one? If you’re looking to put your childcare center on the right track, here are the best childcare business plan strategies you should follow.

Why You Need a Daycare Business Plan

Having a business plan gives you the foundation you need to build your business. Ideally, before starting a business you have a thorough guide detailing everything you should expect. It includes your startup budget, success markers, legal requirements, employee processes, marketing strategies, and more. 

What Your Childcare Center Business Plan Should Include

Creating a business plan isn’t an easy (or quick) process, but it’s a must if you want to make your vision a reality. Even if you’re already in business but simply want to improve, coming up with a new plan can be helpful to reach future goals. 

1. Mission and Goals 

Start with why you’re running a childcare center in the first place. Who do you hope to help? What impact do you want your school to have? What’s your larger vision? Establishing specific goals will give you direction when making important decisions. 

When it comes to goals, here are some necessary subcategories to get clear on:

• Unique Mission Statement – the best brands have a strong mission that reflects throughout their entire business. Form a unique, clear mission statement that’s specific to your daycare. What sets you apart? Why do you do what you do?

• Location – location will determine how you approach your business model. If you’re in an area that’s considered a childcare desert (little to no daycare available), you’ll have an easier time setting up your business than a location that already has a thriving population of childcare providers. Make sure you scope out the competition.

• Type of Daycare – is your daycare an at-home center, a facility, or affiliated to a private or religious organization? Is there a gap in your local market for a childcare center like yours?

• Success Markers – what are the indicators of success in your daycare? How many students need to be enrolled to be at maximum capacity? How much money does your business need to make before it can expand?

• Budget – starting a business isn’t cheap. If you’re considering starting a daycare, get clear on your budget. This includes rent/mortgage, utilities, payroll, supplies, licensing fees, tuition, and more. 

2. Operational Policies

Childcare is a regulated industry, and all childcare centers have to abide by policies set by local regulators and governments. Policies keep your childcare center safe and in good standing, and also help ensure trust between you and the families you’ll potentially provide care for. Failing to define and abide by a clear set operational policies can ruin your business, so make sure you’ve thought through the details and are aware of what’s required.

Policy requirements vary by state and county. Here are the main types of operational areas you should focus on:

• Licensure and Laws – the minimum requirement to run a childcare center is local licensure. If you’re in the U.S. check the National Database of Childcare Licensing Regulations to learn more about your requirements.

• Health, Safety, and Sanitation – to operate a daycare, you need to follow health and safety guidelines. Make sure you, and your staff, are well aware of all the legal regulations and site-specific protocols your center will follow.

• Worker’s Comp – if you or a staff member gets injured on the job, having a worker’s compensation plan can save your business a lot of money and legal trouble.

• Liability Insurance – insurance protects and helps cover your childcare business from disastrous accidents. 

• Crisis Plan – what are your action plans if there’s ever a crisis or natural disaster during daycare hours?

3. Teacher and Employee Responsibilities

If you’re relying on staff members to help run your business, it’s vital to create clear expectations to encourage professionalism. 

At a minimum, plan these factors of employee responsibility:

• Accreditation – what credentials do your teachers and employees need to have to work for you? 

• Hiring Process – structure the hiring (and lay-off) process to meet legal requirements. Make sure the people you hire fit into the mission of your childcare center. 

• Curriculum & Activities – how and when will staff members need to plan (or deliver) the necessary curriculum? What activities will happen on a weekly and daily basis? How will you track learning and assessment?

• Staff Communication – there need to be defined methods of communication between all staff members. Utilizing technology will help lower the risk of error. 

4. Tuition and Payment Methods

It’s important to understand how your childcare center will make money. How will families pay for your daycare center? What will your tuition fees be? Know the financial requirements your childcare center needs to keep running (and thriving). You should consider:

• Cost of Each Child – tuition costs should be factored into your overall budget and annual financial goals. This is what determines how much it costs for each child to attend your daycare. Many childcare centers have plans that parents can choose from.

• Electronic Payment Methods – these days, it’s rare for adults to carry cash or check on hand. Setting up online parent billing will encourage on-time payments, easier billing, and better tracking of funds throughout your business. 

• Additional Fees – clarify any fees that need to be paid by parents, such as late fees, onboarding fees, or special activity fees.

5. Parent Communication Strategy

Communication between parents and teachers is one of the most important aspects of running a great daycare. How you communicate with parents says a lot about the character of your staff and the priorities of the business.

Here are some key things to consider when improving parent-teacher communication:

• Scheduling – do parents have a way to view their childcare schedule? Everyone’s busy, so it’s beneficial to provide some sort of digital calendar to help them stay on track.

• Academic Reports – if you can provide announcements, updates, and milestones for a child’s academic progress, parents will feel confident they’re getting what they’re paying for. 

• Daily Communication – having a way to consistently relay information to parents throughout the day is important. Consider using a childcare management platform with parent communication features. 

• Digital Contact – beyond verbal communication, parents who receive real-time updates while they’re away from their child get the feeling of being present for their child’s special moments.

6. Marketing Plan

Effectively marketing your childcare center can help skyrocket growth and boost your reputation with local families. Most business plans pay a significant amount of attention to marketing strategy. Here are the key three things to map out:

• Marketing Methods – how will you market your business? Will you focus on digital marketing, word of mouth referrals, or traditional means through newspapers and local ads?

• Online Reputation Management (ORM) – maintaining your reputation online and in-person can take time, but with the right marketing plan, it can position you as an authority in childcare. 

• Advertising – paying to display ads online can help target your ideal audience. By calculating your ad spend or hiring a marketing team, you can bring in the families who are looking for a childcare center like yours.

Tools for a Successful Childcare Center Business Plan

Whether you’re thinking of opening a new daycare center or already running an established facility, knowing your business plan inside and out will help you achieve your goals and guide you as you grow your business.

You can even streamline this process with childcare-savvy digital tools that can enhance your business plan. Apps like Daily Connect give you access to all systems and strategies you need when planning and running your childcare business. 

With customizable online learning tools, parent-teacher messaging, childcare center management, and parent billing features, Daily Connect helps childcare businesses run smoother than ever. Get a free trial today, or contact the team for a step-by-step demo of how Daily Connect can improve your business for years to come.