It’s safe to say that we’ve learnt quite a bit over the last 12 months.

As Childcare Providers, we have had to implement new ideas, policies, and procedures often with minimal notice. As one of the most flexible industries, we have shown just how far we’re able to stretch, how quickly we can think outside the box and just how adaptable we are. If 2020 had been a test of our strength and fortitude, I think we, as an industry, well and truly passed.

So, with all this change, adaptation and alteration, there are several things we should all continue to implement once vaccinations begin and the impending threat of COVID-19 clusters ease. Why? Simply because they are good ideas that build connections, trust and goodwill.

Here our marketing team discuss 6 changes that occurred due to COVID-19 and why we should find a way to make them part of ‘business as usual’ when things finally get back to normal.

Stay active on social media

Over the course of 2020, with so many Families staying home, we saw many Centres looking to social media as a way to stay connected with the local community. Many Educators stepped out of their comfort zone to host Facebook Lives, capture video content for Instagram stories and generally put themselves out there to connect with Families who couldn’t attend the Centre.

Facebook Live sessions reading stories, Instagram stories showcasing your music lessons or simply continuing to post across your social channels – this is a great way to provide value to the community, demonstrate the quality of care that you provide, showcase your early learning curriculum and help prospective Families get to know your Centre and team well before they visit the Centre for a tour.

Continually creating engaging and interesting content for your social media channels can sometimes feel like a full-time job. Why not see how our Marketing Team can help to ease this burden from your plate and provide a strategic overview to your content to help utilise this communication channel.

Get online!

Due to social distancing requirements and lockdowns, many Providers moved their enrolment processes online, offering virtual tours and online enrolment options for Families.

With the world becoming increasingly digital, it’s important that you embrace these enrolment opportunities to make it easier for Families to view, tour and enrol at your Centre.

When prospective Families visit your website, make sure it’s easy for them to really see your Centre. Photos are good, but video is far more captivating. There are several companies that will create videos or 360-degree views of your Centre rooms and help you integrate them onto your existing website. You can also do it yourself by taking videos of each room.

Develop options on your website for Families to schedule tours and download or complete enrolment forms. Automate what you can. If you don’t want these forms or options on your website then you can always set them up on a hidden landing page that you can send to Families after talking with them. It will save you time and add a convenience and flexibility factor for your Families.

Our Enrolments Team can help to point you in the right direction and provide you with a range of suppliers that might be able to assist you with creating more online processes.

Keep up your Family communication

It’s fair to say that we all ramped up our Family communication over the course of 2020, with many Providers opening new communication channels such as Facebook, messages and apps.

Regular and consistent communication is one of the best ways to build your brand loyalty and retain Families longer – and it doesn’t always have to be ‘official news’.

It’s important that you keep these lines of communication open throughout 2021. Why not consider these ideas to help boost your communication schedule – weekly emails, parent app messages, monthly phone calls to Families about their child’s progress, monthly newsletters & blog posts that share tips and tricks, Centre testimonials and, when safe to do so, bring back Centre events and workshops.

Spread goodwill

Whether it was through food drives, providing free resources to Families at home, assisting with fee payments or simply sending messages of hope to local medical professionals, we saw many Centres engaging with their local community to provide assistance to those in need throughout 2020.

And you better believe that Families remember it.

The more involved your Centre and team are in your local community, the more loyalty will be returned to you. This will also help to spread positive word of mouth within your local community and act as advertising for your Centre. 

Continue your wellness policies

If 2020 has taught us anything, it’s how important (and fragile) our health is.

COVID-19 has taught many Families the importance of keeping sick children at home. Take advantage of this learning and continue to enforce your strict sickness and wellness policies. There is no need to be lenient anymore, with this pandemic in the back of everyone’s mind, Families will be more likely to understand and comply with these policies than before.

Similarly, when it comes to your team, many Providers have implemented additional wellness and mental health initiatives to help Educators deal with the increasing stress and anxiety that surrounded the constantly changing requirements of COVID-19. Whether it was in-house massages, yoga sessions, additional leave or access to mental health services, these wellness inclusions created a more supportive environment for your team, so it’s important that you continue to offer these as part of your employment package.

Why? We all know that a happy and inspired team equates to a smoother running Centre, greater Family loyalty and more stable occupancy.

Streamline your internal processes

At the height of COVID-19, virtual meetings and online classes became the norm – and opened up new lines of communication with your team and also with your Families.

Why not keep this going? It offers your team and Families flexibility and also creates efficiencies within your day-to-day workload. There are so many great programs to help you facilitate this on an ongoing basis, like Zoom, Microsoft Teams and even FaceTime.

Take this one step further and look at what you can do to streamline your processes.

Between managing records, enrolment paperwork, CWA’s and chasing Families – there’s just no getting around it, running a Childcare Centre comes with a lot of necessary (and required) paperwork.

Perhaps it’s time to look at outsourcing your administration or enrolment paperwork. Automation and outsourcing are lifesavers for any busy Centre Manager who is looking for ways to streamline daily tasks whilst saving both time and money.

Our Enrolments and Administration Teams can help you here by maximising your enrolment opportunities, converting enquiries, streamlining your processes and allowing you and your team to thrive.

As your comprehensive Childcare Management Partner, Enrolment Hub is an extension of your team, caring as much about your business as you do. So why not give us a call today and see how we can work together in 2021.

Enrolment Hub – Your Partner

Enrolment Hub offers a comprehensive range of services, including childcare administration, childcare management solutions, childcare centre enrolment, childcare marketing solutions, childcare debt support, new child care centre support, childcare software management, childcare centre resources, vacation care management, childcare enquiry support, and child care consultants

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