If you’ve just opened a daycare center or plan on doing so soon, you know managing one is no easy feat.
With so many things to juggle, it can be easy for things to go awry, especially if you’re not approaching daycare management the right way.
4 Essential Daycare Management Tips You Should Know About
Want some easy tips for managing your daycare in the most efficient way possible? Here are 4 essential daycare management tips that will help you run your daycare smoothly.
1. Hire the Right Team
The key to effectively running a daycare is staffing your business with the best people possible. Your team members should be trained, certified, licensed, and ready to provide care for multiple children at a time.
It’s super important to keep track of your employees, and pay close attention to your current staffing and if it matches the needs of your clients.
If your employees seem overworked, consider hiring another employee or capping the number of kids in your case. The last thing you want to do is lose clients because you can’t provide quality care.
2. Always Keep Your Environment Clean & Safe
Beyond staffing, safety and cleanliness should be of your utmost concern as a daycare manager. Design a safe, inviting space and create a consistent cleaning calendar and adhere to it so your space is in tip-top shape. You should also inspect your space on a daily basis and make sure there are no potential hazards or maintenance issues.
Additionally, make sure any toys or materials kids use are in good
Also, make sure all the toys the children play with are age appropriate.
3. Tailor Your Approach for the Kids You Care For
A great daycare is one that can meet the unique needs of every child. Focus on what your children are naturally interested in, and try to tailor your activities to maximize their happiness.
Observe the children, note what works and doesn’t, and regularly update your management plan to meet their changing needs.
By keeping the children happy you can keep their parents happy, which keep your business booming.
4. Create a Detailed Operations Handbook
An important part of ensuring client satisfaction is creating formal policies that set expectations for everyone. You can do this by writing and consistently updating a policy handbook that outlines how your daycare will operate, and what is expected from all parties involved.
We’ve also seen daycare owners be successful using Tom Copeland’s “Family Childcare Contracts & Policies” handbook.
By making your services clear, and outlining things like safety policies, you can keep yourself protected and keep parents and children happy.
Final Thoughts on Effective Daycare Management Tips
Running a daycare isn’t easy; in fact, it’s often quite stressful. But by following the 4 daycare management tips in this article, you manage your business in the easiest and most effective way possible.
Are you ready to take the jump and open your old daycare center? Need some help designing a space your kids (and their parents) will truly love? Contact us if you need help designing your daycare.
-This article was written by Rebecca Calbert.
Rebecca is a licensed architect with over 30 years of experience. She owns and operates an architectural firm, Calbert Design Group, and educates her clients through the commercial real estate development process with online content at SaveOnBuilding.com. Rebecca’s “purpose” is to educate small business owners and protect them from what they don’t know.
