Part 5: How to find daycare clients- Warm Parent’s Hearts

As caregivers we know it is difficult for parents to leave their child with someone else every morning. The more you do to make this separation as easy as possible for the parents, the more comfortable the parents become. Most parents don’’t want to miss out on all the little cute things their child does during the hours they are at work.

They want to see their child playing dress up with their friends; they want to see them swinging at the park and laughing at a silly book during story time. They want to know that their child is happy and safe at daycare. One way to accomplish this goal is to take pictures and videos of your daycare children throughout the day. Get into the habit of having your camera or phone nearby to be able to snap candid photos when the opportunity arises. They don’’t have to be award winning photography shots, just regular pictures of the kids painting, making towers, enjoying a snack or running through the grass.

Parents want an inside peek at their child as if they were there. Any pictures that show the authentic details of a typical day will be greatly received. Caregivers have different ways of sharing the photos with parents. One caregiver I know uses her phone and at the end of the day she sends a short text of the child’’s day with a photo. Another caregiver posts photos at the end of the month to a closed group online that only the daycare parents can see. She compiles the photos into the activities and themes that the children explored that month.

Parents also enjoy seeing their child’’s artwork and craft projects. Having a masterpiece to hang on their fridge reassures the parent that their child is participating in a variety of activities and is being given the opportunity to be creative. A short one-on-one dialogue at the end of the day with the parent is another way to share the details of a child’’s day. Parents love hearing little stories and finding out what their child said or what new discovery they experienced. They want to know what games the child played and what are their current interests. Some caregivers write in a daily communication book that travels back and forth from daycare to home every day.

Whatever way you choose to warm your parent’s hearts will be appreciated. Your efforts will show how much you care. Parents love to talk and hear about their own child. Who else in the world talks to them on a daily basis about their child, no one. You are a special influence and an invaluable resource into the ups and downs of their child’’s day. Warm their hearts. You have the ability and the opportunity to make a parent smile at the end of their hectic day. What a joy!