Directors & Administrators | Growing Children

Marketing 101: Boosting Enrollment in Your Child Care Program

Posted on May 22, 2013 by Karen Middendorf

“All the marketing in the world is not going to help if you do not offer a quality program.”

I often get asked, “What are the best ways to build enrollment in my early childhood program?” There’s no easy answer. As a matter of fact, a good marketing program coupled with a mediocre early childhood program will actually lead to declining enrollment. Why? Because a good marketing program means that people will learn sooner rather than later of the program’s poor quality. Parents are smart consumers. You can bring them in with smooth talking and glitzy marketing, but if the program is not high quality, parents will not stay. Parents will also not refer their friends, family, co-workers or neighbors unless you offer a top quality program that meets their needs and their children’s needs.

There are many good evaluation tools and checklists you can use to assess your program’s quality. My favorites include the booklets published by NAEYC’s National Academy of Early Childhood Programs and the Early Childhood Environment Rating Scales. I encourage all directors to take a look at your program and make any necessary changes before beginning a full scale marketing program.

You already know that it is important to know how many young children and families live in your area. However, you also need to know something about the families you want to attract to your program. What benefits and features of an early childhood program appeal to them? What is the average size of these families? How old are the children? Where do the parents live and work? Why would they want to come to your center? When you know some of these answers, you will know what types of written materials to develop for them, how to reach them when you promote your program and what to talk about when they call and visit.

Once you know your parents a little better, plan how you’ll appeal to them. Do you have a brochure? How about a logo? Are you advertising in places that reach your potential parents? I was once taught the 5 P’s that may help: PRICE, PROGRAM, PLACE, PROMOTION and PARENTS. All 5 should be working together. For example, the price should be one the parents you are trying to attract can afford, and your program should be consistent with the needs in your neighborhood. And remember: what you’re marketing should be reflected in the quality of care the children in your center are receiving.

Know what makes your program special. What makes your program different from, and better than, all the other early childhood programs in your area? Why do parents come to your center rather than the one down the street? However you answer this – your staff/child ratios, extracurricular programs, price or teacher qualifications – becomes your competitive advantage. It should become the foundation of your marketing efforts.

Know your competition. Visit them, not just once, but periodically during the year. Find out tuition prices, their services, the kinds of families they attract and what makes them special. When you know your competition, you know what you are doing better. This becomes the focus for everything you do to build enrollment. Be careful how you define your competition. Don’t limit yourself to other programs just like yours. For example, if you are an all day child care center, are family child care homes competing with you for children? How about public school programs? It is important to look at all programs that offer services to children in your area.

The last step is to develop a strategy for action. Make no mistake about it: a center without an action plan will not succeed in building enrollment. There are too many distractions in your job as director to keep you from building enrollment. So when you’re ready to get started, be realistic, be patient, remain committed, do some delegating and have fun. Action plans and knowing your target audience will get you enrollment and happy customers.

Filed under: Best Practice, Directors & Administrators, Early Childhood, Family Child Care, Uncategorized | Tagged: child care, early childhood, marketing | Leave a Comment »

Discover your strengths!

Posted on March 11, 2013 by 4cforchildren

Empathy is my superpower. From childhood on, I have been called “too sensitive” or that I have too big of a heart. Others in my life were very strategic, disciplined and decisive. But I was more flexible, wanting to include everyone in any decision that was made.

Photograph courtesy of Stuart McCook.

When I started working in a pediatric hospital with infants who were often very sick, an acquaintance doubted that I would be able to handle it because I “feel so deeply.” At first I was determined not to let my feelings get the best of me. But as time went on, I realized my ability to be aware of other’s feelings and encourage them to talk about them was a big asset to my position. I was able to listen when families were worried about their babies, as well as genuinely feel excited when they were celebrating milestones.

When I started at 4C, my team and I worked together to discover what our strengths were using StrengthsFinder, and I wasn’t surprised to learn that my top strength was Empathy! Though we had a great facilitator during our training, Valerie Plis, I was still a little apprehensive about discussing my strengths with a group as old memories of being “too sensitive” popped up. However, this training really helped us find the power in each of our strengths. We also learned how to use all of our talents together and to work together to support each other. It all came full circle for me when a co-worker said, “I can’t imagine a better person than Nicole working with my baby.”

If you are interested in finding out what your strengths are, I would highly recommend this book, and attending our first Miami Valley Leadership Conference on 19 April! Valerie will be presenting on strengths, and it will be a great opportunity to network with other local leaders in the early childhood field. You can read more about our conference here.

- Nicole

Filed under: Best Practice, Directors & Administrators | 8 Comments »

Overcoming the Generation Gap

Posted on March 1, 2013 by Janine Rigg

Generation Y. Millennial Generation. Generation Me. Peter Pan Generation. These are all terms that describe the generation to which I belong, but I can’t say I like many of them. Generation Me? Peter Pan Generation? That certainly doesn’t make me feel like a valued employee or team player, which I strive to be.

Applying labels to different generations may have validity, but chances are no one will fit all the aspects of the label. It is very possible that anywhere from three to four generations could be represented in your program, and everyone has something to bring to the table, whether it’s years of experience or new ideas to try. Arming yourself with the knowledge of what these stereotypes are can help you work to dispel the assumptions if necessary. According to a publication from the Research and Training Center on Community Living at the University of Minnesota, here is the generational breakdown:

Traditionals—born before 1945, loyal workers, highly dedicated, but may have difficulties with ambiguity and change.
Baby Boomers—born between 1946 and 1964, believe that hard work and sacrifice are the price to pay for success, but may be technically challenged and expect to have authority.
Generation X’ers—born between 1968 and 1979 (which leaves some room for interpretation, with the 4 year gap from the last generation), like to receive feedback, aspire to achieve a balance between work and life, but have been labeled the ‘slacker’ generation.
Generation Y’ers—born between 1978 and 1995 (though the end of this generation is still undetermined), are confident multi-taskers, but have been characterized as demanding.

Whether you are a new administrator coming into a program with a wide range of generations or a teacher who works alongside others of different generations, it can be a complex dynamic within the child care program. That new Generation X administrator may struggle with establishing authority with her subordinates in the Baby Boomer generation. Veteran Traditional generation teachers may need to figure out how to work together with the newcomer from Generation Y. Or, just like me, those employees balk at the labels of their generation and you find that working together isn’t as challenging as you predicted.

If you would like to find out more about working with various generations, 4C is holding its First Annual Leadership Conference in the Miami Valley on April 19, 2013. A session will be provided on leading and motivating multi-generations, among many other great session topics. Look for registration coming soon on our Web site! I’ll leave you with a quote I found from the book Change the World for a Fiver: “Talk to old people. They know cool stuff you don’t. Talk to young people. They know cool stuff you don’t.” What have you learned from someone older or younger?

Filed under: Directors & Administrators, Professional Development | Tagged: early childhood, generation gap, teachers | Leave a Comment »

More Than Just a Biter

Posted on January 22, 2013 by 4cforchildren

Many years ago when I was a young and naive preschool teacher, I met with the parents of a child who would soon be entering my classroom. Aaron was an adorable 3-year-old boy with bright blue eyes and a gorgeous smile. As I was observing Aaron shyly interacting with a few of his peers, Aaron’s mother dropped the bomb. She said the words that have haunted teachers since the beginning of time: “Aaron has problems with biting.” I must admit my world went dark for just a moment. But as a professional, I was able to offer a smile and a bit of encouragement. I told her we would work together to help Aaron. We both wanted Aaron to be happy and successful in the classroom, but my heart was in my stomach.

After the family left I began to ponder this new challenge. What was I going to do? What if he hurt another child? What if he hurt me? Instead of worrying I decided to investigate. I began my research by talking with more experienced teachers. I wanted to hear and learn from their experiences. I read articles in magazines and textbooks. I also had a more in-depth conversation with Aaron’s parents. I asked questions and I listened.

There are many reasons children bite. Infants and toddlers bite because it’s part of a normal developmental phase. It is a form of exploration since they learn most about their world through their mouth. Sometimes they bite simply because something is there to bite or because biting relieves the pain of teething. Toddlers sometimes bite as a form of communication. Young children lack the language and communication skills to say, “I want that,” or I’m tired.” So, they bite to express a need or as a way of telling us something important. Sometimes children even bite because they are so happy and excited that they truly don’t know how to express it.

As children reach preschool age, biting occurrences should decrease. However, preschoolers may bite for the same reasons as infants and toddlers. A preschooler may bite to exert control over a situation where he feels helpless. He may bite for attention, as a self-defense strategy or out of extreme frustration and anger. In very rare cases, a preschooler’s bite may indicate deeper issues and concerns.

It’s important for adults to be aware of the circumstances surrounding biting. Does biting occur around the same time each day? What happens just before and after an incident? Can the teacher see the frustration building in the child before he bites? Can the teacher intervene before the biting occurs? Are there any changes in the child’s health, family or home life that may be causing the child to feel the need to bite? What can the teacher do within the environment to prevent biting?

When biting occurs, try and stay calm. It’s important to step in immediately but don’t yell, offer lengthy explanations or say things to crush the biter’s spirit. It’s okay to firmly say things like, “I don’t like it when you bite people. It hurts.” Or simply say, “No biting!” It’s even better to offer the child the words he needs to express himself. For example, a teacher can say, “I know you are very sleepy, but it’s not okay to bite your friends.” Teachers should also help the child who has been bitten. It’s important to comfort the child and apply the appropriate first aid.

Most of all, it’s important for every child care center to have a policy addressing biting. Teachers and parents should know the policy, follow it and support it. After all, everyone wants the best for the children. We all want children to feel safe and loved. Only when those basic needs are met are children free to relax and learn.

After Aaron entered my classroom there were a few biting incidents and some tears, but with support and team work Aaron and his classmates learned that although every behavior has meaning not every child has to be labeled because of his behavior. Aaron was not “a biter”. He was an innocent little boy who sometimes bit others but most of all he loved learning and being with his friends.

- Patty

Filed under: Advocating for Children, Best Practice, Directors & Administrators, Early Childhood, Family Child Care, Infants and Toddlers, Preschool | Tagged: biting, challenging behaviors, children, early childhood, education, teachers | Leave a Comment »

Holidays Can Be Teachable Moments

Posted on January 21, 2013 by 4cforchildren

One thing I love about our society right now is that the typical family unit is anything but! Our family fits nicely into that category. We have four children total; one is his, two are mine and the baby is ours. But my favorite part of our blended family is that I come from a VERY Christian home (my father being a United Methodist Minister may have something to do with that) and my husband is Jewish. This calls for an extremely busy, not to mention expensive, holiday season.

Photo courtesy of techne.

If you were a little mouse peeking into our home during the holidays you would see a Christmas tree and stockings, the nativity and an advent wreath. You would also see a Menorah, about 25 Dreidels and loads of chocolate coins. Things can get complicated. When my middle son was explaining to his class that he is Christian who celebrates Hanukkah, they dubbed him “Hannuikan.” Both of our families had a good laugh over that one and his outstanding teacher took the opportunity for a “teachable moment” and had a lesson over the two holidays. Randy was able to bring in our Menorah and of course we provided Dreidels and chocolate coins for the

class.

I know I never played with a Dreidel until I met my husband. Now I sing the song at the top of my lungs with my children as we spin it and wait to see who is going to have the biggest pile of chocolate coins. I had never experienced Latkes or Sufganiyot and now my life (and my thighs) wouldn’t be the same without them!

My children are truly lucky to not just read about different faiths at school, but experience them. I am partnering now with his teacher so that throughout the year we can share the different Jewish holidays with his class and they can experience the traditions and stories that the Jewish faith has to offer. We have such a responsibility as educators to enlighten our students to the world around them. Bringing the experiences to them and letting them “live it” is what learning is all about.

- Joy

Filed under: Best Practice, Directors & Administrators, Early Childhood | Tagged: child care, children, early education, education, families, kids, preschool, teachers | Leave a Comment »

Creativity and Academics Go Hand in Hand!

Posted on January 13, 2013 by 4cforchildren

As a teacher and a parent I have always encouraged creative thinking by providing lots of open-ended materials such as books, blocks, dramatic play items and art materials. When I was at home with my 4-year-old daughter one of our favorite activities was to draw a squiggle on a piece of paper for each other, and then we would each create a drawing from the squiggle. Then we created a drawing from the squiggle. I was lucky enough to have her in my preschool classroom, too, where she was happy and well-behaved, her days filled with creative activities.

Photo courtesy of Selena N.B.H.

But when she went to kindergarten, my daughter’s enthusiasm for school waned. She was anxious and struggling with her work. Her teacher reported that she was well loved by the other students and always participated in all of the activities, but she struggled with her assignments. When I asked to see an example of her work, her teacher showed me a paper where the children were to draw two fish alike. But instead of completing this assignment, my daughter had drawn two detailed fish with purple with pink polka dots.

When I asked why my daughter’s assignment was “wrong,” the teacher produced another child’s assignment where the child had drawn two fish that were exactly the same. And then she produced another, and another, all perfect examples of modeled art. What could have been a creative opportunity was instead a test, and one my daughter had “failed.” I walked away from that conversation with her teacher knowing that I needed to find another learning environment that encouraged creativity, namely, both convergent and divergent thinking.

Convergent thinking is the ability to come up with a single correct answer. This type of thinking is measured through standard testing methods. Divergent or creative thinking is the ability to come up with new and usual answers. Both are important! Let the children in your classroom explore and allow them to express their thoughts and ideas. You’ll be supporting curiosity, flexibility and originality in their work and play, and encouraging unique and effective solutions. Teachers should strive to help children explore their academic potential and their creative potential.

- Stephannie

Filed under: Directors & Administrators, Early Childhood, Infants and Toddlers, Preschool, School Age | Tagged: art, children, creativity, early childhood, education, kids, preschool, school, teachers | 2 Comments »

What Do Children Need?

Posted on January 2, 2013 by 4cforchildren

Photo courtesy of Sarah Gilbert.

When I was an infant/toddler teacher, December was a time for reflecting over the past year and thinking about how to improve the experiences in my classroom, as well as myself professionally. I looked closely at what was happening in my room, school and community. I thought about the children and families I served, and how I could best support them. I would read books and articles, discuss and debate with my fellow teachers and just listen to the babies and families around me.

One book that I often returned to was The Irreducible Needs of Children: What Every Child Must Have to Grow, Learn, And Flourish by T. Berry Brazelton, MD and Stanley Greenspan, MD. Though the book is more than ten years old and new research and knowledge is available, the “irreducible needs” that Brazelton and Greenspan discuss haven’t changed. According to Brazelton and Greenspan, children have:

The Need for Ongoing, Nurturing Relationships
The Need for Physical Protection, Safety and Regulation
The Need for Experiences Tailored to Individual Differences
The Need for Developmentally Appropriate Experiences
The Need for Limit Setting, Structure, and Expectations
The Need for Stable, Supportive Communities and Cultural Continuity
Protecting the Future

I often think of these needs as “rights” to help guide my teaching and interactions with children, and they’re easier to implement in your classroom than they might seem at first.

A close relationship with a trusting adult will support a children’s growth in all areas of development. Find ways to support the relationships between the children and their families, too.

We are responsible for the health and safety of the children in our centers, too. Review state licensing regulations often; you never know when you might be unwittingly breaking some of the rules that are in place to keep children safe and healthy!

The experiences we provide should be developmentally appropriate. The most important thing to bear in mind when thinking about this is that your curriculum should be based on the age, developmental levels and interests of the individual children in your room. All children are different! They develop at different rates, in different ways, have different personalities and come to us with different experiences, families and backgrounds. Our expectations for their learning and behavior, as well as how we structure their day, should always be as individual as they are.

Keeping these “irreducible needs” alive and well in your classroom is one of the first steps in advocating for children’s futures, and a good start on ensuring that our communities and schools are caring, supportive places for children and families.

- Nicole

Filed under: Advocating for Children, Best Practice, Directors & Administrators, Early Childhood | Tagged: brazelton, children, early childhood, education, preschool, teachers | 3 Comments »

Helping Parents Through Transitions

Posted on November 8, 2012 by 4cforchildren

About two months ago I wrote about my personal transition experience, and I am happy to say that things are working out for me in my new space. I feel like I am fitting in! While I offered some tips in that blog about helping children to transition, I realized I missed the opportunity to share how to help parents through transitions, too. It is sometimes as difficult for moms and dads as it is for their children!

We often talk about helping families adjust to the center for the first time. There are forms to fill out, teachers to meet and children’s schedules organize. However, there are other times that can be just as stressful for families. For some parents it feels like they’ve just dropped off a tiny baby, and suddenly their child is walking into the toddler room! Their baby is getting to be a “big kid.” These transitions are ones that we frequently miss, because for us, they are a natural part of life in child care.

We should stop and think about these changes from a parent’s perspective. We should ask ourselves: What are they really feeling? Why are they feeling this way? How can we help make it easier? When a parent feels strong emotions about a transition, I often tried to look at some of it as a good thing! The families feel so comfortable with their current situation and are so happy with the quality of learning and care their child has been receiving that it’s hard to leave! It was very hard for that parent to leave their 6-week-old infant with a stranger, but now you and that parent have a relationship. You’ve shared stories about the baby’s day and nights, celebrated about milestones and cringed along with the parents when she get her first incident report. These families trust us with their little ones, and we need to trust them, too.

We know when a child is ready for the next room because we’ve worked with children, we know all about their development and how to best support their learning. But how much of that knowledge are we sharing with parents? Discuss with them how their child is ready, and how their child will thrive in a new space. Encourage parents to observe the new classroom. Answer their questions about why things are different, and base it on what you know about their child. You can also encourage parents to talk with other parents whose children have recently transitioned to a new classroom or to elementary school. Just like their babies, just like I did in my new position, parents need a little hand-holding sometimes, too. We all do.

Filed under: Best Practice, Directors & Administrators, Early Childhood, Parents, School Age | Tagged: children, early childhood, families, kindergarten, parents, preschool, teachers | Leave a Comment »

Looking for fun? You’ll find it at the library!

Posted on November 2, 2012 by 4cforchildren

Advertisers spend billions of dollars telling children exactly where to find happiness and satisfaction: fast food restaurants, toy stores, amusement parks. But there’s another place in town offering our children happiness, satisfaction and a lot more: your local library! Most libraries can’t afford a splashy ad campaign to entice our children, however, so it’s up to us to get them interested!

Begin by promoting weekly library time for your family in your center or child care home. Schedule the library to come into your center for monthly visits and make this as special as a TV show or holiday.

Educate the parents in your programs about the importance of the library and all the library has to offer. Share with them that the library offers comfortable places for them to sit with their children and enjoy books together. Reading stories to your child can be a time of closeness and sharing. Be sure to build in time for it at every library visit, and explore the other resources your library has to offer! The children’s section in many libraries includes magazines for the very young, puzzles, tapes to listen to and toys to play with. Libraries are now equipped with computers and computer games, but nothing beats a good old fashioned story time.

Get to know your librarian. You want children to see that librarians are approachable grown-ups who can introduce them to good books. Question the librarian about where to find books that are age-approproate. Ask about special events at the library: movie nights, craft activities, puppet shows, cooking lessons and much more. Librarians know lots of ways to keep children interested in stories and books. Watching one in action is a good way to pick up some tips on reading to your own children.

Try to end each visit by following a predictable routine. You might look at something interesting such as an aquarium or a favorite picture first, then check out books and wave goodbye to the librarian. Doing things the same way each time makes it easier to get your children to leave the library, but if you’re lucky, they won’t want to!

Filed under: Directors & Administrators, Early Childhood, Family Child Care, Preschool, School Age | Tagged: books, child care, children, early childhood education, education, families, libraries, library, literary, parents, reading, school, teachers | Leave a Comment »

The Bank of Experience

Posted on October 9, 2012 by 4cforchildren

In April of 2009, I was getting ready for work and watching the TODAY show as usual. Katie Couric was interviewing Captain Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger, the pilot who landed that incapacitated US Airways flight on the Hudson River after geese had knocked out both engines. Sully’s split-second judgment and calm demeanor saved all one hundred fifty-five passengers and crew members on board. While his story is about grace under pressure, it’s also about the value of hard work.. “For forty-two years,” he told Katie, “I’ve been making small, regular deposits in this bank of experience. And on January 15^th the balance was sufficient so that I could make a sudden, large withdrawal.” I gave great thought about this statement. What a profound leader he must be, and so confident in the work that he does each and every day.

When we think about being early childhood leaders, what deposits are we making in our bank? We interact with children, parents, co-workers, community members and staff every day and we are banking our knowledge and expertise to use in every situation. Experience and practice are key. Sometimes hard work and good timing intersect. Sometimes they don’t. But they likely will at some point, and when they do, like Sully—you’ll be ready!

4C for Children is committed to helping the administrators and leaders of our early childhood community feel successful and inspired. The 10^th Annual 4C Leadership Conference will take place on October 11 and 12 at the beautiful Oasis Center in Cincinnati, Ohio. We encourage you to attend and take time for yourself to fill your cup with some inspiration and motivation. Make some of those small deposits in your bank…you never know when you will need to make a withdrawal!

– Karen Middendorf

Filed under: Best Practice, Directors & Administrators, Professional Development | Leave a Comment »

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