Tips and Strategies to Create and Boost Your Daycare Waitlist

Provide an Exceptional Program Experience

• Deliver Quality Care: Focus on offering high-quality care, engaging activities, and a nurturing environment. Satisfied parents will become your strongest advocates.

• Showcase Your Strengths: Highlight unique aspects of your program, such as outdoor education, a focus on nature, or specialized curriculums.

Create a Sense of Urgency

• Limited Spots: Emphasize the limited availability of openings to encourage parents to join early.

• Deadlines: Set deadlines for submitting waitlist forms and completing enrollment to create a structured process.

Engage with Your Community

• Attend Local Events: Participate in community fairs, parent workshops, and other events to network and raise awareness. Host a booth during community events like Family Day or farmers' markets. Offer fun activities like coloring or sensory bins, sell items, and distribute flyers and cards to spread the word about your daycare.

• Collaborate with Local Businesses: Partner with nearby family-oriented businesses or organizations to cross-promote your daycare.

• Word of Mouth: Encourage current families to spread the word about your daycare to their friends and networks.

Provide Tours and Open Houses

• Host Open Houses: Invite families to explore your daycare, meet educators, and experience the environment.

• Personalized Tours: Offer individualized tours to build trust and answer specific parent questions.

Build a Strong Online Presence

• Optimize Your Website: Ensure your website is user-friendly, informative, and includes a clear call-to-action for joining the waitlist.

• Leverage Social Media: Use platforms like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Pinterest to share testimonials, photos, and program highlights.

• Use Online Reviews: Encourage satisfied parents to leave positive reviews on Google, Yelp, or childcare listing sites.

Simplify the Waitlist Process

• Online Forms: Offer an easy-to-fill online waitlist form with clear instructions and submission details. Here is my link.

• Clear Communication: Inform parents about what joining the waitlist entails and keep them updated on their status.

Nurture Relationships with Families on the Waitlist

• Stay in Touch: Send occasional updates about your daycare, upcoming events, or new program offerings.

• Exclusive Invitations: Offer waitlisted families the chance to attend special events or workshops to maintain their interest.

Use Marketing Materials Effectively

• Professional Photos and Videos: Showcase your daycare in action through high-quality visuals.

• Testimonials: Feature quotes and stories from happy parents and successful alumni.

• Informative Brochures: Distribute brochures or flyers with key details about your program and how to join the waitlist.

• Post in Facebook Groups: Share posts regularly in local Facebook moms’ groups and daycare-related groups. Include program highlights, photos, and details about openings.

Offer Incentives

• Referral Programs: Reward current families for referring new families who join the waitlist or enroll. I usually give 1 free drop-in day for a family who brought me a new enrollment. 

• Priority Enrollment: Provide incentives like early registration for siblings or loyal families.

Add Daycare Signs

• Place visible signage in front of your daycare, along nearby roads, and on main roads close to your location. Signs make it easy for families to spot your daycare and inquire about your program.

Connect with Other Daycares

• Introduce yourself to local daycare directors and establish mutual referral relationships. Redirect families who may not be a good fit for your daycare to other centers, and encourage other directors to do the same. This collaboration benefits all parties and helps families find the right care.

Post Flyers and Partner Locally

• Post flyers on community boards, libraries, schools, and kids’ programs.

• Hand out flyers at busy places like soccer practices or play areas.

• Keep daycare business cards with you at all times. You never know when an opportunity to share your program with a prospective family may arise.

• Inform your local CCRR (Child Care Resource and Referral) that you’re open and seeking families.

• Additionally, ensure your daycare is listed on the Child Care Map.

Communication, Waitlist, and Tour Templates:

Templates for Communication with Parents via Email:

These templates are designed to help you effectively communicate with parents about various topics, including updates, reminders, and important notices.

Waitlist Form:

This form is intended for parents to fill out when they wish to join your childcare program’s waitlist. It is a simple and organized way to gather essential information from prospective families.

I prefer collecting waitlist information through my website. Here's the link.

Scheduling a Tour:

A template for organizing and communicating tour schedules with families interested in learning more about your program. This helps streamline the process and ensure a welcoming experience for prospective families.

Use an Waitlist and Enrollment Management System

• Childcare Software: Invest in a daycare management platform like Procare, Brightwheel, or HiMama to track waitlist and enrollment, schedules, and paperwork.

• Spreadsheets: If software isn’t an option, use spreadsheets to record key information, such as child names, ages, parent contacts, enrollment dates, and payment details.

To view our waitlist form and learn more about how we manage and operate our waitlist, please check Lear More for more details.

For families who are unsure and need more time to decide.

For families who are 100% ready to join the program. This bundle contains all the necessary paperwork for enrollment.

During a Tour

When families visit Fern Flower - Nature School for a tour, I ensure a welcoming and informative experience by following these steps:

1. Greeting: I greet families outside and ask whether they would like to start the tour indoors or outdoors. This sets a comfortable and flexible tone for their visit.

2. Handbook Check-In: I ask if they have read the handbook beforehand. This helps me gauge their understanding of our program and address any specific questions they might have.

3. General Tour: I provide a thorough tour of our facilities, allowing children to interact with the environment naturally. I avoid rushing and let the family determine the pace of the tour.

4. Parent Interview Questions: If the child is engaged in an area, I take the opportunity to ask some of my Parent Interview Questions. I don’t ask all the questions but select ones tailored to each family’s situation. During this time, I observe for any red flags and how the child interacts with their parents.

5. Tour Conclusion: At the end of the tour, I present two bundles on the table for parents to choose from:

This thoughtful approach ensures that families feel supported, informed, and confident in their decision-making process.

After the Tour Process

After a family has attended a tour of our program, I follow up with the following steps:

1. Thank You Email: I send a general email thanking the family for attending the tour and showing interest in our program. This email also includes any additional information they may need to make their decision.

2. Parent Response Window: I provide the family with an end date by which they need to inform me of their decision. This ensures clarity and allows for efficient planning on both ends.

3. Enrollment Decision: Once I receive the family’s response, I communicate my decision regarding enrollment. If they are offered a spot, I provide detailed next steps for enrollment. If not, I kindly inform them and offer to keep them on the waitlist if they wish.

This process helps maintain clear and professional communication, ensuring a smooth and respectful experience for all parties involved.

Enrollment Agreement Statement:

Enrollment is confirmed only after the following steps are completed:

1. The family has filled out and returned all required enrollment paperwork.

2. Parents have paid the enrollment fee and the first month's tuition.

Until these steps are finalized, the child’s spot in the program cannot be guaranteed.

For more information please check our Handbooks attached below