There is likely to be continued uncertainty for the foreseeable future, but that shouldn’t prevent you from taking the steps right now that put your child care business on a strong path of recovery once things begin transitioning back to normal. Here are steps you might consider taking:

Offer virtual tours

We have settled into some version of a new and temporary “normal,” and that means families will start to be able to think about what’s next. Advertising and offering virtual tours allows you to continue meeting parents and filling your pipeline. Learn more about best practices for delivering virtual tours.

Update your website

Chances are you are just as busy, if not busier these days, so we’re not trying to pretend that you suddenly have this new wealth of free time. But given that you’re always busy, you know how easy it is to procrastinate certain admin tasks like updating your website. Stop procrastinating that. Make sure your website is in top condition for parents to find you.

Think about your business offerings

We know that child care happens in person. We also know that stay-at-home orders limit the ability for you to do your job and provide that value to your customers. It’s still very unknown how we will transition out of this, but one thing that has been discussed is the idea that public health measures could be implemented and scaled back in a gradual way, like a light dimmer gradually turning on and off. What this means is that just because stay-at-home orders end in a few weeks or months, we could end up back at home again in the future. How are you supporting families now? How will you continue to support them through these changes? It will be a huge help to families if you can be specific about your plan for stay-at-home orders now and in the future. Read more about ideas for supporting learning at home.

Keep communication open with your enrolled families

Things have calmed down somewhat, but they are still changing. Keeping communication lines open with your parents will go a long way to keeping those relationships strong. The transition back into care is going to create a whole new challenge. Sharing with parents how you’re thinking about that transition and how you plan to support their children through it is really important.

Think about re-enrollment incentives

If you’ve already had families unenroll from your program because of Covid-19, what kind of discount can you offer to get them to come back to your program? It might be easier to re-enroll a family at a discount than to spend the time filling that spot with a new family.

Apply for all of the local, state, and federal aid you can

Apply for it as quickly as you can. There are so many businesses vying for funding that we know it won’t last. Get on your applications as quickly as you can to ensure the health of your business and employees. Learn more about financial support available for child care providers.

Join Wonderschool today and gain access to all of our tools and resources for high quality and sustainable child care businesses.