Parents: Your Right Hand Partner!

by Letisha Wadsworth

Parents can be a strong partner in making your business a success. However, it depends on what kind of relationship you establish from the very beginning. Parents can do so much more than pay fees. Win their support and engage them in the success of your program and you will have lots of new partners. First, take the time to establish parents’ expectations of your services. What do they want you to do each day? What do they expect to learn from you each day? Will you have a way to communicate the child’s daily habits and activities? Are parents’ expectations realistic? Are you willing and able to address their expectations? Unlike a retail store where your customer may be an occasional repeat, you will see your customer daily. Do you have a plan for that daily contact?

Second, it is important to acknowledge the role of parents as the first teacher of their children. Even though you may spend long hours with the child, do not underestimate the relationship parents have with their children. Talk with parents about their child’s habits and activities at home. This will help your work with the child and keep parents focused on the child’s development in your program. Make sure that you talk about overall progress. Don’t greet parents at the door everyday with problems. What message do you convey if your daily contact with the parents is only about problems with their child?

Third, are your rules, regulations, and policies clear to parents? Are they written out so that parents can review them at home? Do they address such issues as lateness, absences, vacations, and when fees are due? Clear policies can reduce areas of possible contention with your customer. Do your policies encourage a partnership with your customer? For example, do you identify key periods when you will communicate the child’s overall progress? Do your policies identify ways parents can help keep program fees minimized through fundraising? Do you have a way for parents to comment on their level of satisfaction with your services? When parents leave your program, ask them for a letter of support or a reference letter. You can even set up a form which they can fill in and then sign. Don’t miss the chance to document their satisfaction with your business. You can use those letters or forms when you seek new funding or seek support from your broader community. Funders, local politicians, or community boards will pay attention to the references or letters of support from the parents you serve.

Parents may come to you with a range of problems that can impact their use of your business. Jobs, housing, access to health care, relationship issues are some of the work/family issues that parents may look to you for help. Do you have some key resource contact numbers that you can share, so that parents can get the real help they need? Be careful not to take on roles that you cannot fulfill. Do refer parents to people who can help, like your local child care resource and referral agency or even the city’s 311 line. While it is important for you to acknowledge these important issues, don’t get caught trying to solve these critical problems yourself.The most important thing to remember is that you need to keep your “customer” happy and to partner with them to do the best job that you can. The keys are:

Clear and regular communication
Survey and document satisfaction
Make expectations, policies and regulations clear
Don’t stray from your job as the child’s caretaker
Let parents know how they can help
Be a partner

When you have a partnership, even problems or disagreements can end with the best outcomes for everyone. It really means that the parents, who believe in what you are doing, can be a partner to help your business thrive and succeed. Tags: Childcare, ChildCare Business,