Kate Van Cleef
|
June 28, 2019

Two Surefire Ways to Expand Your Child Care Business

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Two Surefire Ways to Expand Your Child Care Business

Are you a child care manager ready to expand your business, but not yet ready to expand your facility? In addition to offering half-days and two- or three-day options, there are two very lucrative ways to expand your services to new and existing clients alike.

After School Care

If you have little clients who only attend in the morning, you have extra capacity in the afternoon to welcome school-age kids who need a safe, fun place to go after school. There are many ways to structure your after school program, from a focus on homework time to special activities and workshops. Here are some things to keep in mind!

  • Consider what age children you’d like to serve in your after school program. Elementary only? Elementary and middle?

  • Next, consider which schools are nearest to your facility. When just launching your after school program you may want to test it out with just the closest two elementary schools, or the closest elementary and middle school.

 

  • You’ll need transportation to pick up the older children from school If you already have a van for picking up and dropping off your preschoolers or for field trips, and you want to start with a single test school or two campuses very near one another, you’re all set! If you want to serve schools some distance from one another, you’ll need to consider a second van and driver.

  • Homework or activity focus? Families often appreciate being able to pick up their school-age kids knowing their homework is already done. But more and more schools are refusing to send elementary students with homework, and even if they do, the usually don’t send homework on Friday. This is where you can use your creativity and offer attention-grabbing programs.

Summer Camp
Most preschool parents continue to work through the summer, and day camps for little one are in high demand. Most camps only last a week or two and parents will place their kids in multiple camps each summer, so make sure their own school is on the rotation! Not only are camps sound business, it’s a great opportunity to keep your families engaged with you through the summer. 

  • Since camps are usually very short, you can offer a variety to match different interests through the summer.
  • Offering multiple short sessions gives you the flexibility to schedule around your own vacation, handle some building upkeep, train new staff, and so on.

  • Ask your families if they have or know reliable teens who’d like to help out at camp! This is an especially great option if you have families you’ve served for a while. Imagine how rewarding it would be to see your former little clients helping care for others. 

You’ll definitely want to check the labor laws in your state regarding bringing on teen help - for example, if you’re a non-profit school, might be able to bring teen helpers as young as thirteen on as volunteers. If you’re a private company, you may need to pay teens sixteen or over for their work. Either way, you’ll create fantastic bonds with some great kids who will never forget the opportunity you gave them!

Whether or not you are already a Curacubby client, ask our team to demonstrate how our child care management system can handle camp and after school enrollment and billing. Our goal is to help you build your business your way!