Considering Best-Fit Families
When researching preschools, most articles or blogs that result from a Google search are about how to pick the best preschool for your child or the “Top 10 Things to Look for in a Preschool”. This shows us that parents are evaluating your center before they even inquire about enrollment, and so they should. While it’s the parents’ responsibility to investigate the best-fit preschool for their family, it is highly beneficial for a center to evaluate the best-fit families for their school as well.
What is a best-fit family?
A best-fit family for your center doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll have one ideal family or that they will all have the same positive attributes to adjust well in your center. A best-fit family will meet many of your standards and consist of a family whose relationship will be a great fit, and benefit both your center and the new family.
When a preschool goes from just filling a spot to, in a way, screening their families before considering the child’s enrollment, the center becomes a destination for prospective families. For example, think about a group of friends who all love horseback riding; all they do every morning is go riding. Now, say a little girl wanted to be in their group of friends, but she is two years younger than the other girls, and she hates horses. Even though the little girl wants to be friends with these girls, in reality, this probably would not end up as a “best-fit” because they aren’t interested in the same things. The same applies to your school. Suppose you were to just “fill a spot” instead of learning more about your family before accepting enrollment. In that case, you could run into a situation where you have an unhappy child, unable to thrive in your care, or an unhappy classroom because the child has changed the entire dynamic of the program.
How to determining if a family is a best-fit family for your center
To determine if a family is a best-fit for your center before enrollment, consider creating a rating scale, asking questions such as: Will the child thrive in our center? Do they need specialized care we are not equipped to offer? Does the family communicate well with the center? Has the family been respectful to the center? By asking these questions in your mind while communicating with the family, you will be able to create a grading scale to let you know which families are most beneficial in enrolling in your center.
It is also important to reassess your families after enrollment to see if they really are a true best-fit family. Then, you can use the same scale as before but with a few added questions such as if they pay their tuition on time, intermingle with other families in the center, or do they display your philosophy. Doing this can only benefit your center by getting to know your families better, creating a positive relationship, and boosting enrollment in your preschool when happy parents spread the word of their fantastic experience.
Remember, your center is a destination school, not a filler school
By following your grading scale and taking time to get to know your prospective child and their family, you can only set yourself up for success. Remember, valuing yourself as a destination school instead of a filler school can change the entire atmosphere and dynamic to a happy and desirable place for your community to feel at home.
