Parent-Centered Approach
Why Should Your Center Have a Parent-Centered Approach?
There are many reasons why a center should focus on the parents and families. Most parents coming to you want or need your help. You are responsible for making these valuable interactions centered on how you and the center can help them.
When considering how you want to approach and interact with prospective and current families, think about the conversations you like. Do you enjoy one-sided conversations where someone predominantly talks about themselves? Most people do not; they want to feel heard and understood. It’s the same with parents.
DID YOU KNOW???
Centers that have a parent-centered approach are…
- 5x more likely to be consistently full with a waitlist
- 3x more likely to attract and retain staff
- 2x more likely to be successful through economic downturns (like Covid, recessions)
It’s a fact…In life, we look for people to support us emotionally, physically, and spiritually. We look for help and guidance in experiencing a greater quality of life. When parents feel they have found the support they’re looking for, they are more likely to want their children to be a part of your center’s happy and healthy environment.
How Do You Approach Prospective Families?
When considering how your center presents itself and approaches prospective families, early childhood education is in a special scenario. You not only have one client to please; you have two: the child and their family. To ensure a successful start to your parent-centered approach to a budding relationship, review the following areas:
Content and Copywriting
- Think about how your center presents itself during the first interactions with prospective families.
- “We are here to help your child succeed.” VS. “We are number one in the area.”
Early conversations
- The first step in interacting with prospective parents is ensuring they are a good fit for your center.
- Use this time wisely to LISTEN to the parent and analyze their needs to see if what your center provides will benefit them.
Engaging relationships
- Retention is about continuing the engagement and focus.
- Think about what you can do to keep your center in their minds. What information can you send? Where are they coming from? What are their struggles? How can you improve their lives?
- Build a meaningful relationship from the start.
Consider the following…
Switch the conversation. If you focus on your prospective families and how you can help them during this time of their lives, the conversation will gradually shift so you can brag about how great your center is too! Live, Breathe, and Eat Parent-Centered Approach, and your center will be successful!
