Eight things to make your childcare business stand out from the rest

Childcare worker playing with children

4 mins

The childcare services industry has enjoyed steady growth over the past decade. As a result, an additional 1,101 centre-based day care units opened in Australia between June 2018 and June 2022*. 

In the face of rising competition, what can your childcare business do to attract and retain demand for your services? To help you stand out from the pack, here are eight essentials your centre needs.

1. Positive reviews

Great childcare centres have a solid reputation, including positive reviews from current or previous parents.

Don’t be afraid to ask for reviews and testimonials on Google, your website, childcare forums and product review sites. Remember to acknowledge and say thank you for positive comments and respond to any criticism promptly and professionally.

2. Happy kids

Create a caring and stimulating environment that reflects the diversity of the children in your care. You’ll feel it as soon as you walk in the door - and so will prospective parents. 

Provide age-appropriate environments for each stage - plenty of floor space for crawlers or babies who need tummy time and desks or tables for colouring or crafts for older children.

Set up displays of what children are doing and learning, to demonstrate respect for their interests and ideas.

3. Excellent early care and education programs

An interesting and varied schedule allows children to be invested in the materials and their learning. Skilled childcare professionals know how to balance important learning outcomes with children’s natural interests. Parents and teachers should ideally work together to enhance their child’s learning experience. 

4. Qualified staff who really care

Employ qualified, experienced staff and do your best to retain them to provide consistent care over time. In addition to the essentials in terms of certification and training, they should also demonstrate intangible qualities, such as confidence, patience and talking respectfully to children at children’s eye-level . 

5. Safety first, second and last

Each state and territory has a set of minimum standards for childcare centres that include building standards, physical environment requirements and other health and safety measures.

Great childcare centres go above and beyond these to ensure children’s safety. This includes childproofing, food safety practices, a well-kept and maintained play space with clean toys in good condition and constant supervision.

6. Low child-to-carer ratio and low employee turnover

The more hands on deck, the better. So aim to have a high amount of carers per group of children. And ideally, you’d have the same caregivers day in and day out. 

7. Established policies and consistent rules

Great childcare centres have documented, well-established operating policies and procedures from crucial rules like how to handle sick children or emergency situations to small things, like when they do circle time and storage of toys and resources. 

8. Approval under national standards

Childcare providers must hold the required approvals or licences to provide child care in the state or territory in which each of its child care services operate.

Aim to achieve and maintain the highest rating possible. Even if you’re not there yet, incorporate actions into your planning processes that will enable you to continuously improve. 

Eziebit can help you take your centre from good to great by creating flexible, fully-customised payment options to suit all families, regardless of their needs. Whether it’s set-and-forget direct debit, or monthly BPAY invoices, we have the right match for every family’s finances.

Get in touch to find out how Ezidebit can help your childcare business.

Let’s talk

 

* Source: IBIS World: AUSTRALIA INDUSTRY (ANZSIC) REPORT Q8710 / HEALTH CARE AND SOCIAL ASSISTANCE. August 2022

Related Articles