How to Increase Daycare Enrollment

As every daycare provider knows, enrollment can ebb and flow from time to time. There may be times when you are at capacity and have a long waitlist and others when you just can’t seem to fill those last few spots. If you’re looking for ways to increase enrollment and attract new parents to your daycare, we’ve got your back. We’re going over all the tips and tricks for promoting your daycare and increasing enrollments. 

• Understand What Parents Want
• How do I attract parents to my daycare or preschool?
• How can I promote my daycare?
• Who can I recruit to help me spread the word?

Understand What Parents Want

To boost enrollment, it’s essential to understand what parents are seeking when evaluating your childcare business.

Reviews

Parents value the opinions of others who have entrusted their children to your care. They want to know if your facility is safe, well-managed, and staffed with caring professionals. Encourage your current families to share their experiences through reviews and testimonials to build trust and attract new families.

Curriculum & Teaching Philosophy

Childcare isn’t just about supervision—it’s the foundation of a child’s education. Parents want to know what and how their children will learn while in your care. Are you following a Montessori, Waldorf, or play-based approach? Clearly outline your teaching philosophy and how it supports child development. 

Daily Schedule

Parents are curious about how their child’s day will be structured. Share a high-level overview of your daily schedule to highlight how children stay engaged, learn, and have fun throughout the day.

Teachers

Your teachers are the heart of your childcare business. Parents want to know about their qualifications, experience, and commitment to nurturing young minds. Highlight their credentials and passion for education to instill confidence in your program.

How do I attract parents to my daycare?

You did all the work of getting licensed, setting up your space, and opening up your daycare— now what? How are you going to get in front of families searching for care?

• Spread the word: be sure everyone you know knows that you opened your daycare! Ask your friends and family to help you spread the word. 
• Get social: Today’s parents spend a lot of time on social media— use this to your advantage by creating accounts for your program on Instagram, Facebook, and even Twitter. Use these platforms to showcase photos of your space, post video tours, etc. 
• Join local family groups: if you join local parenting groups on social media, just be sure to answer questions, engage in conversation and bring up that you own a daycare if it makes sense to mention it. Many groups have rules about advertising, so you may not be able to post specifically about your daycare, but just being a source of knowledge and information for parents will get your name out there. 
• Show off: What makes your program special? Do you offer organic meals, or are you really into arts and crafts? Whatever makes your program stand out, be sure to point it to prospective parents when talking about your daycare.
  
  

How can I promote my daycare?

There are lots of creative ways to market your daycare, some of them may even be free!

• Register with your local Childcare Resource and Referral (CCR&R) agency: Often parents will call or search through their local CCR&R to find local daycare options. If you register with them, you can get on the list of programs they refer families to. 
• Take advantage of sites like Winnie: On Winnie you can claim your program’s free listing, add photos and communicate with prospective families. There are also options for advertising and a place to keep track of parent leads– all in one place. You can also ask current and former parents to leave you reviews, which will make your Winnie listing stand out to families searching for care. 
• Show up where families already are: Find out about getting a table at local farmer's markets or craft fairs and get creative–give out little containers of bubbles with a sticker including your daycare’s website and phone number or something else that will attract families to your table. Even if the families you interact with aren’t searching for care, they may know someone who is! You may also be able to set up an information table at local libraries, grocery stores, etc— just ask!
  
  

Who can I recruit to help me spread the word?

You don’t always need to spend a ton of money on marketing. There are some people in your community who would likely be happy to help share the news about your program. 

• Realtors: Often realtors keep lists of referrals and family-friendly services to share with families who are buying homes and are new to an area. Network with realtors in your area and ask them to refer families to you or have a stack of your cards handy. 
• Pediatricians: Lots of families ask their pediatricians for recommendations when it comes to daycare and preschool programs. If you reach out to local pediatricians and invite them to tour your program, they may be more likely to recommend you to families in their practice. They may also have a community bulletin board where they’d post your flyers. 
• Your local school district: Some schools keep lists of childcare programs that do after-school care or school-break/summer care for school aged children. Calling up your local district office and asking them if you can drop off some flyers can’t hurt. 
• Local HR reps or Hiring Managers: Parents can’t work without childcare. By reaching out to local hiring managers and HR representatives, you may be able to leave them some flyers or information about your program.
• Other childcare providers: The more childcare providers you get to know, the better! You can share ideas, talk to each other about the joys and challenges of running a daycare and refer families to each other when you don’t have space!
• Previous and current families: Families will be your greatest resource when it comes to spreading the word about your program! Ask them to leave you reviews on Winnie, and tell all their friends about you!