If there’s one area of life where parents won’t take chances, it’s with their children’s care. It seems like they’re hearing daycare and school horror stories from the day their child is born — in the news, passed on by friends and family, even relayed third-hand through the rumor mill.
Paranoid much? They have reason to be.
The thing is, you know your child care workers and teachers are doing their best. And you might think that because your services are church-based, it’s a given parents will trust you — but you’d be wrong.
Churches are held to the same levels of scrutiny as any group that works with children. To make the best possible first impression, you need to know what parents are zeroing in on when they walk through your door.
Ann Douglas, author of Choosing Childcare for Dummies, has a lot of great affordable (and even free) ideas:
Know your teacher-turnover rate.
“If the person who’s been there the longest has only been there three or four months, that’s a problem,” Douglas says. “Good centers hold onto their staff.”
Screen your staff.
Additionally, she recommends putting parent volunteers through a security check.
Make sure you’re “on schedule.”
Parents want to know you have activities planned — that you and your staff aren’t winging it.
Have a “sick child plan.”
At what point, and how, will you contact parents if a child becomes ill during the day? These are key pieces of information to any parent.
Consider real-life security.
If the entries are manned by an actual person, and no one is allowed to walk into a classroom without a pass, parents are bound to feel more confident.
Make sure they sign in.
For parents, convenience (even their own) is less of an issue than safety. Making them sign in and out is a good idea.
Now Look at Your Classrooms ...
..because parents certainly will be! Here’s what they’re scoping out, according to Douglas:
Bright lighting, ventilation and temperature.
Parents naturally gravitate toward well-lit rooms that are nicely ventilated and comfortably cool or warm.
Clean, clear floors and sanitized toys.
Not only do nicely kept floors belie cleanliness, but trip hazards are a no-no among parents. And disinfecting toys prevents the spread of germs.
Rethink your craft tables.
Whatever projects you’re doing, make sure they’re age-appropriate and that children are only using non-toxic supplies.
Hand washing is not optional.
If you think otherwise, parents are sure to notice.
What’s for lunch?
School lunches are taking quite a beating these days, so why not beat the trend and serve nutritionally balanced meals and snacks throughout the day as a rule?
Even napping needs to be safe.
Are children supervised during nap time? How are toddlers handled when they don’t want to take a nap?
Kids need a soft place to fall.
When children fall inside or outside, will they sustain cuts, scrapes or even broken limbs? Parents want to see the appropriate flooring inside, and cushioned or deep-fill surfacing outside.
It’s easier and feels better to “do the right thing,” care-wise, from the beginning. Whether your children’s ministries are just starting out or long-established, it’s never too late — or too early — to get on the right track.
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