Do you want to know 10 ways to bring in more money to your child care program besides your weekly tuition?  Before we get started…If you’re new here, My name is Dena, and I have been a daycare center director for 20 years and love what I do, but it is WORK! My goal is to help other providers with their child care program and help relieve the stress that the daycare world brings. Don’t forget to snag my free daily schedules for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers before you leave!

Most child care programs operate solely on the weekly tuition received from parents, but did you know that there are other ways to increase your revenue and bring in more money?

Here are 10 ways to get your parents to pay you more money and LOVE doing it!

1. Parent’s Night Out- Offer one night per quarter for parents to drop off their kids on a Friday night and charge them extra. Offer a 6pm-10pm window where parents can drop off their children for a date night. Have a simple dinner ready or require them to eat before they arrive. Have the children bring their PJs. Have a sign-up sheet 2 weeks in advance and consider having the parents pay in advance. Ask your staff who would be interested in making extra on their check and pay them for the hours. Tally up any food costs plus wages paid and decide on your cost per child. Make sure you are making money. An example charge might be $15 or $20 per hour for the first child, $10 per hour for siblings. Not only will you be making extra $, but your parents will also be so thankful for the night out without the kiddos.

2. Raffles- Raffles can be an extremely effective and low-cost way to raise money. The first step to holding a raffle is to obtain a prize (or prizes) that people would be interested in winning! In order to raise the maximum amount of money possible, it is best to get the prizes donated.  If this is not an option, just be sure that your profits from the tickets sold will outweigh the cost of obtaining the prize. Once you have the prize, get the word out! The best way to get people to buy raffle tickets is to let them know about it! You can sell the tickets for $1, $5, $10, or $20 each depending on the prize value. You can usually buy raffle tickets at the dollar store. Let your parents know that the money raised will go towards a good cause whether it be new playground equipment, classroom toys, or whatever your program needs.

3. Holiday Gift Baskets- Have your parents pre-order an Easter or Valentine's Day Gift Basket for their child. Sell them for $15 each. Once you know how many you need, go to the dollar store and purchase the supplies to make your own baskets and deliver them to the children on Easter or Valentine’s Day with a note that reads “To: Johnny, From: mom & dad. Happy Easter/Valentine’s Day! We love you!”

You can buy a small stuffed animal, heart candy or bunny, chocolate candy, basket, and helium balloon all at the dollar store for under $10 and the profit is yours. It’s a win-win! The child is elated, and you have saved your parents so much time while putting a few extra dollars in your pocket.

4. Christmas Wrapping- During the Christmas season, offer to wrap presents for your parents on Fridays and charge $1 for small gifts, $2 for medium, and $3 for large gifts.  Provide the gift paper and supplies. Instruct your parents to drop off the items in the morning with a sticky note on each item, labeling them with to and from names. Have the gifts wrapped and ready to go home when they pick up their child. Give staff free lunch in exchange for wrapping during naptime.

 5. Throw A Movie & Pizza Fundraiser or Party- Have a Pizza and Movie Friday. Charge $5 per child to order in pizza.  Add a veggie to make sure it follows your nutritional guidelines. Show a G-rated Disney movie, order in pizza, & make it a big deal. The kids will be so excited and parents won’t mind chipping in to cover expenses. You will have enough $ to order the pizza plus raise a little extra. *Feel free to disclose to your parents that any left over money will go towards…(your cause).

6. Chick-Fil-A Biscuits – Purchase a few chicken biscuits for under $4 each and sell them for $6 until they run out. Announce this to your parents days before so that they are prepared to buy. You may want to add a small orange juice or milk. I usually email and post a sign that reads “Chick-Fil-A Biscuit Fundraiser! Chicken biscuit & milk for $6.00 this Friday 6:30am until they run out! (Or Sign up here!)”

7. Charge Annual Registration- Most programs charge a starting child registration, but not all charge an annual registration. Put into your policies or parent handbook that registration is paid annually at the beginning of every year (or whatever month you decide) to continue enrollment.

8. Child Craft & Art Show- Have your children make several crafts and projects to display to parents. Announce it weeks in advance and host it one evening after child care hours or on the weekend. Charge a very reasonable admission ($2 - $3)for parents and relatives to come to view the art and craft displays. Have small appetizers and juice available to nibble on while browsing. All arts and crafts can be sent home the next day for keepsakes.

9. Fundraisers- There are numerous companies that offer “done for you” fundraisers that you can participate in. I normally host 2 per year. The brochure fundraisers do well along with cookie dough fundraisers. There are also discount card fundraisers and candy bar fundraisers. The profit margins are normally 30-40% and the company provides all the materials needed. Make sure they sort the orders for you. This saves a ton of time. I always offer a free week of child care to the top seller (at least $250 in sales). I have used Prestige Fundraising several times. Check them out here.

10. Child Yearbook- Take pictures of your kiddos throughout the year and put them together at the end of the year to create a photo book/collage for your parents to purchase. There are several online sites that make this process a breeze. www.snapfish.com and www.shutterfly.com will take your uploaded photos and create wonderful books. Charge the parents a few extra dollars and turn it into a fundraiser. Once again, your parents will LOVE paying you for this!

Hopefully, this gets your juices flowing on how you can bring in extra revenue for your daycare or center. Have any ideas you want to share? We’d love to hear them!