6 Questions to Ask Yourself To Improve Your Child Care Business In 2022

The New year is Here!

Before we talk about the six questions to ask yourself, If you’re new to my site, don’t forget to snag my FREE Interview Guide to hiring quality staff for your program before you leave!

Now back to the info. As child care providers, we want to provide the best possible experience for our daycare families and staff. The new year is the perfect time to re-evaluate our child care business and find the areas that need improvement. 

Ask yourself the following six questions to determine how to take your center or home daycare to the next level in 2022 and what changes to make. Download the New Year Planning & Assessment Questions PDF here.

Question #1: How can I improve the quality of care I provide?

You may want to implement a new system or process, tweak the daily schedule, require more staff training, reduce ratios by hiring more assistants, invest in new toys or equipment, etc. What are 2-3 things you could do or implement to provide better care?

Question #2: How can I better serve my parents?

You may want to improve your parent connection by using a communication app such as Procare or printable daily reports, adding cameras for off-site viewing, incorporating a parent appreciation week, or adding anything that you feel will enhance your customer service and make your parents happier. Put yourself in your parents’ shoes. What would make you happy and feel confident about dropping off your child at daycare?

Question #3: How can I better serve my staff?

Brainstorm ways to better support your team if you have one. Schedule one-on-one meetings with them to determine how you can be a better leader. Ask them how you could improve their working environment. What do they desire? How could you create a better culture? Ask them. They will tell you. 

Question #4: How can I free up more time? What can I delegate? What can I eliminate?

If you are an owner, director, or leader, you are BUSY! I know because I have been there. It’s important to remember that you cannot do all the things and work 12 hour days without burning out. Get help. Hire an assistant if you don’t have one or pass trivial tasks to someone else. Yes, you may need to train them in the beginning, but think about how much time you will save in the future. It’s worth the up-front sacrifice.

Question #5: What is my projected annual revenue goal?

Take a look at expenses and income. Are you profitable? Are there any areas you can cut back to save money? Is it time to raise rates? The typical rate increase is 3-5% annually or bi-annually. How are your prices compared to other programs in your area? Do the research and go up on your tuition rates if needed. Download my free tuition rate increase letter here.

Question #6: How can I practice better self-care?

List 2-3 things you can implement immediately to take better care of yourself. Find a few minutes daily to incorporate something that makes you feel good, whether it’s listening to your favorite music, taking a nature walk, or reading a good book. Remember, you can’t pour from an empty cup. Prioritize yourself! 

Bottom line…There’s always room for improvement, no matter how long your waiting list is or how great the care you provide is. Always strive to be better; a better leader, a better provider, a better parent, a better friend, a better person. “Excellence is the gradual result of always wanting to do better.” -Pat Riley.

Want to dive into these 6 questions on paper? If you’re like me, you need an old-school piece of paper and a pen to write out your thoughts and ideas. You can download my free New Year Planning & Assessment Questions here. It’s a PDF version of these 6 questions with places to write, to allow you to brainstorm your improvements and come up with an actionable plan. Enjoy!