Boost Enrollment and Back-to-School Excitement with These Creative Ideas!

As we gear up for the back-to-school season, it's the perfect time to ramp up your child care center's enrollment efforts. Here are some innovative and exciting strategies to help you attract new families, engage the community, and ensure a smooth transition into the new school year.

Create a Strong Referral Program

Get the Word Out:

• Promote Often: Regularly showcase your referral rewards program to both current families and potential enrollees.

• Staff Contests: Encourage staff to participate in a friendly competition to see who can bring in the most referrals within a set time frame.

• Flyers and Signage: Include information about your referral program in enrollment packets, on your website, and on posters throughout your center.

• Email Signatures: Add a line to your email signature promoting your referral program, such as: "The best compliment you can give us is a referral! Learn more about our referral rewards program."

Community Referral Network:

• Build Relationships: Establish connections with local businesses and community members who know, like, and trust your center. These relationships can lead to long-term loyalty and referrals.

• Sponsor Events: Participate in local events, sponsor sports teams, and host community gatherings to increase visibility and build trust.

• Partner with Local Businesses: Form partnerships with businesses that share a similar target market but are not direct competitors. Examples include local gyms, workout facilities, coffee shops, local restaurants, salons, doctors, dentists, child haircut salons, children's clothing stores and children's birthday party places.

Supporting Local Businesses

Community Partnerships:

• Exclusive Offers: Create special offers for families referred by community partners, such as discounts or free trials.

• Highlight Local Partners: Feature community partners on your website, in newsletters, and at events. Offer them opportunities to promote their services to your families.

• Reciprocal Marketing: Exchange marketing materials with local businesses. For example, provide coloring books with your logo to local restaurants, or offer discounts to clients of partner businesses.

Community Engagement:

• Gift Cards and Discounts: Partner with local eateries and stores to offer gift cards and exclusive discounts to enrolling families.

• Farmers Market Vouchers: Provide vouchers for local farmers markets as a welcome gift.

• Free Tickets: Offer free entry to local attractions, such as museums, zoos, or amusement parks.

Contests and Incentives

Exciting Contests:

• Enrollment Raffle: Enter new enrollees into a raffle for a significant prize, like a family weekend getaway.

• Social Media Contests: Reward families who share their enrollment experience on social media.

• Family Picture Contest: Hold a contest where families submit photos and get a small gift.

• Monthly Drawings: Conduct monthly drawings for enrolled families to win various prizes.

Referral Programs:

• Discounts and Rewards: Offer discounts, cash bonuses, free tuition, gift baskets, or priority enrollment for successful referrals.

Positive Reviews

Review Incentives:

• Review Rewards: Offer small rewards for families who leave positive reviews on social media or review sites.

• Google and Yelp Discounts: Provide discounts for families who leave reviews on Google or Yelp.

• Testimonials and Video Reviews: Feature family testimonials on your website and reward video reviews with a small prize.

Free Merchandise and Events

Event Participation:

• Raffles and Free Entries: Enter families who attend events into raffles and offer free entry to special events.

• VIP Access: Provide VIP access to events for early enrollees.

• Family Fun Day: Host a special event for all newly enrolled families.

• Holiday Events: Send special invitations to holiday-themed events with treats and activities.

Special Offers:

• Free Diapers: Offer year-long or monthly diaper supplies, diaper bundles as welcome gifts, or discounts on diaper purchases.

Monthly Theme Discounts

Seasonal Savings:

• Back-to-School Discounts: Offer tuition discounts in September.

• Holiday and Seasonal Discounts: Provide special rates during holidays and different seasons.

Miscellaneous Incentives

Additional Benefits:

• Free Uniforms and Waived Fees: Offer free uniforms for the first month and waive registration fees for early enrollees.

• Sibling Discounts and Welcome Kits: Provide discounts for siblings and welcome kits with educational materials.

• Family Photo Sessions and Workshops: Offer free family photo sessions and health and wellness workshops for parents.

• Extended Hours and Meal Plans: Provide extended hours for early and late drop-offs and offer free meal plans for the first month.

• Language, Music, and Dance Classes: Offer free or discounted classes for children and parents.

Remember to track how families hear about you and add that information to their IntelliKid Systems profile. This will be invaluable when you revisit it the following year to determine which promotion or incentive worked best!

Implementing these creative strategies will not only boost enrollment but also foster a sense of community and excitement as families prepare for the new school year. By building strong relationships and offering valuable incentives, your childcare center can create a welcoming and thriving environment for all.