Childcare providers are adept at handling childcare emergencies–whether little Tommy had a tumble running to and fro, Daisy started sniffling and sneezing, or Ms. Sarah suddenly had a personal errand to attend to, childcare directors and managers have seen and dealt with it all.
But what happens when there’s a vacancy which suddenly appears due to a child’s absence?
While you may have a robust waitlist, most of these parents are looking for permanent care rather than occasional care.
Not to mention combing through a waitlist that can rival Rapunzel’s hair filled with all sorts of care request details can be quite tedious.
And before you even had the chance to call a parent, the day’s already gone.
So how do you deal with these childcare emergencies of a different nature?
In this blog, we’ll give you pointers on how to best deal with these unavoidable situations and help you turn a troubling opportunity into a win-win situation for everyone.
1. Set up an automated notification system that’s easy and incentivized for a parent to use.
Most parents sometimes can’t be bothered to notify their childcare provider especially when they’ve already paid for it.
Lessen a parent’s hesitancy to notify you of this good opportunity by incentivizing them with a rebate on their fee paid for the slot, especially if they notify you well in advance, enough for you to advertise and book the open slot to parents looking for occasional care.
2. Let them know and understand the benefits of occasional childcare for other parents.
When a childcare spot suddenly opens up due to absence, it can be a means to help other parents struggling to find childcare, even if it’s only for an hour, a day, or a week.
Occasional child care is still childcare and valuable, especially for essential workers who are having a hard time finding affordable childcare.
While permanent childcare can be quite expensive, occasional childcare does provide a more affordable and flexible option that lets them work their hours while having their child cared for.
3. Let parents know of your promotional offers for absence notification rebates and occasional childcare slots.
As parents all across the country struggle to find childcare that allows them to work, let alone be affordable, occasional childcare can be the flexible and affordable alternative most parents and even childcare providers are looking for.
For childcare providers, childcare slots which open occasionally due to absences can seem such a waste even when it’s already paid for.
Opening it up even for just an hour or day can really mean a lot for a child’s early development.
Meanwhile, enrolled parents get to help other parents while also saving some of their childcare fees if rebates are available.
And for parents looking for childcare, occasional childcare, no matter how temporary, is also a reliable, if not more affordable way to secure their child’s care needs while allowing them to be productive and worry-free at work.
Out of all childcare emergencies providers face, childcare slots that open up due to unannounced absences seem to be the most wasteful when left unattended.
Having these slots be planned for in advance and given to parents eager for any childcare service available helps all parties concerned–whether the childcare provider getting more revenue, the enrolled parent getting rebate and helping another parent in need, or the parent who finally gets a solution to their childcare problems, no matter how temporary it is.
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