Advertising

[familyschoolcare]

I am a new Family Day Care in California. Got my license on May 27th and still do not have any day care children. I know that is only one month but I have had very few phone calls and no one has even come to look. It seams like it has been longer than a month as it took longer than I thought it would to become licensed. Not sure if I am advertising in wrong place with wrong words or what. I worked for a family day care ten years ago and she never advertised other than free internet stuff and the 4c’s referral list and she was almost always on a waiting list. Her facility was nothing special.

Please help.

[Michael]

I am pushing this question from a new member back up. It should have been approved earlier. Here are some helpful threads: https://www.daycare.com/forum/tags.php?tag=advertising

[Michelle]

try care.com.... daycare.com.... sittercity.com, and especially the pennysaver, both in print and internet (pennysaverusa.com)

try an open house... put flyers up everywhere and have cookies, fruit tray and drinks all out as well as a craft table for the kids, with projects to make with them

offer special incentives like free parents night out once a month, on your flyers
get a website!!!! very important!!! put nice pictures of your play area.
Parents love to have that visual before calling.
Make sure you say you provide hot healthy meals and preschool activities (if you provide that)

go to your local parks and pass out your business cards.
Go to vista print, they sell car magnet advertisements for like $15-20. as well as business cards and websites for pretty cheap.
try to borrow a friends kid or relatives kid at interviews so you don't look "empty" some parents think no, I don't want to be the first one, even though it would be awesome for them

[sharlan]

I can't speak for all of CA, but my area is over saturated with home daycares along with centers. Just about every church and public school has a daycare center.

I've advertised here, Craig's List, Penneysaver, the local paper, and soon will be advertising on a local restaurant's menu. Be sure to tell everyone you know that you've opened up a home daycare.

[jodi]

I wrote a press release to our local weekly newspaper. They printed it in full. I didn't include pictures, but they probably would have printed them too (I worked at a weekly and we would have). I got one client from it - but many people saw it and it helped get the word out.

Best of luck. I opened in September - immediately got one part-time, then three months later another part-time, then a month later a full-time. Finally this May I got my fill of six. I was really scared that it wouldn't fly. It took forever. Don't give up hope.

[Michelle]

I am pushing this question from a new member back up. It should have been approved earlier. Here are some helpful threads: https://www.daycare.com/forum/tags.php?tag=advertising

nice picture!