In this webinar, we get chatting with Meg Saak and Ryan Eickmeier about managing enrollment, making new connections with families during a pandemic, while being transparent, and building a strong community within their centers.
🎤 Our Special Guests
Meg Saak graduated from the University of Missouri-Columbia with a BA in Communications. She toured just about every Early Childhood Center in Saint Louis before finding The Elegant Child, and loved it so much she quit her job to work at the school! She is married with two kids; Charlie, her 6 year old, just recently graduated from The Elegant Child and Mary Kate, age 4, who occasionally pops up to the Front Desk to work alongside her Mother! She is currently the Communications Coordinator for The Elegant Child, which is a family owned school that just celebrated their 27th year in business
🧪 Key Learning Outcomes from Meg
- Social media might not be for everyone due to privacy reasons, and that’s ok! Consider using an app to communicate straight with the families to ensure your information and updates are safe and secure.
- Be transparent about what’s going on in the center to help build trust with your families.
- Set your standards from the beginning to make sure that everyone knows what to expect from you and what you expect from them!
- Take time to laugh – life’s too short and appreciating moments as much as possible is key.
Ryan is the Chief Executive Officer of Helping Hands Daycare, where he strategically leads all aspects of the organization. Across 9 centres, Helping Hands provides safe and educational space for over 900 children, from infant to school age. Academically, Ryan has earned a Bachelor of Arts (B.A) in political science from New England College, a Master of Public Policy (M.P.P.) from The American University School of Public Affairs, a Master of Law (LL.M) at York University’s Osgoode Hall Law School, and an Executive Master of Business Administration (E.M.B.A) at the University of Fredericton’s Sandermoen School of Business.
🧪 Key Learning Outcomes from Ryan
- Over-communicating is not a bad thing right now. Not all parents are keeping up with the news and in some ways they are looking to you for information!
- No need to bombard parents, but give them the facts and help them get on the same page as you.
- Consider using your community welcome center if you have families who do not speak your local language or need extra support.
✨Resources
- [Blog] 6 Ways to boost enrollment during COVID-19
- [Blog] Deciding which enrollments to keep and turn away during COVID-19
- [Podcast] Phone skills to increase enrollment with Jared Hall
- [Blog] What it’s like finding childcare during COVID-19
- [Blog] How to host a great virtual tour
🎉ECE Of The Year!🎉
Get out there and nominate a very special ECE and then vote. Check us out on Instagram or Facebook for the instructions!
🌟2020 Child Care Benchmark Report
This is just a high-level overview of the state of child care – get your copy of the HiMama’s 2020 Child Care Benchmark to have all the insights!
🖥️ Watch Recording
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The HiMama child care app helps to streamline your digital parent communications. Book a consultation with us today to learn how we can support your child care center during this time.
Picture Source: E School News
