- Click the document icon to view the article in simple HTML.
- Use your browser's "view source" function to copy and paste the HTML to your website or ezine.
- Once finished, use the "back" function to return.
Family Childcare and After School Services Websites
by Madison Lockwood
Learn what makes a great local family childcare or after school services website. Includes tips on what content to include and various features that will make your services shine.
Offering family childcare and after school services from your home means that you are competing with some pretty hefty competition. There are small daycare centers with big backyards and large daycare centers that have a different classroom for each year of preschool plus separate after school care facilities. How can family childcare and after school services compete?
First of all, you have the personal touch. Rather than a sterile classroom, you offer a warm and loving home, a personality, home cooked meals, and small groups of kids who get your undivided attention. To let people know that you also offer professionalism and safety for their children, designing a website for them to peruse before calling for an interview is a great way to introduce them to your style of childcare and after school services.
Posting on Your Website
You have so many things to choose from when it comes to posting on your website that it's hard to know where to begin.
First, of course, you need a great home page. Keep it simple but playful and bright. The tone should say, 'Kids love it here!' You may show a piece of artwork done by one of the kids or a photo of them at play (make sure you have their parents permission first).
Next, you'll need an information page for your family childcare service. What ages do you cater to? What time are you open in the morning and when do you 'close up shop'? Do you ever accommodate overnight stays or late pickups? What about the weekends? Do you feed the kids breakfast as well as lunch? What about afternoon snack or dinner?
A page for your after school services is need, too. Again, ages and times are important. Also include whether or not you provide tutoring services for homework help or mandatory quiet time to complete homework before the parents come pick them up. Are snacks include? If so, what do you offer?
Other things you might like to list include:
- Detailed description of the area in your home where the kids will be including the backyard, sandbox, art tables, and supplies
- A sample schedule for your family childcare day
- A sample schedule for your after school services
- A menu for the week so that parents can plan ahead Special movies planned
- Special open play dates available on the weekend
- Field trips you've taken the kids on and future field trips in the works
- Contracts and consent forms available for download
- A blog to talk about what the kids are doing
- A list of books you've read with the kids
- A list of games you play with the kids
- A biography pages for tutors you have come visit your after school services
- A biography page for you – all your CPR and emergency certifications as well as child development training
- A detailed response in case of natural disaster for parents
- A description of your cleaning procedures and your state certification grade
- Any special classes that kids can sign up for whether or not they're enrolled in childcare
On every page of your website, you will need to list contact information, giving visitors a way to email you with questions or call. If you have an open play day one Saturday a month or an open house to showcase all that the kids have been doing once a month, then you might include a link on each page for people to RSVP for the next event or to schedule a tour and visit if they're considering your services for their child.
Most important, keep updating your site with new messages. You can communicate with parents and have special pages that require a password just for their children so that they can visit and see how the day went. Take requests from parents about what they'd like to see on the site.
Most importantly, enjoy yourself and think it through as you build it. Your professionalism and attention to detail will greatly impress working parents who pride themselves on the same.
About The Author
Madison Lockwood is a customer relations associate for ApolloHosting.com.
She brings years of experience as a small business consultant to helping
prospective clients understand the ways in which a website may benefit
them both personally and professionally. Apollo Hosting provides website
hosting, ecommerce
hosting, vps
hosting, and web design
services to a wide range of customers. Established in 1999, Apollo prides
itself on the highest levels of customer support. Click for more hosting
articles.
Note: These articles are provided for general interest and content purposes only, and should not be construed as "support" materials. Apollo Hosting does not guarantee the information contained within. All articles are free to reprint so long as they remain unchanged, the "About the Author" section remains, all hyperlinks are preserved, and the rel="nofollow" tag is not added to the hyperlinks.
