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Expert Tips for Boosting Family and Staff Retention At Your Center

You probably know that an exceptional staff experience leads to stronger relationships with families.  

And because staff helps streamline your business and do more, it’s vital that you give your staff an exceptional experience. 

But what about the day-to-day tasks that take up staff time?  

Your staff spends a lot of time creating spreadsheets to manage staff attendance and scheduling.  

Help empower your team and improve the childcare experience for everyone to boost staff retention 

In this blog (based on our latest benchmark report), see the problem with and solution to manual tasks that eat up hours of staff time. 


What does losing families mean for your childcare business?  

Have you ever wondered why some childcare centers are thriving while others struggle to stay open? 

It's not always about price or location. It's about the childcare experience families have when they enroll their children in your center. 

More than half of consumers (54%) say they'll stop using a brand after just one bad experience. And if you lose Millennial and Gen Z parents because you don't provide the experience they want, it can cost you big time.  

Let's say you're charging $1,000/month in tuition, that's $12,000/year for each family. If you lose just 10 families because your childcare experience doesn't meet their needs, it's costing you $120,000 annually in revenue. With a better family experience, more families enroll to create an ongoing, predictable revenue stream.  

In addition, when parents feel their time is valued and their experience was simple and delightful, they're more likely to give positive reviews and talk about you to others. Their positive reviews pull in prospective families and influence their decision to enroll at your center.

On the flip side, parents who haven't had a pleasant childcare experience scare off potential families with negative reviews. 

poor vs. unified childcare experience

Poor vs. unified childcare experience 

What does losing staff mean for your childcare business?  

When you lose staff, it can cost 30-50% of their annual salary to replace them. 

That's a scary number, but it's true 

Staff retention is crucial to the success of childcare businesses. Let's say you have a teacher who makes $32,000/year, but you lose them because they're unhappy at work. It costs $10,666 to replace them—and that's just for the new hire. That doesn't include the time you or your directors spend interviewing candidates or even the cost of paid job postings!  

But what if there was a way to reduce this risk? What if there was a way to keep your staff happy and engaged because they're doing less manual work on repetitive tasks? And what if there was a way to make sure they don't leave because they're frustrated with all the paperwork they have to do?  

We surveyed childcare professionals from across the country and found that over half of them said their teams spend a lot of time each week on tasks that should be automated. Automation can increase staff retention, with less work.

1_staff-messaging 

Staff communication

Staff Time Spent on Manual Tasks

  • 7+ hours a week on lead follow-up
  • 4+ hours a week on tour scheduling
  • 7+ hours a week managing enrollment paperwork
  • 7+ hours a week on billing and payment
  • 7+ hours a week on time and attendance
  • 7+ hours a week sending updates to families about their child's day and milestones 

How can you improve family satisfaction and boost staff retention at your center? 

So you're a childcare center owner and you've tried everything you can think of to keep your staff happy.  

You've taken them out for lunch, provided them with snacks, and even given them bonuses. But something still feels off. 

Maybe it's time to look at your software. 

Your staff might be frustrated with their current software because it's old, hard to use, or just doesn't have the features they need to do their job more efficiently and effectively. This can lead to burnout, which means staff turnover rises—and unhappy employees aren't good for anyone! 

Technology should help make everyone's life easier, not harder. With the leading early education technology from LineLeader, you can build a happier team that works more efficiently! Staff retention is a huge key to childcare success.

Grow your business and streamline everyday operations practically hands-free—so your childcare center can thrive without having to worry about whether or not you're using the right tools for the job. 

Find out how (with best practices and tips) in our latest benchmark report. 

Already a User or Simply Want to Learn More?  

Download the benchmark report to increase family and staff retention, practically hands-free.

Download the Report

Not a User Yet?

Schedule a free demo to see how LineLeader simplifies your childcare experience with less work. 

Schedule a Demo

Additional Resources

Meet The Author

Hope Dasher is a marketing professional with years of SEO content writing and social media strategy experience. Hope had a Bachelor's degree from The University of Texas at Dallas in Psychology and Child Development and an emphasis on language. She has extensive knowledge of the childcare system, effective marketing strategies, and copywriting. Hope serves as a Content Specialist for the Marketing team at LineLeader by ChildcareCRM.

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