Playing ‘the waiting game’ can be a frustrating experience... for everyone involved.
Waitlisted families want consistent, regular updates about their enrollment status, which is understandable, given their need for childcare.
But all this communication often comes at a cost – your staff’s valuable time.
Don’t let that hard work go unrewarded.
Read on to learn the importance of charging daycare waitlist fees, how to do so, and other best practices for managing your waitlist. ❤️
What Is a Daycare Waiting List?
As you know, childcare facilities have capacity limitations – meaning they can only provide care to a certain number of students in their building at a time.
But beyond building regulations, childcare centers are also required to follow strict rules regarding their classroom ratios. For example, a toddler classroom might require that for every 8 students present, there has to be at least 1 teacher.
Woman applying to daycare waitlist
And with current childcare staffing shortages, many centers are reaching capacity sooner than they’d like.
So, once your program has reached full capacity, it’s essential that you start a waitlist.
Waitlists are not only great marketing and enrollment tools for your business, but they help you know what to expect when admissions re-open.
Plus, offering a waitlist lets your community know that even though you may not have room for all of them, you’re still doing everything you can to be there for them.
Get a demo to see how you can effortlessly manage your waitlists.
The Importance of Daycare Waitlist Fees
When a family is placed on your waitlist, it’s important to update them regularly on their enrollment status and where they are in your waiting queue.
But all that communication requires time and effort from your already busy staff.
Charging waitlist fees is not only common but also necessary to make sure a family is serious about enrolling at your center, so you don’t spend valuable time and effort engaging them – just for them to choose another program.
Daycare waitlist fees provide security for both you and your families.
They’re a mutual commitment that eases everyone’s stress.
How to Request Waitlist Fees from Families (Without Causing an Uproar)
Money can be a touchy subject, especially in childcare. But it doesn’t have to be.
Being a ‘care provider’ does NOT mean you don’t deserve to get paid what you’re worth. Just take a look at your doctor... They charge new patient fees, no-show fees, appointment holding fees, and much more – and we pay them, often happily. Your child care waiting list template should do the same.
Waitlist template example
Successfully collecting waitlist fees from families can be your new reality. Automated messages can help you effortlessly personalize text messages and emails. That way, families feel like you took the time to really get to know them before crafting your message and after requesting payment.
Make these conversations easier for your staff by automating emails and texts when someone fills out your contact form or books a tour on your website.
Just follow these tips:
1. Be transparent. Let guardians know upfront that there’s a fee to secure a spot on your daycare waiting list. That way, they can decide whether or not they want to move forward even before they spend time touring and falling in love with your center. Check out this template conversation.
Email template
2. Stay empathetic. Inform families of the ‘why’ regarding your waitlist fee. Many parents are out of the loop about the current childcare staffing shortage. Let them know that although you value their interest in your program, you don’t have any availability. And inform them that your waitlist is the next step to getting them successfully enrolled.
Check out this waitlist template conversation.
Text template
3. Provide value. Once a family pays their daycare waitlist fees, don’t forget about them. Keep them in the loop with status updates or changes. Consistently communicate with educational blogs, fun videos of your center, or even a first-day starter pack. Here are a few ideas to get you started:
- Consider sending weekly (or bimonthly) updates on their waitlist position.
- Add waitlisted families to your newsletter and share helpful parenting tips.
- Invite families on your waitlist to center events and parent nights.
- Use some of the money you received from their waitlist fee to mail them a care package with a children’s book or new educational toy.
How Much Should I Charge Families to Secure a Spot on My Waitlist?
The average waitlist fee varies depending on your city and state, as well as your regular tuition fees.
A daycare waitlist deposit can range anywhere from $50-$350.
You want to charge your worth but also make sure this fee is obtainable for your target families.
Do a bit of research beforehand to figure out the average market price that childcare centers are charging in your area. See this complete cost list for childcare by state.
Manage and Collect Daycare Waitlist Fees with Ease
Once you start charging waitlist fees, this creates new tasks for staff, such as: ‘collect waitlist deposit’, ‘update family bi-monthly on their enrollment status’, ‘invite waitlisted families to next week’s open house’...
But you and your teams are busy. And your staff don’t have an easy way to stay in constant contact with every waitlisted family.
What if there was a tool that engaged waitlisted families for you?
There is! And it doesn’t have to cost you an arm and a leg.
Look for a unified platform that:
- Effortlessly collects waitlist deposits from families
- Organizes family information in one central place
- Automates emails and texts to waitlisted families
LineLeader by ChildcareCRM offers a secure, online payment solution to collect waitlist, registration, and supply fees with ease.
Take waitlist management off your staff’s plate and give families the peace of mind they crave.
It’s a win-win for everyone.
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Schedule a demo to see LineLeader in action.
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To learn more about waitlist management, see the Ultimate Guide to Growing and Engaging Your Childcare Waitlist (with free email templates).
