COVID-19 has been tough for everyone, but it certainly affects some groups more than other. Daycares have always been a hub for socialization, with a major selling point being personal interaction and care from professionals. This is obviously impossible given the dangers of the virus and it can be difficult for daycares to maintain their client base after the pandemic when things go back to normal. Parents will be skeptical, especially when it comes to their children, so how do you maintain interest during the pandemic?

Be more active on social media

The daycare industry tends to be more traditional compared to other industries, which is expected, as its not like you can automate personalized childcare. Thus, this makes it so much more important to begin posting content on social media, such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Posting anything from COVID-19 safety tips to virtual tours would be ideal. By growing a social media following will not only remind parents of your existence, but offers the opportunity to grow more after the pandemic.

Send regular newsletters to parents

You probably have a large database of customer emails so why not use it? Sending newsletters, just like posting on social media, can help you maintain customer relations through the pandemic, and remind consumers of the value you provide. It also creates trust and lets clients know you are still there for them.

Host (free) online daycare activities

To maintain interest, I recommend holding makeshift online daycares. Inviting the children that frequent the daycare to a Zoom call (with the help of their parents), will allow the children to see their friends and just give them something to do. You can do anything from playing games like Simon says, to sing-alongs. Not only does this improve relationships between the children, it makes it so that parents will want to continue to register for your daycare after the pandemic as their children would want to see the friends they made on the online daycare. Since you are not actually providing childcare, I recommend you hold these sessions for free to your existing client base. Nevertheless, its activities like these that can set yourself apart from other daycares and position yourself in a good position in your consumer’s mind.

Although the pandemic is tough, we all have to adapt and get creative. The tips I have listed will help your daycare stay at the back of parents’ mind, and can hopefully grow it after the pandemic.