Article Link: http://exchangepress.com/article/professionalism-and-innovation-is-your-center-using-technology-to-attract-and-retain-todays-parent/5023867/
Regardless of where your center is located, today’s parents have many options for where they enroll their children. How can you set your program apart and maximize your appeal to today’s parent? To answer this question, we spoke to parents and child care providers and delved into data about parent preferences and behaviors.
Who Is Today’s Parent?
While the ages of parents certainly vary widely, the average age of first-time mothers is 28 years,¹ so the majority of parents seeking child care are in their late 20s and early 30s.
These age groups that have been defined as millennials and Gen Xers have grown up with very different experiences and expectations regarding technology in their everyday lives.
Parents in these age groups really do communicate differently, handle their finances differently, and look for organizations they do business with to use technology to make their lives easier.
Today’s parents expect your center to:
Allow them to enroll their child online. Paper forms are a hassle. Parents would much rather complete an online form and submit their enrollment application with the click of a button than have to mail it in or drop off their application. According to Joanne Woodard, a supervisor ...