Hi! I’m Amy and I love caring for kids and supporting families in what is usually their first experience with care and education outside of their home. As a mom of teenagers and a former public school teacher I have so much empathy for families as they grow through these first-time experiences. I own a home-based Group program, plAyBCs, in Missoula, MT.
Since opening in August 2023, we have never been below 85% capacity and are usually at 100% with a long waitlist. Not so long ago, it wasn’t abnormal to be fully enrolled with a wait list. But over the last couple years, I understand maintaining enrollment above 70% is increasingly unusual for many programs.
Here are some tips I use during tours to close clients and keep my enrollment high!
My number one tip is this: Genuine care and empathy can go the farthest with potential clients when trying to bring them on board with your program.
In my experience, most of us love our work and are passionate caregivers and educators but we just might be missing a major opportunity by not allowing clients to see it right away.
Yes! Open vulnerability upon the first meeting!
Imagine this: I had a potential client tour, and I was telling a brief story about how the kids love to look out the window at the garbage truck on Thursdays. I got so caught up in the story I just couldn’t help but share how cute they are and how much I love my job! The child’s mother burst into tears and said, “You are the first caregiver I’ve heard say anything about loving their work and I’ve done four other tours.”
Now, imagine my jaw on the floor!
If we aren’t sharing how much we love our work and the kids and families we work with, there are going to be lost clients that walk away and never look back. This is their child! They want to know you will love them! So, show it at the tour!
My next tip is this, I’m always transparent about money.
When I give a tour, I have a slideshow with pictures of my family, and pictures of our program kids doing fun stuff. In that slide show, I also have a slide with a pie chart breaking down every dollar called “Where Does Your Money Go?”
So, when I say this is how I came up with my rates, I have never had anyone ever even bat an eye at it in over two years, including a substantial rate increase for current clients.
Areas of financial importance include facilities, staffing, insurance and safety, food, cleaning, etc. Now, when I say 40% of your dollar goes towards highly qualified staff with a bachelor’s degree, 18 years in early childhood education and exceeding all the state’s requirements such as infant/child First Aid and CPR, as well as infant safety essentials and annual trainings to stay up to date on current best practices, I’m focusing on the value they get!
Even on smaller pieces like 10% for cleaning and safety, I talk about our annual fire extinguisher inspections and our cleaning practices. Again, when I show the value and where their tuition goes, they get it.
For me, it’s as much about how I’m saying it as much as what I’m saying. I’m not saying, ‘this costs me this much money so you have to pay.’
I’m flipping that script and saying ‘your money gets you and your child this awesome, high-quality service.’ Make sense?
Some more obvious tips are to be welcoming, have your space clean and smelling good.
Orange and peppermint in a diffuser is always commented on! If kids come on the tour, let them explore toys and books. Model how you talk to kids directly in front of the parents. Coo at babies. Remember, let your genuine care shine through!
Lastly, we have all heard: Time is money. I have had tours that have lasted 2 hours. I have given multiple tours to families who have wanted grandma to come in and see too. And you bet, I always say yes. I never rush a tour. Remember, time is money but not from the perspective of my time is more valuable than the clients’!
The time I give returns tenfold to me in money!
If that family signs on and keeps their child with me for three to four years and a sibling comes along for another three to four years, that time investment of a longer tour, listening, answering questions, and genuinely caring about getting to know them, will absolutely pay off!
You know what else? Every-single-time I give a tour, I get a call from a friend or co-worker of that parent who is also interested in my program.
See how that time has already paid back to me?
Any time I give anyone access to my program and what we do and who we are, I make sure the only thing they can say after that experience is “Amy at plAyBCs is awesome!”
Positive word of mouth is the best marketing strategy I know! That alone is a huge return on investment of my time for a tour.
When showing who you are and what you do, have a little pep in your step! Be excited! Have confidence. Listen and answer questions focusing on the opportunity to show your value.
People just want to be heard. They want to feel safe. They need to know with 100% confidence that their family is important, that their child will be cared for, and have some valid reasons to trust their child will be safe.
I don’t discount that money decisions are hard for families. But trust and confidence are what we are selling.
If you can do that for parents, just as you do for the littles in your care daily, you will close more clients than ever before!
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Amy Paden is the owner and operator of plAyBCs, a home-based group childcare program in Missoula. She holds a bachelor’s degree in elementary education and after 17 years in public education, Amy transitioned into entrepreneurship in the private sector in 2023 by starting a family child care business and expanding to a group child care business in 2025.
Check out this case study of Amy’s business: https://casestudies.childcarebusinessconnect.com/playbcs/
