How To Tell Your Daycare Parents You’re Transitioning To Preschool

You must tell your daycare parents about your preschool in order to move forward with your preschool plans. We’ve talked in other blog posts about the necessity of cutting the ties with your daycare if you want to build a successful preschool program so you need to let your daycare parents know they will need to find another daycare provider.

You love your daycare families, but whether because of the 12-hour long days, the diaper changing, or the lack of time and energy for your own family, you have decided to start your preschool. You want to be sure your daycare children are well cared for, though.

What To Say To Your Daycare Parents

The best way to tell your families is to a one month plan (30 days). Your first step will be to speak with your daycare families on the first day of the month, the month before you plan to start your preschool business.

Say something like, “On the first day of September I will be closing my daycare and transitioning to a preschool only program. I will only be teaching 3-5-year-old children for 2-3 hours a day.”

To explain why you are making this change cover these points:

• You really value the preschool education that you can offer your community.
• The 12 hour long days are very difficult on your family and they need more of your time (reference a specific example, my baby is due in two months, my children are starting junior high, my husband will be working out of town… This will make you seem more “real” in their eyes and help them to remember that you have a family too.)
• You have loved every minute with them, but because of your future and career goals, and because you want to support your community, you need to make this change.

Be sure to mention both areas (family and community support) because each of those areas may resonate more with different parents.

The One Thing That Will Make The Transition Much Smoother

When your daycare parents hear you say, “I’m closing my daycare,” their very first thought will be, “But who will watch my kids? I have to work!” Yes, they want to make sure their child is loved and adored by their childcare provider, but their baseline thought is “Now I need someone to watch my kids!”

You can make this easier for them by providing a list of recommendations of childcare providers that you have personally researched. It isn’t your job to find your replacement, but giving them some direction of where to start, will make the transition go more smoothly.

Next, Fill Your Preschool Classes

You have 30 days to fill your preschool classes and replace your income. Do tours at night and sign up your new students. The same day you tell your daycare parents, start your marketing efforts and get ready to start your brand-new preschool!