As a member of a childcare centre, you will face many families who are interested in enrolling their child into your centre. However, it is unlikely that you will be able to take every single person interested and not all parents may be a good fit. That’s why asking questions to parents is a great way for you to gage how compatible the child and parents will be with your centre’s values and services offered.

1. Why this centre?

Asking parents why they are interested in enrolling their child into your centre can give you a lot of information about why your centre may have stood out. Maybe your curriculum and great faculties offered stood out to parents? Or, the location and unique services that you offer may have attracted them? Either way, this question is a great way for parents to explain why you are an option to them.

2. Questions regarding the child

While it is important to see how a parent may be a good fit to your centre, learning all about the child is even more important since that is who your centre provides services for. You may ask a large number of questions catered towards the child in order to get an understanding of if you will be able to meet their needs and allow them to grow. For example, you could ask questions regarding the child’s:

• Needs
• Interests
• Allergies
• Sleep schedule
• Dietary Restrictions
• Self-Skills
• General Temperament
• Medical Needs

Just by acquiring information about these topics, you can get a better idea of how good of a fit the child will be with your centre.

3. Expectations from Parents

When potentially forming a relationship with a prospective family, it is important that you ask them about their expectations of your centre. Maybe they have certain values and beliefs that they want your staff and curriculum to have? Or, they may or may not agree with how feedback is given to the child? For example, they may have strict expectations of how their child should be treated at your centre, when that is something that you aren’t able to do. Overall, you have to check if their values and beliefs are compatible with your centre’s philosophy. Doing so will give you an idea of the needs of the parent and if you can meet their expectations.

Asking questions like those above, allows centres like yours to get an idea of if prospective parents are a good fit for your centre. While you may want to help many parents in need of childcare, it is important that you consider if you will be able to meet their needs and expectations. If not, then it may be better for them to find another centre that can best help their child’s learning and development.