A day-care center holds the responsibility for ensuring the safety and well-being of every child who walks through its doors. Strong management of the center is essential for a well-run, quality day-care center. Any size day-care center needs an established management system for consistent operations. The successful management of a day-care center requires a great deal of planning and coordination. The hard work pays off with a successful center and satisfied parents.
Establish a thorough set of policies and procedures that guide the operation of the day-care center. Include safety procedures, sick-child policies, visitor restrictions, discipline guidelines and any other important aspects of running the center. Provide a copy of these policies to each parent so everyone is on the same page.
Ensure the day-care center follows all licensing and state requirements for operation. Assess the center's compliance on a regular basis and address any issues that might affect the center's licensing.
Delegate all essential responsibilities to specific people on the staff to ensure all issues are handled. Each staff member, particularly supervisors or managers, should have a set list of responsibilities.
Hire highly-qualified day-care teachers and assistants. Perform background checks on each potential employee to ensure the safety of the children.
Provide training for the staff members in lesson planning, discipline, first aid and other relevant topics. Establish an initial training for new employees. Continue offering new trainings throughout the year as a refresher and to provide new insight and ideas for the staff.
Hold regular staff meetings to discuss important issues. Use the meetings to keep everyone up to date, build relationships with each other, and share ideas. A unified staff creates a consistent environment for the day-care center.
Establish open communication with the parents and teachers. Encourage them to come to you with any concerns, suggestions or problems they experience. Address any concerns whether or not you feel they're important.