You can make your day care stand out from the crowd, set it apart from the competition and as such, keep it full to capacity with children of happy parents. There are a number of relatively small, easy to do and cheap methods of achieving this end. Some take a little effort, others a little thought and some a little money but that investment in your business will supply you with unique selling points that will ensure the success of your day care.

You want parents to know that you provide excellent quality child care but how do you convey that to a nervous, cynical parent on a visit to your day care? Effective policies will indicate to parents the philosophy of your service and how your agreed and consistent methods of doing things will ensure the wellbeing of their children. They will clearly define what procedures occur in relation to certain events and should essentially; outline a step by step guide to how your day care is run.

Thorough, well developed policies show potential clients that there are definitive expectations, understandings and guidelines for all daily operations ensuring consistency and accountability at all times. It is vital that you meet all legislative requirements and your policies should reflect current best practice indicating that you are on top of your business and constantly striving for perfection.

Gaining a third party accreditation is a great way to differentiate your day care from the herd. Rubber stamping from a respected organization screams respectability and quality to potential parents. You will need to pay an annual joining fee and undergo an assessment by one of their inspectors (but you won't have anything to worry about because you're already doing everything right anyway!). Once accredited you can slap that recognition on every bit of promotional material you possess.

These organizations can also provide tremendous support to day care owners in the form of information, training, publications, workshops and conferences. Here are some of the places you can go to for accreditation:

* Council on Accreditation - www.coanet.org * National Association for Education of Young Children - www.naeyc.org * National Association for Family Childcare - www.nafcc.org * National After school Association - www.naaweb.org * Canadian Childcare Federation - www.cccf-fcsge.ca/home_en.html

Unfortunately, horror stories abound focusing on children being abused and neglected in day cares all over the world. Take every possible step to provide parents with evidence that yours is a legitimate, quality, caring day care. Get yourself background checked and display the results for all to see. A small fee will procure this valuable service from a professional company. Have an open door policy and promote it with gusto. If you want to see pure relief wash over a parent's face think about installing a CCTV in your service. The peace of mind from being able to see your little one on a daily basis is invaluable.

Taking some or all of the above mentioned steps will enhance your service exponentially in the eyes of new parents. Easing some of their apprehension and fear from the outset will begin the growth of the trust process so vital for people looking for day care. If you can put their minds at rest, even just a smidgeon, you will have the edge on your competition and could be looking at lots of new clients. ----------------------------------------------------------ARTICLE END