Child Care Enrollment Has Entered a New Era

For years, enrollment for child care programs followed a familiar pattern:

• Word of mouth

• Community flyers

• Church bulletins

• Facebook groups

• Drive-by visibility

And for a long time, that was enough.

Today, that landscape has changed — significantly.

Parents Search Differently Now

Modern families do not search for child care the way they once did.

Before:

• Ask a neighbor

• Check a bulletin board

• Drive around the neighborhood

Now:

• Google searches at night

• Comparison shopping on phones

• Reading reviews before contacting

• Clicking past programs they can’t find quickly

If a program doesn’t appear clearly in search results — or appears incomplete, outdated, or confusing — many parents simply move on without another thought.

They Are Competing Differently Now

Centers and in-home child care programs are getting some stiff competition.

They are also competing with:

• Universal pre-K programs

• School district offerings

• State-funded initiatives

• Hybrid early learning options

These programs often have:

• Strong online visibility

• Government-backed credibility

• Professional web presence

That shift has put new pressure on private child care programs, especially centers that rely heavily on tuition to remain profitable.

Being “Good” Is No Longer Enough

Many excellent child care centers struggle with enrollment — not because of quality, but because of visibility.

Parents cannot choose what they cannot find. They will not trust what looks incomplete or unclear online. This does not mean every center needs expensive marketing campaigns or paid ads. However, it does mean programs must understand how they appear through a parent’s eyes. Your business visibility matters.

Enrollment Is Now Closely Tied to Visibility

Visibility today includes:

• How a program appears in Google search results

• Whether information is accurate and consistent across platforms

• How reviews are presented and perceived

• Whether key details are easy to find quickly

• How professional the program appears online

• A consistent social media presence that reflects the program’s values, culture, and professionalism

Enrollment decisions often happen before a parent ever calls or schedules a tour.

If a program is not clearly visible — or is misrepresented online — it may never make it onto a parent’s short list.

The Hidden Risk: Not Knowing What Parents See

One of the biggest challenges for child care providers is that they often don’t know:

• Where they appear online

• What information is outdated

• Which platforms parents are using

• How they compare to nearby programs

Without that knowledge, enrollment challenges can feel confusing and frustrating.

Many providers assume low enrollment is a staffing issue, a pricing issue, or a seasonal issue — when in reality, it may be a visibility issue. What worked before is not working now.

Enrollment Is No Longer Passive

Enrollment used to be something that “just happened” as long as you put some signs out.

Now, enrollment requires:

• Online awareness

• Intentional positioning

• Understanding parent behavior

• Adapting to a changing market

This doesn’t mean becoming sales-focused. It means understanding how marketing has changed. A well-designed space and quality program absolutely matter — but if families can’t easily find you to call or book a visit, those strengths never have the chance to convert into enrollment.

Seeing Your Program Through a Parent’s Eyes

Some child care programs choose to step back and evaluate how they appear to families searching for care — similar to how marketing agencies assess businesses.

This type of visibility review helps identify:

• Where programs are found (or not found)

• What parents see first

• Gaps in online presence

• Opportunities for improvement

Final Thought

Enrollment today is shaped by:

• Changing parent behavior

• Increased competition

• Universal pre-K expansion

• Online visibility

Programs that adapt to these changes are better positioned for long-term stability. If parents can’t find you—or don’t understand what makes your program different—you’re already off their list. In today’s market, enrollment decisions happen quickly, making a parent-centered approach to marketing essential.

Wishing you an amazing New Year-

The Daycare Network Team

For providers who want to understand how their program appears to families searching for care, we offer a Child Care Visibility Report that reviews online presence from a parent’s perspective. This service is available under our Services section.