Family child care providers need to promote themselves to help expand their business. Some suggestions to guide you along the way to a successful business and help you promote your program to prospective parents. 

Have an open house. Pass out flyers or business cards. Give everyone a tour of your home; have an activity the kids and parents can get involved in - a simple craft. Offer simple refreshments; coffee/tea, iced tea, juice and cookies! Have a door prize, and have all parents sign up - you will have a nice little list of potential clients! 

Start a newsletter. Send it to the parents on your potential client list. See Above!! 

Take pictures of your day care kids and send them to the office of their parents! They will certainly want to show off their little darlings to their co-workers. And they might just say "Look at what my daycare sent me!" Someone is bound to ask for particulars!! 

Advertising in the paper. 

Drop off flyers door to door in your neighborhood. Post on bulletin boards in local supermarkets, pools, arenas, anywhere families gather!. 

Contact the schools in your area and let them know you have openings. They might be willing to send out your flyer with their next newsletter. 

Join your local Child Care Resource and Referral Program. 

Offer an incentive to your current families. Give them a $$ discount for one month, upon full time registration of someone they recommended! 

Join local daycare associations. If you make friends, they will refer their overflow. 

Have a T-shirt and/or sweatshirt made with your daycare's name on it. Then wear it! 

Make t-shirts/sweatshirts for the day care kids! They can wear them when you go out on outings! 

Create a bulletin board for parents to see each day. Decorate it for the season/holiday. On it you can post your activity schedule, upcoming field trips, reminders, photos of the daycare kids at play, funny quotes, cute poems..the list is endless. Change weekly! 

Set up a wall in your home as an "Art Display". Parents will love to see their little one's artwork displayed so prominently! 

Provide written policies and contracts. 

Make a tri-fold brochure that includes your schedule, philosophy, goals, programs, hours and anything you else you feel is important information for your business. Give a supply to current families, and ask them to pass them around to their friends and co-workers! 

Add a coupon to your brochure or flyer. Offer a % off or $$ off their third month on full time registration! 

Frame and hang your license and certificates in a spot where anyone entering your home will see. 

Tell everyone you know that you are providing child care. 

Carry business cards with you and hand them out! 

Add a coupon to the backside of your business card!

Use coupons to attach to goodie bags at Halloween! 

Advertise your program in the Yellow Pages. 

Put a large sign in your window! "Child Care Available" along with your phone number! 

Create a name and a logo for your business. 

Maintain the outside of your home as well as the inside to make it attractive to potential clients.