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Child Care

Child Care Articles

Child Care Directories

Search our Child Care Directories to find a child care center that is right for both you and your child.

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Child Care Chart

An "apples and oranges" comparison of some of the most popular child care centers.

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Child Care Best Practices Survey



Complete the Survey to receive a copy of the summarized results and enter a raffle to win a theatre outing for 30 students or a two day vacation at a Pocono Resort.

INSTRUCTIONS:
Fill in the information below.  Please answer the questions accurately and completely.  All information will be confidential and only summary statistics (no information identifying individual businesses) will be included in the Best Practices Report. Once completed, click Submit at the bottom of the form.


1. General Information

Business Name

City

State

Phone

Website


2. Programs Offered


(Check all that apply)

Half Day
Full Day
Before School
After School


3. Sessions Offered


(Check all that apply)

Fall
Spring
Summer
Full Year


4. Enrollment Period


(Check all that apply)

Day (Drop-in)
Week
Month
Semester
Quarter
Other       Describe:


5. What ages do you enroll?


(Check all that apply)

Younger than 1 year old
1 Year Olds
2 Year Olds
3 Year Olds
4 Year Olds
5 Year Olds
6+ Year Olds


6. Do you offer an accredited educational curriculum?

No
Yes       Accreditation:


7. Do you offer a summer program or summer camp?

No
Yes


8. What percentage of your regular enrollments participate in the summer program/camp?

%


9. When do parents enroll their children for fall sessions?


(Check all that apply)

January

April

July

October

February

May

August

November

March

June

September

December


10. When do parents enroll their children for spring sessions?


(Check all that apply)

January

April

July

October

February

May

August

November

March

June

September

December


11. When do parents enroll their children for summer sessions?


(Check all that apply)

January

April

July

October

February

May

August

November

March

June

September

December


12. Do you offer rolling admissions?

No
Yes


13. When do you advertise for fall sessions?


(Check all that apply)

January

April

July

October

February

May

August

November

March

June

September

December


14. When do you advertise for spring sessions?


(Check all that apply)

January

April

July

October

February

May

August

November

March

June

September

December


15. When do you advertise for summer sessions?


(Check all that apply)

January

April

July

October

February

May

August

November

March

June

September

December


16. Where do your enrollments come from?

Local Neighborhood
Local Town
Local County
Surrounding Counties


17. What percentage of your students selected your center because it is close to

Work

%

Home

%


18. What is your primary affiliation?

 Independent
Religious (Church, Temple, etc.)
Corporate (Employer operated)
Childcare Brand (Goddard, Chesterbrook, Kindercare, etc.)
YMCA / YWCA / JCC
Public School District


19. What percentage of enrollments do you receive through your affiliation?

%


20. Do you recruit enrollments through employer relationships?

No
Yes


21. What are your primary business objectives for the 2007 school year?


(Check all that apply)

Increase Revenue
Increase Profits
Cost Reduction
Other       Describe:


22. How will you accomplish your business objectives for 2007?


(Check all that apply)

Increase Enrollments
Increase / Redirect Marketing
Add New Programs / Services
Add New Locations / Geographic Expansion
Expand Facility
Improve Retention
Expand Months of Operation
Increase Tuition
Other       Describe:


23. What are your marketing objectives?


(Check all that apply)

Increase Enrollments
Increase Name Recognition
Promote New Programs
Branding (Associating certain qualities of your brand with the consumer)
Inform of Changes (New Ownership, Management, Location, Programs, Facility, etc.)
Other       Describe:


24. What is your average annual advertising budget per center?

Less than $500
$500 - $1,000
$1,000 - $2,500
$2,500 - $5,000
$5,000 - $10,000
$10,000 - $20,000
Greater than $20,000


25. What is your advertising budget as a percentage of total annual revenues for your center(s)?

%


26. How did your total revenues last year compare to the previous year?

Increased
Decreased
Stayed the same


27. What percentage of your enrollments come from

% Word of Mouth
% Open Houses
% Advertisements
% Affiliations (Corporate, Religious, Brand)
% Internet
% Childcare Referral Agencies
% Other       Describe:


28. Where have you advertised in the past (last 3 years)?


(Check all that apply)

Direct Mail
Local Newspapers
Parenting Publications
Shoppers Publications
Childcare Websites
Local / Regional Magazines
Internet Portals (eg: Google, Yahoo, etc.)
Parenting Websites (eg: www.CuriousParents.com)
Broadcast Media (eg: Radio, Cable/Broadcast TV)
Channel Marketing (eg: Local Schools, libraries, churches, Recreation Dept, etc)
Community Websites
Community Flyers / Posters / Street Banners / Lawn Signs
National Print Media (eg: newspapers, magazines)
E-mail marketing
Other       Describe:


29. Where do you plan to advertise this year (2007 season)?


(Check all that apply)

Direct Mail
Local Newspapers
Parenting Publications
Shoppers Publications
Childcare Websites
Local / Regional Magazines
Internet Portals (eg: Google, Yahoo, etc.)
Parenting Websites (eg: www.CuriousParents.com)
Broadcast Media (eg: Radio, Cable/Broadcast TV)
Channel Marketing (eg: Local Schools, libraries, churches, Recreation Dept, etc)
Community Websites
Community Flyers / Posters / Street Banners / Lawn Signs
National Print Media (eg: newspapers, magazines)
E-mail marketing
Other       Describe:


30. Which single medium gives you the best advertising response overall?

Direct Mail
Local Newspapers
Parenting Publications
Shoppers Publications
Childcare Websites
Local / Regional Magazines
Internet Portals (eg: Google, Yahoo, etc.)
Parenting Websites (eg: www.CuriousParents.com)
Broadcast Media (eg: Radio, Cable/Broadcast TV)
Channel Marketing (eg: Local Schools, libraries, churches, Recreation Dept, etc)
Community Websites
Community Flyers / Posters / Street Banners / Lawn Signs
National Print Media (eg: newspapers, magazines)
E-mail marketing
Other       Describe:


31. Which single medium gives you the best advertising response for new enrollments?

Direct Mail
Local Newspapers
Parenting Publications
Shoppers Publications
Childcare Websites
Local / Regional Magazines
Internet Portals (eg: Google, Yahoo, etc.)
Parenting Websites (eg: www.CuriousParents.com)
Broadcast Media (eg: Radio, Cable/Broadcast TV)
Channel Marketing (eg: Local Schools, libraries, churches, Recreation Dept, etc)
Community Websites
Community Flyers / Posters / Street Banners / Lawn Signs
National Print Media (eg: newspapers, magazines)
E-mail marketing
Other       Describe:


32. Which single medium gives you the best advertising response for student retention?

Direct Mail
Local Newspapers
Parenting Publications
Shoppers Publications
Childcare Websites
Local / Regional Magazines
Internet Portals (eg: Google, Yahoo, etc.)
Parenting Websites (eg: www.CuriousParents.com)
Broadcast Media (eg: Radio, Cable/Broadcast TV)
Channel Marketing (eg: Local Schools, libraries, churches, Recreation Dept, etc)
Community Websites
Community Flyers / Posters / Street Banners / Lawn Signs
National Print Media (eg: newspapers, magazines)
E-mail marketing
Other       Describe:


33. What percentage of you total advertising budget do you spend on the following media?

% Direct Mail
% Local Newspapers
% Parenting Publications
% Shoppers Publications
% Childcare Websites
% Local / Regional Magazines
% Internet Portals (eg: Google, Yahoo, etc.)
% Parenting Websites (eg: www.CuriousParents.com)
% Broadcast Media (eg: Radio, Cable/Broadcast TV)
% Channel Marketing (eg: Local Schools, libraries, churches, etc)
% Community Websites
% Community Flyers / Posters / Street Banners / Lawn Signs
% National Print Media (eg: newspapers, magazines)
% E-mail marketing
% Other       Describe:


34. How do you measure advertising response?

We don't measure advertising response
Phone receptionist logs where callers saw your ad
Enrollment application requires applicant to say where they saw our ad
Direct mail codes
Coupons
Toll free number used only for specific advertisements
Web tracking
Other       Describe:


35. What is your most important factor in choosing an advertising partner?

Audience Size
Audience Demographics
Audience Geography
Prices / Rates
Previous Experience with the Partner
Ability to measure advertising response
Measured Response
Other       Describe:


36. Who is the primary intended audience for your advertising?

Moms
Dads
Grandparents
Other       Describe:


37. What is the average household income of your student's families?

Less than $25,000
$25,000 - 50,000
$50,000 - $75,000
$75,000 - $100,000
$100,000 - $150,000
$150,000 - $200,000
$200,000 - $250,000
Greater than $250,000


38. What percentage of your students are

% Repeat students (from previous sessions)
% Siblings of previous or enrolled students
% New students from advertising response
% New students referred by other students


39. What time of year do you formulate your advertising budget?


40. How did your advertising budget last year compare to the previous year?

Increased
Decreased
Stayed the same


41. How will your advertising budget this year compare to last year?

Increase
Decrease
Stay the same


42. Who do you and your marketing staff rely on most for advice and information for making advertising decisions?

Advertising Agency
Advertising Salespeople
Media Research Companies (Nielsen, Media Audit, etc.)
Childcare Industry Association
Professional Association
Watch where competitors advertise
Ask other business owners
Other       Describe:


43. Who determines your advertising budget?

Center Director
Regional Manager
Corporate Marketing Department
Center Owner
Advertising Agency
Other       Describe:


44. Who decides where and how often to advertise?

Center Director
Regional Manager
Corporate Marketing Department
Center Owner
Advertising Agency
Other       Describe:


45. Do you participate in cooperative advertising with other centers?

No
Yes       Describe:


46. What is your average enrollment?


47. What is your licensed capacity?


48. What could parenting publications do to better serve your advertising needs?


49. Enter your job title


50. Enter your email address


(So that we can send you the final report on childcare marketing best practices and notify you if you win the vacation package or theatre production for a class of children)


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