Why Booking Childcare on Contract is More Beneficial than Ad-Hoc Sessions
While the majority of childcare providers rely on the flexibility of ad-hoc bookings, many schools and clubs prefer to use contracts for childcare sessions. Contract-based bookings provide significant advantages, including guaranteed space for children and better staff planning. This approach offers both parents and providers peace of mind, with predictable numbers and consistent attendance throughout the term.
Here’s why contract-based bookings are beneficial:
- Guaranteed Space for Children:
With a contract, parents have peace of mind knowing their child has a secure spot in the program, regardless of how busy the provider’s schedule becomes. This certainty helps alleviate stress, especially in high-demand periods. - Better Staff Planning:
Contract bookings allow providers to accurately forecast attendance and staff requirements. Knowing exactly how many children will attend each session helps with staffing decisions, ensuring there are enough caregivers for the children in attendance. This leads to a smoother operation and more consistent care. - Financial Stability and Predictability:
By using contracts, providers can anticipate and plan for consistent income from each child’s booked sessions. This allows for better budgeting and resource allocation, reducing the financial uncertainty often associated with ad-hoc bookings.
Choosing a contract start date
Selecting your sessions
How It Works:
- Setting Up the Term: The administrator schedules a term, for example, an eight-week term. All the sessions are organized based on this timeframe, providing a structured approach to the childcare offering.
- Parent Booking Process:
From their dashboard, parents can select the start week—typically the first week of the term. They then choose which days they want to book their child in for. For instance, if they select Mondays and Wednesdays, their child is contracted to attend every Monday and Wednesday throughout the eight-week term. - Automated Fee Generation:
Once the contract is set, the system automatically calculates the fees for the entire term based on the selected sessions. These fees are then sent to the parents on the 1st of each month, with an invoice clearly outlining the booked sessions and the total amount due. A corresponding charge is added to the parent’s account, simplifying the payment process.
Why It’s Simple and Effective:
This contract-based system offers a clear, efficient way to manage childcare bookings. It removes the unpredictability associated with ad-hoc bookings, ensuring that both the childcare provider and the parents are aligned in terms of expectations, attendance, and payments.
By using contracts, childcare providers can streamline their operations, reduce administrative work, and focus on delivering the best care possible for the children. Parents benefit from the security of knowing their child’s place is confirmed, and there is no need for last-minute booking or worrying about availability.
In Summary: Choosing contract bookings over ad-hoc sessions benefits childcare providers by providing guaranteed attendance numbers, better planning for staff, and financial stability. It also benefits parents by offering a secure, predictable childcare solution. If you’re a childcare provider looking to streamline your bookings and ensure consistent care, switching to a contract-based system could be the solution you need.
You may be interested in finding out more about session setup: https://www.childcare-online-booking.co.uk/childcare-powerful-session-setup/