Home Management TipsThe value of a parent satisfaction survey for childcare providers

The value of a parent satisfaction survey for childcare providers

There is no better way to improve the quality of your childcare programs than to get feedback from parents – you will gain valuable insights, as well as demonstrate that you care about their input.

One of the most valuable tools a child care provider and early childhood educators can use to grow their success is a parent satisfaction survey. Conducting an annual survey of your clients can provide you with much-needed data that can be used to improve your childcare center.

Within your survey, it’s important to ask pointed survey questions that ask parents to rate their satisfaction in regard to your communication methods, payment processes, curriculum, meals, and more. Trends in these answers will indicate which parts of your operations are working well, and which are not.

Download a free parent survey questions template here!

Child care survey questions for parents – What to ask?

Begin your survey with basic questions that will help you understand more about your respondents. Though you will likely want your parent satisfaction survey to be anonymous, ask survey questions such as the following to get a better idea of who is completing your survey:

How long has your child attended our child care center?
How did you find out about our center?
How old is your child (or children)?

From there, you should ask more direct questions about the processes and activities related to your center. For example:

How satisfied are you with our payment policies?
Do you believe our facility offers a varied menu of nutritious meals?
Are you satisfied that our center offers age-appropriate activities for your child?

Download a free parent survey questions template here!

Seek input from parents to improve child development

Your parent satisfaction survey should always include a space for parents to offer suggestions and feedback. This can improve parent engagement and their child’s development. Whether you ask parents to indicate their preferred type of field trips and events happening around your center or include a free form comment section to solicit recommendations, parents must have the opportunity to provide their feedback. Asking open-ended questions will allow you to explore areas that you may not have thought of when putting together your survey.

Discover what’s working – and what’s not – for your early childhood education center

After receiving your completed parent satisfaction surveys, compile the data and focus on the areas that parents are most satisfied with. Try to determine how you can apply the successes of these areas to other components that may not be doing as well.

Your survey may also quickly indicate any weak spots when it comes to your child care center. If you find that parents indicate that your communication methods with families are lacking, for example, or that your absent and sick policies are unclear, you can begin to create a plan to remedy these issues to keep families satisfied.

Should you find that you need additional feedback on any areas of concern, don’t be afraid to reach out to parents for further explanation. Your parent satisfaction survey should not be the only opportunity for you to communicate with parents throughout the year. Encourage further conversation with parents about the successes and areas for improvement within your center to dig deeper and get the necessary insight you need to make changes.

Looking for an easy way to improve communication between your childcare staff and parents? Take a look at the innovative HiMama app for a simple way to share news, photos, and important reminders with parents!

Download a free parent survey questions template here!