Millennials make up the young professionals of todayâs world. They carry a tremendous amount of spending power, with $200 billion spent in the past year. In such a competitive field, child care center owners must continuously work to find new ways to reach their audience and appeal to them.
Below we explore how millennials are dominating the childcare market, and why daycare apps and software can make all the difference.
Millennials are Dominating the Child Care Market
Not only do millennials have money to spend, but they also have children that need to be cared for while they are working. In the past year, 80% of children were born to millennial parents, and 60% of children under the age of six have two parents in the workforce.
Reaching millennial parents can make or break a modern child care center. In order to maintain a strong base of customers and continue building on successes of the past, child care center owners must transition from the needs of past generations to those of current and future generations. If engaging millennial parents isnât a focus, it may lead to them looking elsewhere, even if a child care provider is one of the most qualified in the area.
Parentsâ must-haves like safety, quality of care, and focus on childâs educational growth will never change. What will continue to evolve is how millennial parents interact with child care business. There are three fundamental changes worth noting:
- Mobile Devices â Millennials heavily rely on their mobile device for day-to-day tasks and treat it like a wallet.
- Self-Service â If a solution isnât easy, comfortable, and predictable, millennials may shy away from it.
- Customization â Personalizing the experience for parents and their children will keep them interested, involved, and loyal.
How Technology Can Help Engage Millennial Parents
The childcare industry has traditionally been slow to adopt the technology, but centers are now implementing software solutions to manage their administrative tasks better.
The time-consuming task of managing massive amounts of data and paperwork is a common thread in the childcare business. This includes information such as immunization records, allergies, contact information, authorized pick-ups, staff hours, ratios and much more.
By leveraging daycare apps and software, providers can deliver a more enjoyable experience for parents. Child care businesses need to focus on these four things:
- Gather and store family data digitally
- Implement mobile and online payment systems that parents expect
- Easily manage payroll and staff scheduling
- Minimize the time spent on paperwork
By using the right software, child care providers can simplify processes and show parents they are not only an elite child care professional, but they also have a passion for making things easy and accessible.
Software solutions allow for gathering and storing information digitally, so that itâs easily accessible, minimizing the time spent on paperwork and leaving more time for interacting with the children and their parents. In addition to software features and functionality, Cloud access lets providers get work done from wherever, and not chained to a desk.
Consider for just a second â 80% of millennials use the internet to manage their finances and pay their bills. Daycare solutions from Procare help improve the overall experience by streamlining child care related tasks and making parentsâ lives easier. Ultimately, thatâs what millennial parents desire.
Final Thoughts
Investing in modern child care technology and pairing it with child care expertise is what sets centers apart from their competition. Effectively reaching and engaging millennials can help drive long-term success.
Looking for ways to manage child care on-the-go? Procare Cloud Web Apps can help with check-in and reporting with no paperwork necessary. Learn more about how Procare can help!
