I have been doing licensed home daycare for about 20 years. I know there are times when we go through slumps of not getting new kids. However, in this economy, a lot of moms are unemployed and have began offering unlicensed care - in my state it is illegal to babysit in your home on a consistant basis, but a lot of people are doing it. So, we already have plenty of licensed daycare providers, plenty of centers, and now lots of babysitters. A good handful of licensed providers have given up after a period of having only 1-3 kids (we are allowed 8) and closed their daycare to go back to work out of the home. I refuse to shut down! I love my job and know that I want to do this for the rest of my life. However, I, like everyone in my area am having trouble getting new kids. Do any of you have any advertising ideas that might help me? I have been licensed for 20 years, am open from 6am-6pm - I am licensed til midnight and for 7 days/wk however I don't get response to my evening/weekend ads at all, provide all meals and snacks, provided a preschool educational program, am a certified infants and toddlers teacher, certified preschool teacher, am qualified to be a director of a center, am CPR/1st Aid/SIDS certified, and have numerous written references from previous and current parents.

So I think I offer a good program, I just can't get calls lately. None of us are really - I have a couple of friends in the business and none of us are really getting calls. I know there has to be parents needing childcare - we just aren't attracting them to our businesses for some reason.

My friends and I have tried Craigslist, the local newspapers, handing out business cards, and we can't even get a full 8 kids. So, I thought maybe someone could give me/us more creative ways of advertising or ideas of something to offer that might attract clients.

Thanks!

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