Few topics can get parents fired up more than day care satisfaction and what they like or dislike about their children’s caregivers. Although nearly everyone has to decide which childcare criteria are most important to them – the location of a day care center, the cost, the amount of one-on-one time children get – almost everyone agrees that a childcare center should be clean and safe.
The Bipartisan Policy Center, a Washington, D.C., think tank, conducted a survey of 1,500 parents in December 2020, regarding how they made decisions on childcare arrangements:
- Safety, cleanliness and prevention of illness was the top factor parents listed in deciding who would care for their children.
- Safety, cleanliness and prevention of illness was rated 1.5 times more important than the second most important factor, quality caregivers and teachers.
- Some parents reported they had compromised on the cost, flexible hours and location of their childcare provider – but all of those factors were ranked far less important than safety, cleanliness and prevention of illness.
How can day care centers boost customer satisfaction among their parents?
Keep It Clean
Parents do not want to see dirt or dust on floors, bookcases or the front desk at their child’s day care center. They do not want to see overflowing garbage cans or dirty floors or carpets where their children will be crawling, walking or playing.
That’s why day care centers should contract with professional commercial cleaning companies such as Office Pride Commercial Cleaning Services.
Although teachers and caregivers can certainly empty the trash cans in their rooms throughout the day, trash cans throughout a center should be emptied every evening. Day care centers accumulate piles of trash, food waste and – let’s be honest! – dirty diapers. Without getting some serious attention on a daily basis, those trash cans are going to pick up some nasty odors.
Center operators – and their cleaning companies – must know the difference between cleaning, sanitizing and disinfecting.
- Cleaning: Removal of surface dirt. This is traditional cleaning that can be done using soap and water and is necessary before sanitization or disinfection.
- Sanitization: Reduces germs to what is considered a safe level. Most restaurants sanitize tables between guests.
- Disinfection: Kills bacteria, fungi and viruses. The biggest difference between sanitization and disinfection is the strength of the chemicals used.
Although it’s essential to clean, sanitize and disinfect restrooms, high chairs and other surfaces where children play or eat to keep them safe and healthy, disinfectants are harsh chemicals and should not be used when children are present.
Safety First
Although floors may be swept during the day and spills should certainly be cleaned up promptly, hard surface floors should be mopped daily. Letting your commercial cleaners mop after hours will help prevent falls by unsteady little legs as well as the parents and grandparents who pick up the children.
In many centers, children play on carpeted floors, which also must be kept clear of toys and debris to prevent falls and to minimize the dirt, leaves, grass and more that are tracked inside and will most certainly end up in a child’s mouth if not properly disposed of. Daily vacuuming – which may be difficult while kids are playing on the carpets or napping nearby – is a must, so it makes sense to task that to the commercial cleaners in the evenings, also.
Avoid using cleaning products with strong smells, as aerosols and fragranced items can trigger allergies and asthma attacks.
Finally, there is no better way to understand parent satisfaction with a day care center than to simply ask. Day care centers should create their own survey and hand it out to parents regularly. Ask them to rate your center on safety, cleanliness and keeping kids healthy. Then make sure you address their concerns.
To find commercial cleaners near you, visit OfficePride.com.
