There is no doubt that afterschool programs are beneficial to students, parents, and the community. However, many programs are supported by grants and, while it has always been challenging to run an afterschool program in many areas of the country, grant-funded programs seem to struggle the most.

The Christmas holidays aren't the only thing to think about this time of year if you are a business owner. It's also time to close the business books and get ready for the New Year. Most of what you need to do is financial in nature.

Afterschool programs must keep complete and accurate records to show their value to the community and to obtain grants such as those from the 21st Century Community Learning Center program. Without the records, they would be unable to retain funding or attract students. 

Ever since the days of “Give a Hoot, Don’t Pollute,” the environmental movement has found ways to include children in the campaign to clean up our Earth. Reducing paper use is one of the easiest and most visible activities young children can understand and participate in. 

Besides teaching your students about the value of Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, saving paper in your childcare center means you save money and a few thousand trees. Below are some ways to save paper in your childcare center beyond using found paper objects in art activities.

Running any business without the help of technology is nearly impossible in this day and age. The question now is how to get the most out of your technical solution. For childcare, parental expectations and the need to streamline operations require a quality childcare management system that provides the tools needed to run your business.

Getting the most out of your childcare management system means taking a close look at your operations and processes, determining what problems the software can help you resolve, and taking the time to customize the various applications to your specific childcare operation.

More than Mozart, Little Einsteins, and Sesame Street, communicating effectively with parents has a positive impact on early childhood success. When you and a child’s Mom or Dad are on the same page, that child will continue learning at home what you taught at childcare. Mom and Dad trust that you have the best interests of their child at heart. And you have greater insight into each child.

Afterschool programs provide a host of benefits to the school, the community, and most importantly, the students who attend. They provide a safe place for children with access to teachers, tutors, and enrichment programs. Parents have the peace-of-mind knowing their children are in good hands until they come home from work. Communities benefit from lower crime rates and a well-rounded, educated population.

Did you know that Millennials are now the largest generation on Earth? There are 80 million in the U.S. alone. Not only that, but 82% of new parents are Millennials. This fact is vital to your marketing plans because this generation is unique in so many ways. 

Tuition payments are what make your childcare center go ‘round. But taking care of billing, invoicing, payment receipt and processing, plus keeping track of penalties can take a lot of time and effort. 

Obtaining and retaining grant funding for an afterschool program requires accurate record-keeping, both for the grant proposal and for proof of program performance. Using paper-based records requires dedicating staff hours to creating and maintaining the records and finding data errors. With so many files, it's easy to lose documentation, especially in the large space you'll need to store everything.