Parent Volunteer Double Win - Save Time & Money While Building Relationships
Parent volunteers in your program can be such a blessing...or a nightmare! When we are clear about what we are looking for when it comes to asking for help from parents and setting expectations, utilizing parent volunteers can save you time and money.
In addition, parent volunteers can establish a bridge and create that home and school connection that allows your families to see more value and have more meaningful relationships with your Early Childhood business.
A Parent Volunteer Process and strategy for creating one will help grow your business and your bottom line with more ease and less overwhelm.
So how do you ensure your parent volunteers are moving your goals forward and not creating more work for you?
Well, that is what today’s ECBME podcast episode is all about!
The value of a parent volunteer strategy
Setting the expectations from the beginning to ensure a smooth parent volunteer process
The PEAKE Parent Volunteer Process for Preschool
Today’s parents are more involved than they’ve ever been and they also continue to be busier than ever. Many want to help they just don’t know how. And often times we are so busy with the daily tasks that we feel like we do not have the time to stop and get them on board.
But parent volunteers are a win-win situation! Children love having a special visitor, parents love knowing what’s going on in the classroom, and your team not only LOVE but NEED, the extra help!
Relying on parent volunteers may be one of the smartest things, ever! As an Early Childhood business, you are having to juggle more and more responsibilities. Why not let the amazing parent volunteers step in to help with the small, everyday, tasks?
The Value of a Parent Volunteer Strategy
First, we all know how important it is to have parents involved when it is positive and helpful. Having a parent volunteer strategy will help you ensure that this involvement starts and stays positive for everyone.
Parent involvement has many advantages:
Building stronger relationships with your families
Families develop new friendships with other families
Individual parents feel more connected to their own children
Parents develop an understanding of developmentally appropriate practices
Parents gain insight into why it is important to partner and continue learning at home
Parents are better able to define appropriate levels of expectations for their children
Parents feel more comfortable interacting with your team
Parents develop an appreciation for their own parenting abilities
And most importantly, parents gain a stronger sense of appreciation for all you and your team are doing to ensure the success of their child. They can see first hand the efforts of your team and you
Setting the expectations from the beginning to ensure a smooth parent volunteer process
The key to ensuring a smooth parent volunteer experience all year long is setting the appropriate expectations for you, your team and your parent volunteers.
Lets go over some expectations for you and your team.
Be prepared. If you ask for parnet volunteers, be ready to put them to work when they arrive.
Have everything ready. They must have the proper equipment to get the job done.
Communicate. Over-communication is better than under-communication.
Warm welcome! A volunteer has taken time out of their day to be there, so start with a personal greeting and a smile.
Provide training if needed. Although the job may seem easy to you, it is unknown territory for many volunteers.
Respect their time. Everyone is busy.
Be honest. Don’t say it will only take an “hour or so” when you know it will actually probably take three or four. Start on time and end on time.
Show appreciation. Thank your volunteers frequently. Look for creative ways to express your gratitude.
Let them share their passion. Volunteer engagement will increase if you engage people in inviting ways that connect their passions, gifting, and add meaning to their lives.
Whether a parent is helping out once in a while, once a month or once a week, I highly recommend having a Parent Participation Policy. It is in this policy that your parent expectations will be made clear. It allows the parent to know in advance what they are and are not responsible for.
A few ideas for your Parent Participation Policy:
Welcome & General Information
Volunteer Requirements
The Do’s and Don’ts of a Volunteer
Sign-In and Out Process
Parent Volunteer First-Day Checklist
Safe Interaction with Students
Field Trips and Off-Campus Activities
Extracurricular and Enrichment Activities
Supervision
Discipline
Reporting of Abuse
Unable to Make It
Personal Doctrines
Cultural Diversity
Dress and Behavior
Restrooms
Emergencies
Interactions with Other Parents
Health Policies
The PEAKE Parent Volunteer Process for Preschool
I wanted to share with you the PEAKE Parent Volunteer Process we use for our boutique proeschools. We begin planning our parent volunteer process in May when we have our annual new school year planning meeting. We layout the dates and review the planned events we have every year. It is now a simple process and one we use every year.
To help you brainstorm your very own Parent Volunteer Process we have created a planning resource to help you. You can find it at kelleypeake.com where this podcast episode info is located.
Here are a few of the PEAKE Parent Volunteer Process highlights:
Parent Volunteer Recruiting. We begin planning our parent volunteer process in May when we have our annual new school year planning meeting. We layout the dates and review the planned events we have every year. It is now a simple process and one we use every year.
Parent Volunteer Needs. We do this twice. At the end of the current school year we look to see who some of our experienced parents with older students are and are returning. We reach out to returning families and ask if they would be interested in volunteering next year. We try and have at least our Parent Volunteer Coordinator identified before the school year is out.
Parent Volunteer Communication. In the annual new school year planning meeting we have mapped out what we will need parent volunteers to do. It is always to coordinate 3 main classroom parties every year, help with our annual school fundraiser, conduct our vaccine audit for the Oregon health dept., put together our parent directory, support our smaller fundraisers throughout the year, and help with any special events we may have planned that year. We end the year with a Parent Volunteer Thank You event where the children sing and make each volunteer and special gift. It is truly a special event rememnbered by all.
Final Thoughts on Creating Your Parent Volunteer Process
This is a big-picture overview of the PEAKE Parent Volunteer Process. Take anything you thought useful and come up with your own Parent Volunteer Process. The key is just to create a system or process you can easily duplicate year after year. Thisrinse-and-repeatt approach will save you so much time.
Recruiting and managing parent volunteers can be made easy. You have far too much to do and not enough time to do it all. Create your own Parent Volunteer Process to recruit and manage your parent volunteers and you will be able to focus on all of those other tasks that drive more revenue and growth into your Early Childhood business. And at the same time, build relationships and happy families!
We discuss this in depth so be sure to have a listen!
Resources
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You will learn how to spend less time on small details and daily tasks. You can spend more time doing the things you truly enjoy. Focusing on the things that really matter, your top priorities, your key relationships, your most important projects, all the things that will bring you more joy and your business more success.