How to get more useful childcare enquiries

A useful enquiry gives the centre enough information to provide a relevant next step without asking the family to complete an enrolment form before they know whether a place may suit them.

Collect the minimum information needed to assess the initial match:

• parent or carer name;
• preferred contact method;
• child’s age or month and year of birth;
• days required;
• preferred start period;
• whether the family wants a tour, a call or availability information;
• an optional field for access, communication or support needs they want the service to know at this stage.

Avoid collecting detailed income, identity documents, medical histories or a full date of birth during a general enquiry unless there is a clear operational need. The Australian Privacy Principles require organisations covered by the Privacy Act to collect personal information that is reasonably necessary for their functions and to notify people about the collection. ^R11

Improve the information before the form as well. Families should be able to see the service location, age groups, opening hours, educational approach, quality information, fee basis, likely availability and how the tour process works. Starting Blocks is designed around families comparing quality ratings, fees, vacancies and inclusions, which is a useful guide to the information they are likely to seek. ^R4

Give the form a specific promise:

Tell us the days and start period you need. We’ll review current availability and reply with the most useful next step.

Internally, define what happens next. Every enquiry needs an owner, a status and a follow-up date. A well-designed form cannot compensate for an inbox no one checks.

Practical next step: remove every field that is not needed to answer the first question: “Could this service and this attendance pattern be a reasonable match?”

Related guides

• What makes a childcare enquiry useful to a centre?
• Marketing ideas for a specific childcare vacancy
• Why childcare enquiries are not turning into enrolments