Enhancing purpose and sustainability in ECE (part 1)

With over 3,000 early childhood centres and primary schools using Storypark across 23 countries, the impact and outcomes we create for children, families and educators is now well proven.

Whether your organization is a community centre, for profit, not for profit, a registered charity; a single centre or a large group of services: pursuing your mission of creating meaningful outcomes for every child means having a sustainable business so that you can continue to exist to make the difference you want to make in the world.

It pains me to see centres closing or having to let go of great staff, especially when I think how hard it can be for families to find a place for their child to attend which suits their values and aspirations, hours of work and support and develop their child’s interests, passions and needs.  

In a previous role I used to work in the Charities Sector, and there was an idea that became increasingly talked about “there is no mission without margin.”

This blog post is the first in a two part series to share all the ways that Storypark is saving costs or helping bring in more revenue to help make ECE services have the security and sustainability to make the greatest difference possible in the world – now and in the future.

1. Enhance the welcome process for parents and increase the number that choose your centre
   Because Storypark is child-centric and owned by families it travels with the child from birth through to school and beyond. When parents look around your centre introduce them to Storypark and demonstrate your commitment to involving them in their child’s learning, show them how you create the most personalized, thoughtful experience for their child and themselves.
   
   You can also encourage them to start using Storypark before they join your centre as it’s free for parents to use. When their child starts at your centre you will know more about the important context and relationships for that child and will be more able to support their transition into your centre. As well as demonstrating your focus on quality outcomes, this is also a great way to strengthen a parent’s connection with your centre, provide a point of difference and strengthen the likelihood of them choosing your centre.
   
   Goodstart Early Learning trialled Storypark in 30 centres for 3 months before deciding to implement it across their 650 services. At the end of the 3 month trial they surveyed parents and 90% of families said they had a stronger understanding of their child’s development. 98.5% of their Educators said Storypark had improved family engagement in only 3 months.
2. Build word of mouth/referrals:
   There are a growing number of children who already have Storypark communities. Parents and whanau show photos and videos of their children to friends and family all over the world through Storypark. Often when their friends see the level of support and communication offered by your child’s early learning service they want to have that too. We’ve seen parents switch centres because they want their child to go to a centre that uses Storypark. Word of mouth is a powerful tool.
3. Use Storypark as a marketing tool:
   Storypark is developed with the guidance of some of the world’s best practitioners and thought leaders from New Zealand, Australia, Canada, UK and USA. We offer a suite of resources to support your use of Storypark highlighting research, best practices and practical ideas to ensure you get the best return possible from your investment in Storypark.  By using Storypark you’re encouraging pedagogies in line with global best practice.
4. Cut costs on printing and consumables (and improve your environmental sustainability).
   Individual centres are printing less, and this saves them a significant amount of money on printing and consumables. Don’t just take my word for it. Check out this testimonial from a Centre Owner. If you’re interested in the second part of this blog post click here.