How to Run a Best in Class Child Care Program

A five-part webinar series from pre-enrollment to financial leadership

Running a child care program is no small feat. Directors and owners are often pulled in multiple directions—managing enrollment, setting tuition policies, ensuring compliance, and safeguarding financial health. This five-part webinar series is designed to take the guesswork out of administration and equip you with the tools you need to operate confidently and sustainably.

Led by experts in early childhood business practices, each session tackles a critical area of program success. Each session is tactical and prescriptive, focusing on real-world fixes to help you streamline operations and improve your program. From boosting enrollment and tightening billing systems to navigating compliance requirements and strengthening financial literacy, you’ll leave with proven solutions that minimize risks, maximize revenue, and let you focus on what matters most: children and families.

Don’t worry about signing up for individual sessions—we’ll automatically register you for all five and send you a calendar invite for each event.

CDA Subject Area 5: Managing an Effective Program Operation

Session Schedule

1. Tuesday, November 4 | The Journey Begins: Attracting Families with Confidence by Bruce W. Spurr

2. Tuesday, November 11 | Staying Licensing-Ready: Protecting Your Program Every Step of the Way by Lynn Wegner

3. Tuesday, November 18 | The Enrollment Playbook: Policies, Handbooks and Growth by Dr. Tamar Andrews

4. Tuesday, December 2 | More Than Tuition: 3 Numbers Every Director Must Master by Carrie Casey and Kate Woodward Young, M.Ed.,

5. Tuesday, December 16 | Billing & Tuition Policies That Work: Strengthening Financial Foundations by Monique D. Reynolds

Session Details 

The Journey Begins: Attracting Families with Confidence

A strong program starts with strong demand. In this first session, you’ll learn proven strategies to reach families before they ever set foot in your center. Discover how to craft messaging that resonates with parents, streamline your inquiry-to-tour process, and build a reputation that fills seats year after year.

You’ll also uncover how to capture every lead, set up automated responses, and guide families from curiosity to commitment. Walk away with practical website, CRM, and marketing strategies to ensure no opportunity slips through the cracks.

Presented by: Bruce W. Spurr, Co-Founder, Grow Your Center

Date: November 11, 2025 from 2:00 - 3:30 pm Eastern 

Staying Licensing-Ready: Protecting Your Program Every Step of the Way

Inspections don’t have to be stressful when you’re always prepared. This session shows you how to stay ahead of compliance requirements, maintain accurate records, and minimize risks. You’ll gain simple systems that help you operate with confidence, knowing your program is always inspection-ready and fully aligned with licensing standards.

Presented by: Lynn Wegner, Founder and President, The Compliance Alliance

Date: November 25, 2025 from 2:00 - 3:30 pm Eastern 

Enrollment Playbook: Policies, Handbooks and Growth

Enrollment isn’t just paperwork—it’s the foundation of your program’s culture, finances, and family relationships. In this session, we’ll explore how the right policies and procedures can streamline the enrollment process while building trust with staff and families.

You’ll learn how to design staff and parent handbooks that set clear expectations, foster engagement, and reflect your values. Then, we’ll dive into practical strategies for enrollment: collecting the right information up front, structuring fees and deposits, and automating tasks like emails and forms to create a smooth experience for families. Finally, we’ll look at how predictive enrollment, reviews, and referrals can keep your pipeline full—helping you plan capacity with confidence and sustain your program’s growth.

By the end of this session, you will be able to:

• Craft policies that shape a positive culture and strengthen staff and family trust.

• Build handbooks that support compliance while boosting engagement and retention.

• Implement streamlined enrollment systems that reduce friction and prevent churn.

• Use predictive enrollment and referrals to sustain growth and meet financial goals.

Presented by: Dr. Tamar Andrews, Senior Director of the Masor School for Education and Leadership at American Jewish University

Date: November 18, 2025 from 2:00 - 3:30 pm Eastern 

More Than Tuition: 3 Numbers Every Director Must Master 

Most child care directors are trained to nurture children—not to crunch numbers. Yet without financial clarity, even the strongest programs can falter. In this high-impact session, bestselling authors and child care business experts Kate Woodward Young and Carrie Casey will show you how to shift from “hoping the bills get paid” to leading with confidence.

You’ll uncover three common blind spots that quietly drain centers of revenue and stability:

• Reading financial reports without fear—and knowing what really matters in a P&L.

• Forecasting with confidence, instead of reacting to every crisis.

• Using classroom-level data to make smart staffing and enrollment decisions.

Through quick-win demos and real-world examples, you’ll see how a single staffing shift can boost margins by 5–10%—and how the right tools can transform directors into financial leaders.

This session isn’t about becoming an accountant. It’s about gaining the clarity every director needs to safeguard their program, their team, and their future.

Walk away with practical tools you can use immediately, plus an exclusive invitation to dive deeper in our Masterclass on Child Care Finance for Directors—where we’ll equip you with the full system to thrive.

Presented by: 

• Kate Woodward Young, M.Ed., Author and Co- Host, Childcare Conversations

• Carrie Casey, Author and Co- Host, Childcare Conversations

Date: December 2, 2025 from 2:00 - 3:30 pm Eastern 

Billing & Tuition Policies That Work: Strengthening Financial Foundations 

Revenue leakage can quietly undermine even the best programs. In this session, you’ll discover how to design billing systems that are clear, consistent, and financially sound. Learn how to implement tuition policies that work for both families and your program, reduce late or missed payments, and maximize your revenue—without added stress.

Presented by: Monique D. Reynolds, Vice President, ECE Business Support Services

Date: December 16, 2025 from 2:00 - 3:30 pm Eastern