Turning childcare enquiries into enrolments: a follow-up process that works

To turn more childcare enquiries into enrolments, reply to every enquiry the same day with honest availability and an invitation to tour. Send reminders before the tour, follow up within a day or two after it, keep waitlisted families updated regularly, and help them through the paperwork. Most of the confirmations and reminders can be automated. The tour and the real conversations should stay personal.

This guide walks through each stage, where families tend to drop out, and what to set up so nothing depends on someone remembering on a busy day.

Where families drop out between enquiry and enrolment

Families rarely enquire at just one centre. They’re comparing several, usually while working and juggling everything else. Most drop-off happens at predictable points:

• No reply, or a slow one. The enquiry sits in an inbox while the family books tours elsewhere.
• No useful information. A reply that doesn’t mention availability or fees leaves them guessing.
• Tour no-shows. A tour booked two weeks out gets forgotten.
• No follow-up after the tour. The family liked the centre but heard nothing, so they went with the one that called.
• Waitlist silence. Months go by with no contact, and when a spot opens, they’ve already found care.
• Paperwork stalls. Forms, documents and subsidy steps drag on, and the start date slips.

Each of these can be fixed with a clear process and a few well-timed messages.

The first reply: confirm, inform, invite to tour

The first reply should go out the same day, ideally within minutes. It should include: Our guide on how fast to reply explains how to set up an instant acknowledgement that buys you time.

• A thank you, using the parent’s and child’s names.
• Honest availability for the child’s age group and the days they asked about. If there’s a waitlist, say so.
• Where to find your fees, or a fee range.
• A link to book a tour at a time that suits them.
• A name and number for questions.

Example:

Hi [Parent name], thanks for your enquiry about care for [Child name] at [Centre]. We currently have [availability] in our [room] for [days]. You can see our fees here: [link]. The best way to get a feel for the centre is to visit, and you can book a tour here: [link]. Any questions, call me on [number]. [Director name]

If you have no places for the days they need, still invite them to tour. Explain how your waitlist works, how long it has tended to take recently if you know, and whether other days are available sooner. Many families will take a different mix of days, or join the waitlist after seeing the centre, if they understand where they stand.

Being upfront about availability builds trust. A family who knows they’ll be waitlisted from the start is far less likely to feel let down later.

Tour reminders and follow-up after the visit

Tours are where most families decide. Protect them with reminders, and follow up while the visit is still fresh. The same pattern that helps reduce appointment no-shows works for tours: a confirmation, a reminder and an easy way to change the time.

1. When the tour is booked: a confirmation with the date, time, address and parking details.
2. The day before: a short text reminder with an easy way to reschedule.
3. Within a day or two after the tour: a personal message or call from the person who showed them around, answering any questions they raised.
4. With that follow-up: the enrolment pack or waitlist form, and a clear next step.
5. About a week later, if there’s no reply: one more check-in asking if they’d like to go ahead.

If a family doesn’t turn up, send a friendly message the same day offering another time. Life with young children is unpredictable, and a missed tour usually means a busy morning, not a lost interest.

The post-tour follow-up matters most. Mention something specific from the visit, like the room their child would be in or a question they asked. It shows you remember them, and it stands out next to centres that send nothing.

Keeping waitlisted families warm

A waitlist only works if families are still interested when a spot opens. Without contact, many will find care elsewhere and never tell you.

• Update families regularly, monthly works for most centres, with an honest picture of where things stand.
• Ask them to confirm they’re still interested and whether the days they need have changed.
• Offer alternatives when they exist, such as different days that are available sooner.
• Remove families who say no or don’t respond after a couple of updates, so your list reflects real demand.

A monthly update can be short:

Hi [Parent name], a quick update on [Child name]’s place on our waitlist for [room]. We don’t have a spot for [days] yet, but [any honest news, such as places expected to open in a given month]. Are you still interested, and do you still need the same days? Just reply to let us know.

Councils and larger providers often publish how their waitlists work. Doing the same on your own website, in plain language, saves you answering the same questions over and over.

The enrolment paperwork stage

Once a family accepts a place, the work isn’t over. Enrolment forms, immunisation records, medical plans, orientation visits and subsidy steps all need to happen before the start date.

The Child Care Subsidy step catches families out. According to the Department of Education, once your service submits an enrolment notice, the family is prompted to confirm the enrolment through their Centrelink online account, which they access through myGov. Services Australia says it can only pay the subsidy once the family’s claim is approved and they’ve confirmed the enrolment. Families are often busy in the lead-up to a start date and miss this step, so a gentle reminder is worth sending.

A simple checklist with automatic reminders helps here:

• Send the enrolment pack with a clear list of what’s needed and by when.
• Remind families about any outstanding documents a few days before they’re due.
• Once you submit the enrolment notice, prompt the family to confirm it in their Centrelink online account.
• Book the orientation visits and send reminders.
• Send a short “what to bring on the first day” message the week before the start date.

Subsidy rules change from time to time. Check the Department of Education and Services Australia websites for current requirements rather than relying on old templates.

What to automate and what to keep personal

A rule of thumb: automate anything that’s the same for every family. Keep anything that depends on their child, their situation or their questions.

One rule to keep in mind: if you send families promotional messages, such as open day invitations or marketing newsletters, the Spam Act applies. ACMA’s guidance is that you need consent, must identify your centre, and must include a working unsubscribe. A consent tick box on your enquiry form covers this. This is general information; check ACMA’s website for the detail.

Tracking occupancy and enquiry sources

A few numbers tell you where the process is working and where it’s leaking:

• Enquiries by source: your website, Google, Facebook, word of mouth, comparison sites.
• Tours booked and attended as a share of enquiries.
• Enrolments as a share of tours.
• Occupancy by room and day, so you know which gaps to fill.
• Waitlist by start date and days needed, so you can plan ahead.

Review these numbers once a month with whoever handles enquiries. If plenty of families enquire but few book tours, look at your first reply. If tours are strong but enrolments are low, look at the post-tour follow-up and the fees conversation. If enrolments stall after acceptance, look at the paperwork stage. Each number points to a specific part of the process to fix.

Getting started

1. Look at your last 20 enquiries and note where each one ended up.
2. Write your first-reply template with availability, fees and a tour booking link.
3. Set up tour reminders and a post-tour follow-up for whoever runs the tours.
4. Contact everyone on your waitlist this month and confirm who’s still interested.
5. Create an enrolment checklist with reminder dates.

Most of this can run in a CRM that sits alongside your childcare management software. CentriWeb sets up follow-up automation for early learning centres, so families hear from you at every step without adding to your admin.