CHILDCARE MARKETING STRATEGY
Building Waitlists and Running Open Days for Regional WA Childcare Centres
By ChildCare Marketing | childcaremarketing.com.au | March 2026
A strong waiting list is the foundation of a stable regional WA childcare centre. Unlike metropolitan markets where new families constantly migrate in, regional waitlists are built more slowly and held more loyally. A family that enrolls their child at a regional childcare centre often plans to stay for several years. This stability is an advantage; it means your revenue becomes predictable and your staff turnover decreases. However, it also means you must capture families earlier in their parenting journey and nurture them through a longer pre-enrollment process. Your waiting list is not just a queue of future customers; it’s a relationship-building opportunity that converts early enquiries into enrolled families who stay for years.
Understanding Regional WA Waitlist Dynamics
Regional WA waitlist dynamics differ fundamentally from metropolitan markets. Demand is lower because the population is smaller. A metropolitan centre might have 30 families waiting for specific age groups; a regional centre might have 5–8. However, these families are far more loyal once they commit. They have fewer options, so they are more likely to move forward with enrolment once they decide on your centre. This means your conversion rate from waitlist to enrolled families is typically higher in regional areas. Additionally, regional families often enrol their children earlier in the parenting journey. A family might join your waiting list when their child is one year old, not six months before enrollment. This extended pre-enrollment period is an opportunity to build deep relationships. You can nurture these families over months, share updates about your centre, invite them to open days multiple times, and become the obvious choice when they’re ready to enrol.
Waitlist Capture Tools and Methods
Start with a simple but effective waitlist capture system. A Google Form on your website is free and captures enquiries directly. Include fields for child’s date of birth, desired start date, parent name, phone number, and email. A hardcopy enquiry form at your centre, on community notice boards, and at local businesses captures families who prefer offline contact. Your website contact page should have a clear call-to-action: ‘Join our Waiting List’. Make the process feel easy and welcome; don’t require extensive information. The goal is to capture the enquiry, not overwhelm parents with an application. Phone enquiries are still common in regional WA. Train your staff to ask enquiring families if they’d like to join your waiting list, and record these enquiries immediately in a spreadsheet or notebook. Finally, create a paper-based waiting list book kept visibly at your centre. Parents appreciate seeing their name on a list and knowing their position. This transparency builds confidence that your centre is growing and popular.
Nurture Sequences for Regional Waitlisted Families
Once a family is on your waiting list, a personal phone call within 48 hours is your first nurture step. This call should be warm and conversational, not sales-y. Introduce yourself, ask about their family and what matters most to them in childcare, and share information about how your centre addresses their priorities. This call builds relationship far more effectively than an automated email. Follow the call with an email containing general information: facility photos, educator bios, fee schedule, and enrolment process. Two weeks later, send an invitation to your next open day with a warm message: ‘We’d love to meet your family in person.’ In regional WA, where automated email sequences feel cold and impersonal, handwritten notes outperform digital communication. After the open day, send a handwritten thank-you card thanking them for visiting and expressing your hope that your centre is right for their family. Send seasonal updates—photos of spring activities, updates on staff training, notes about upcoming school term adjustments—every four to six weeks. A family on your waiting list should never feel forgotten.
Pro Tip: Segment your waiting list by age group and desired start date. Send different nurture sequences to families waiting for infants versus preschoolers. Families expecting to start in three months need different information than those expecting to start in one month.
The Regional Open Day as Community Event
Your open day is not a sales presentation; it’s a community event. In regional WA, the most successful open days feel informal, warm, and inclusive. Invite the whole town, not just waitlisted families. Set up a BBQ, arrange activities for children, include educators in the activities so parents see them interact with kids naturally, and create a relaxed, social atmosphere. A Carnarvon centre might hold an open day on a Saturday afternoon with hamburgers, face painting, and a tour of the facility whenever families want to drop by. A Kalgoorlie centre might combine its open day with a local community fair. This positioning removes pressure from the ‘sales pitch’ format and makes attendance feel like community participation rather than commitment. Pricing information, enrolment processes, and detailed facility information are secondary at a regional open day. The goal is for families to experience your centre’s warm, welcoming culture and for your team to experience each family’s warmth and priorities.
Promoting Open Days in Regional WA
Promote your open day through multiple regional channels. Create a Facebook Event at least three weeks in advance and invite every member of your local community groups. Share the event in your centre’s Facebook posts and encourage current families to invite friends. Create a simple paper flyer and leave copies at local medical practices, community notice boards, library, local council offices, and community centres. Contact your local council and ask if they can promote your event on their Facebook page. Many regional councils actively promote community events. Contact your local newspaper and ask if they’ll run a small notice or write a brief article about your open day. Local papers are often hungry for community-focused content. Create an event listing on Google Business Profile, which shows in local search results. Send SMS invitations to your waiting list with a warm message and a link to the Facebook event. Post about the event twice weekly on Facebook in the two weeks preceding it, with different messaging each time to stay top-of-mind. Regional parents appreciate seeing consistent messaging; it demonstrates that your centre is organised and professional.
Post-Open Day Follow-Up and Enrolment
The open day is not the end of the nurture process; it’s the middle. Your post-open day follow-up determines your conversion rate. Within 48 hours, send an email to every family who attended thanking them for coming. Mention something specific you remember about their family—their child’s name, a question they asked, or a detail they shared—to demonstrate genuine attention. Include a PDF of your facility photos, fee schedule, and enrolment process. One week later, send a handwritten note reiterating your interest in their family and next steps if they are ready to discuss enrolment. If a family doesn’t respond within two weeks, send a follow-up phone call from a staff member or director. This call is a gentle check-in: ‘We loved meeting your family. I wanted to see if you have any remaining questions about our centre.’ Many regional families need time to discuss enrolment with their partner or family before committing. Respect this timeline while staying present and responsive. Track every enquiry and attendance in a spreadsheet noting the date of contact, open day attendance, and follow-up status. This ensures no family falls through the cracks. A family who visited your open day six months ago should receive a warm check-in before they’re ready to enrol, reminding them that you’re still interested.
Building Long-Term Waitlist Loyalty
Your waiting list strategy doesn’t end at enrolment. The long-term goal is to keep waitlisted families engaged so that when they’re ready to enrol, your centre is still their first choice. Send updates quarterly: photos of centre improvements, educator training completions, seasonal activity plans, or community sponsorships. Invite waiting list families to open centre events like graduation ceremonies, school holiday activities, or community celebrations. When a family finally enrolls after being on your waiting list for months, welcome them with special recognition. A personalised welcome letter, a small gift for the child, and a phone call from the director reinforces that they’ve been waited for and are genuinely valued.
Want expert childcare marketing support? Visit childcaremarketing.com.au or call us today.
© 2026 ChildCare Marketing | childcaremarketing.com.au | info@growonline.com.au
