Visiting the Planet of Administration
- Daria Hall
- May 5
- 5 min read
What role does it play in achieving a high level of enrollment?
Welcome back, astronaut! You've landed on the Planet of Administration! This is where the tone is set, the culture is built, and all the moving parts of your program come together and find their direction.
Why This Planet Matters
Administration is truly the backbone of a quality program, and in a child care setting that responsibility rests primarily with two people: the director and the assistant director.
The director wears many hats. On any given day that might mean stepping into the role of facilities manager, curriculum coach, enrollment specialist, and welcoming committee all before lunch. From staff development and safety compliance to lesson plan oversight and public relations, no detail is too big or too small. The snack needs to be ready, the toilet needs to get fixed, and every prospective family needs to feel genuinely welcomed. That is the work of administration.
When that work is done well, the whole program thrives. And when a program thrives, families take notice and enrollment follows.
If there is one thing every director knows, it is this: no two days look the same.
One of the most important responsibilities of the role is public relations. Every person who walks through the door, whether a prospective family on a tour or a parent dropping off on a Tuesday morning, deserves to be greeted with intention.
"Good morning! How are you today, Susie? Ready for a fun day at school? Mom, have a wonderful day at work!"
This is the daily reinforcement of trust, and trust built moment by moment is what keeps families enrolled year after year.
Something that makes a real difference is making sure the front office is always covered. Families feel it when they walk in and no one is there. It can unintentionally signal disorganization, and for some parents it quietly raises concerns about safety.
The programs that do this well have simply made it a scheduling priority, because first impressions do not only happen on tour days. They happen every single morning, and they matter every single time.
Quality Control Is the Job
Here is the truth about quality control: you cannot achieve it from behind a desk.
The director must be on the floor, moving through classrooms with purpose, scanning for safety, engagement, and the joyous sounds of children learning. That means checking that the environment is clean and inviting, that teachers are delivering their lessons with energy, and that every child is visible, counted, and cared for. The question a great director is always asking is:
"If I were three years old, how would I feel in this room right now?"
Quality control is not a checklist. It is a standard that the director sets, models, and holds every member of the team to, consistently. A teacher can flourish under one director and struggle under another, not because of their own ability, but because of the expectations and culture that leadership creates. Everything else trickles down from there.
The Director and Assistant Director Must Move as One
Administration is never one person alone, however.
The assistant director is essential, because the director cannot be present for all twelve hours a day that a center may be open. When the director steps away, the mission must continue without interruption. That requires seamless communication and shared understanding between both leaders.
When one does not know what the other has said, promised, or acted upon, families feel it. A parent's request goes unaddressed. A concern falls through the cracks. And the quiet message received is:
"Can I really trust this place with my child?"
That trust, once cracked, is hard to rebuild.
The director and assistant director must be aligned, not just in their daily responsibilities, but in their philosophy, their standards, and their commitment to the families they serve.
Supported by additional office staff at the front desk throughout the day, the result is an administrative team that is steady and professional.
The Direct Line to Retention
Retention is not a marketing problem. It is a quality control problem.
No family is going to leave their child in a school where they do not feel safe or valued. Nor are they going to stay in a school where the administration is disorganized or unresponsive. On the other hand, a director who greets children by name, follows up on a concern the same day it is raised, and holds the building to a visible standard of excellence creates something that no advertising budget can buy: word of mouth.
And when you consider the lifetime value of a single enrolled family, children who age through your program, siblings who enroll after them, and families who refer their neighbors and coworkers, the stakes become even clearer. A child who starts in your infant room and stays through pre-K represents years of trust built, one day at a time, through the quality of your administration.
Setting Your Director Up for Success
A director is only as effective as the support and tools they have been given.
Owners and operators play a critical role here. A director who is buried in administrative tasks is a director who is spending less time on the floor, less time developing the team, and less time building relationships with families. That is a cost that shows up in your program's quality, and eventually in your enrollment.
The right software, supplies, and well-maintained facilities are not luxuries. They are the foundation that allows a director to do what they were trained and hired to do: lead with expertise, coach with compassion, and hold the entire program to the highest possible standard.
At IntelliKid Systems, our tools are designed to give your administration back the time they need to focus on what matters most: the quality, relationships, and culture that keep families enrolled. See it for yourself with our self-guided walkthrough here!
Raising the Bar
Take a moment this week and look at your administrative team through the eyes of a prospective family.
Is the office staffed and welcoming when they walk in?
Is there a consistent process for handling new leads and giving tours?
Are your director and assistant director operating as one unified voice?
Then look through the eyes of your staff. Does your director walk the building with purpose? Are expectations set clearly and reinforced consistently? Do your teachers know, without question, what a great classroom looks like, because their director has shown them?
The administration is the leadership of your school. When that leadership is strong, everything rises with it!
Join us on the next stop on our S.P.A.C.E. journey: Curriculum!
Missed a stop along the way? Catch up with the rest of the series:
