¶ … Education and Daycare: KinderCare Learning Centers in Union City, California KinderCare Learning Centers is an institution owned by Knowledge Universe, which provides early childhood education and childcare. According to Kinder Care (2015), its first facility, Kinder Care Nursery School, was opened in 1969 to meet the increasing demand for preschool childcare at a time when more women were entering the workforce. Its primary objective was to use economies of scale to provide child care in bulk but in 1970, it changed its name to KinderCare Learning Centers in order to diversify to childhood education. Currently the company owns over 1600 early childhood education community centers and approximately 600 educational programs. Knowledge Universe (2014) states that more than 200,000 children ranging from six weeks to twelve years olds are enrolled in the community-based centers, of which 500 are accredited by the National Accreditation Commission for Early Care and Education Programs (NAC) and the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). Kinder Care (2015) further explains that it has partnered with Union City families for over 40 years to provide high quality childcare and award winning early education programs in Union City. Moreover, the company's website provides comprehensive information about the services offered, its locations, its purpose, financial reports and its contact information. This text takes a detailed look at the marketing effectiveness of KinderCare's website.

The key claim and the key proof of this program

Hearron and Hildebrand (2014) state that child development centers should develop goals and objectives that relate to the centers philosophy and place emphasis on a curriculum that supports a holistic development of every child. KinderCare has managed to incorporate this vital aspect in their key claim. KinderCare (2015) explains that it strives to utilize the educational power of play to grow each child physically, socially, emotionally and intellectually, while at the same time allowing children to have fun. The company also embraces diversity and it is intent on providing quality education and care to each child regardless of color, origin, religion or race. As stipulated on their website, they believe that every child is unique and has varying needs, and that "all children and families deserve to be full members of their communities, to have opportunities for development and learning, and to experience a sense of belonging" (KinderCare, 2015).

The proof of the program is in the curriculum. It mixes early education and play, and provides a good balance between teacher and child-directed experiences, choice and structured activities, and group and individual pursuits. The activities are aligned with 140 learning standards across the six major developmental domains namely: math and science, literacy and language, creative expressions, coordination and balance, problem solving and social development (Kinder Care, 2015). Such a curriculum is bound to promote holistic development. Moreover, testimonials from both parents and teachers prove that the children benefit fully from the educational programs and that the parents get good value for their money.

The marketing effectiveness of KinderCare's website

KinderCare website has an 'about us' section, which provides useful insight about its history, its values and principles, its approach to education and its leaders and teachers. It also includes press releases, corporate resources and media resources that enable the visitor to connect with the company. A second section 'our centers' provides a description of all its centers with advice on how to choose a center and what the specific attributes visitor should look for when selecting a good center. This section also includes a virtual tour of the center and testimonials from parents and teachers. A third section is the programs and curriculums section and it provides a detailed analysis of all the programs offered, which are sorted by age. It also lists the additional programs offered, such as school break solutions, before and after school programs, and the bilingual mandarin immersion program (KinderCare, 2015). The resources section provides information regarding child care costs, how parents can pay tuition and update enrolment agreements, tax credit information, and subsidized support and care for military families. The blog section, on the other hand, contains insightful articles about parenting and child development. There is also a contacts section and an online chat platform to allow the visitor to get in touch with the company or interact with teachers who may be online.

Hearron and Hildebrand (2014) explain that marketing efforts can be time consuming and expensive, but directors who are able to utilize web-based strategies find time efficient and cost effective methods of telling their program's story. KinderCare's web-based marketing...

The website is simple and eliminates unnecessary content that would otherwise frustrate users. Hearron and Hildebrand (2014) also state that the audiences for the child care center need to be determined at the beginning of the web development process. The KinderCare website achieves this particularly because all the information provided is relevant and tailored according to the specific needs of teachers, as well as current and prospective families. Moreover, the attention of the site is appealing to the reader through use of appealing graphics, readable fonts and informative articles. Overall, the website markets KinderCare centers effectively because it is user friendly, it provides all the relevant information and makes proper use of interactive chat sessions where users can seek clarifications or additional information. However, it does not provide ample details about the tuition fee for each program, and users who may want to compare it with other child care and educational centers might have to enquire further.
As a parent would you want to send your child to this center?

After a thorough review of all the information provided by the website and look at the testimonials from past and current families, I would send my child to KinderCare center. The center is able to balance play and education, and it addresses each child's, emotional, physical, social and intellectual needs. KinderCare's inclusion philosophy is also encouraging because they treat each child as a unique individual with varying needs. For example, as one parent mentions in the testimonial, the staff know each child by name and they are able to provide a detailed report of their activities, moods and sleep patterns at the end of each day. Moreover, the center guides parents throughout the selection process to assess the needs of the child and determine the programs and activities that best suit their needs (KinderCare, 2015).

As a teacher or director would you want to work there?

I would want to work at KinderCare because testimonials from past and current teachers reveal that it is a good company to work for, and I share its mission to promote holistic development of each child, regardless of color, gender or origin. KinderCare (2015) explains about the Knowledge Universe Annual Early Childhood Educator Award, which rewards teachers who have exceptional skills in child care and early childhood education with $10,000. This proves that the company appreciates the efforts of its staff, and is committed to fostering a supportive work environment. Thus, KinderCare's marketing strategy is effective because it conveys reliable information regarding programs, values and principles to prospective teachers and directors in a way that encourages them to support its mission.

The importance of marketing programs

In addition to providing important information to current and prospective clients, marketing a program increases the earnings of a given institution inexpensively and enables it to maintain a good reputation and attract the best talent. Marketing strategies also enable a childcare and educational center to gain a competitive advantage because it will be able to keep up with competition by monitoring their strengths, weaknesses and products in order to improve accordingly. In particular, web-based marketing is advantageous because it tells an institution's story in a cost effective and time efficient manner (Hearron and Hildebrand, 2014). It also enables clients to interact with the company, which facilitates information sharing, exchange of ideas, creativity and innovation to promote development and growth of the child development center.

Conclusion

KinderCare's marketing strategy is highly effective because it provides information that meets the needs of current and prospective clients, teachers, and other third parties who may have an interest in the organization. Its curriculum, which is analyzed in depth on the website, supports its key objective of holistic development to each child. The website has all the characteristics required for a quality childcare website. It is simple enough for visitors to use, it is consistent in appearance, design and navigation, and it includes current and relevant content. It, however, could be more helpful to potential clients by providing adequate details about the tuition for each program to allow them to make comparisons with other day care and educational centers. Any parent would be attracted to KinderCare because the website explains how each child receives specialized care, provides guidelines on how to choose educational programs and allows them to seek clarification. Potential teachers and directors also learn about the Knowledge Universe annual Early Childhood Educator Award and get a comprehensive understanding…