Wondering how you can show appreciation for your childcare staff during the holiday season? Following are five ideas for celebrating your team and ending the year on a note of generosity and gratitude. Read on to find out more. 

Keep a Year-Long Tradition Going

Showing appreciation for your childcare team is something you do all throughout the calendar year. Creating a work environment where your team members feel respected, validated, and appreciated takes lots of time and intentionality on a day-to-day basis. The holiday season is an extra special time to show genuine thankfulness to your team and wrap up the year on a high note. Here are some ways to do just that:

Holiday Party or Luncheon

Many Early Childhood Education providers will throw an annual holiday party or luncheon for their team. It’s a great way to bring everyone together and celebrate the year. Your holiday party may look like a catered lunch, a happy hour or dinner at a restaurant in town, a potluck, or even a themed party, like a cookies and cocoa party. Host your holiday party for your team members only, or invite them to bring their families for the ultimate celebration. Go the extra mile to make this a festive, memorable event for your team. They deserve it. 

Holiday Paid Time Off

Let’s face it—two very important commodities always seem to be in short supply during the busy holiday season: time and money. You can help your childcare team with the first one by providing a generous amount of paid time off around the holidays. Do what works best for your childcare center. Consider closing your program for the week between Christmas and New Year’s and paying your team members for a week of holiday vacation. Alternatively, consider offering holiday flextime in the month of December; each team member gets one day of paid time off per week on a schedule that works for everyone. A little extra time off is a great way to show your staff you care. 

Holiday Bonuses 

You can also help your childcare team ease some of the potential financial burden of the holiday season by giving holiday bonuses. If you decide to give a holiday bonus to your employees, it’s going to take some advanced planning on your part. You will need to account for holiday bonuses in your childcare business budget. You will also need to decide whether you will offer the holiday bonus as a percentage of the employee’s wages or a fixed amount for all. Reach out to your accountant if you need advice about holiday bonuses. 

Meaningful Gifts 

Think beyond the generic gift card gift to show your care and appreciation for each of your team members. Do your best to personalize employee gifts to communicate your gratitude for each individual team member. There’s nothing wrong with a gift card, but try customizing your giving to the unique preferences of your childcare team members. For example, if Hailey can’t live without her Starbucks, consider giving her a Starbucks gift basket with a gift card included. If Alexa and Chantal have a favorite café they go to once a month, consider a gift certificate for each of them. We all feel extra seen and appreciated when someone takes notice of our interests and lets us know they are thinking of us. 

Giving Back Together

Sometimes the best gift you can give someone is the opportunity to give back to others. Consider hosting a volunteer day for your childcare team during the holiday season. There are so many opportunities to serve your community at this time of year. Take an afternoon to wrap presents for underserved families, serve lunch together at a local soup kitchen, or hold a collection for an animal shelter. Get creative and bring your team together for a time of giving back. There’s nothing like joining forces for a worthy cause to build goodwill and gratitude among your team.

We hope these ideas will get you thinking about ways you can show appreciation for your childcare team during the holiday season. A little planning goes a long way. You can end the year on a high note by choosing to shower your staff with genuine thanks. 

The Honest Buck Accounting team is thankful for all of our Early Childhood Education clients. We’re proud to help you grow a more profitable childcare business with our professional accounting services. Happy holidays from all of us at Honest Buck Accounting!