August Is When Leadership Sets the Tone for the Year

The next four weeks will shape the next ten months in your childcare program.

September feels like the beginning of the year in early learning, but the truth is that August is where success is built.

While families are finishing vacations and educators are preparing classrooms, childcare operators are carrying a much bigger responsibility.

They're making decisions that will affect their team, their finances, their enrolment, and their culture for months to come.

The strongest centres don't arrive at September hoping things will fall into place.

They lead into it intentionally.

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That is why August is a good time to pause, reflect, and strengthen your leadership.

Even if your program is open year-round, the weeks before fall can offer a valuable opportunity to look beyond daily operations and consider how you are leading your team, your program, and your organization.

A little leadership preparation now can prevent confusion, inconsistency, and unnecessary stress later.

For childcare operators, directors, and leadership teams, fall readiness is not only about schedules, classrooms, and enrolment. It is also about setting expectations, supporting staff, communicating clearly, making confident decisions, and creating the conditions your team needs to succeed.

Here are a few important leadership areas to focus on before the fall season begins.

1. Set Clear Expectations

Staff cannot consistently meet expectations that have never been clearly explained.

August is a good time to review what you expect from your team and whether those expectations are understood across the program.

This may include expectations related to:

• professionalism;

• attendance and punctuality;

• communication;

• supervision;

• documentation;

• parent interactions;

• teamwork;

• classroom responsibilities;

• confidentiality;

• use of personal phones;

• preparation and participation;

• following policies and procedures.

Leaders often assume staff already know what is expected. In reality, different employees may have very different understandings of what appropriate practice looks like.

Clear leadership means making expectations visible, discussing them regularly, and following up consistently.

A written policy is important, but it is not enough. Staff should understand how expectations apply in daily practice and what accountability looks like when expectations are not met.

2. Develop Your Leadership Team

Operators and directors cannot carry every responsibility alone.

If your program has room leads, supervisors, assistant directors, or experienced educators who support others, August is a good time to clarify what leadership looks like in their role.

They should understand what decisions they can make, when an issue needs to be escalated, how to give respectful feedback, and how to document concerns appropriately. They should also be modelling the same standards expected from the rest of the team.

Promoting someone into a leadership role does not automatically prepare them to lead.

Strong emerging leaders need clear responsibilities, regular support, and practical guidance around communication, accountability, conflict, and decision-making.

When leadership roles are unclear, problems are often ignored, handled inconsistently, or passed directly to the operator.

Building leadership capacity across the program creates greater consistency, strengthens the team, and reduces pressure at the top.

3. Book Professional Development Early

Fall professional development schedules fill quickly.

August is a strong time to look ahead and decide what your team needs before the year becomes busy again. Instead of booking training reactively, operators should connect professional development to real program needs.

Ask:

• What issues came up most often last year?

• Where did staff need more support?

• Are there gaps in documentation, behaviour guidance, communication, compliance, or professionalism?

• Do new staff need onboarding support?

• Do room leads or supervisors need leadership development?

• Are there upcoming licensing, quality, or operational priorities that training should support?

Professional development should not be treated as a checkbox. The best training helps staff feel more confident and helps the program operate more consistently.

Churcher Group offers a variety of professional development options, practical and innovative approaches to early learning- PD Funded!!

4. Strengthen Staff Communication

Many workplace problems are not caused by a lack of effort. They are caused by unclear, inconsistent, or incomplete communication.

Before fall becomes busy, take time to review how information flows through your program. Consider whether expectations are being communicated clearly, whether policy changes are understood, and whether staff receive the same information regardless of who is working that day.

Strong communication systems reduce misunderstandings, frustration, and unnecessary conflict. They also create consistency for children, families, and educators.

Good communication does not mean sharing every detail. It means ensuring the right people have the right information at the right time, through reliable systems that everyone understands.

5. Make Time to Lead-Not Just Manage

Many childcare operators spend their days reacting.

A staffing issue, an upset parent, a licensing question, or an unexpected absence can quickly consume every available hour. Before long, the important leadership work is pushed aside by the urgent demands of the day.

Strong organizations don't grow because leaders work harder. They grow because leaders make time to think strategically.

Protect time each week to:

• review your goals;

• mentor your leadership team;

• review finances and enrolment; and

• improve systems rather than simply maintaining them.

Working on your organization is just as important as working in it.

6. Invest in Your Own Leadership

Childcare leaders wear an incredible number of hats.

On any given day you may be managing staffing, finances, licensing, parent concerns, government funding, human resources, marketing, risk management, and business operations—all while supporting children and educators.

Very few operators receive formal training in these areas. Most learn through experience, trial and error, and solving problems as they arise.

The strongest childcare organizations rarely outgrow the leadership behind them.

When leaders continue investing in their own growth, they build stronger teams, make better decisions, and create organizations that are more resilient, sustainable, and prepared for the future.

7. Set the Direction for the Year Ahead

September brings new opportunities, new families, and new challenges.

Rather than simply hoping for a successful year, take time to decide what success actually looks like for your organization.

Ask yourself:

• Are my leaders prepared?

• Is my team aligned?

• What do I want to improve this year?

• Where do I need to grow as a leader?

If those questions leave you wanting more confidence, more practical tools, or a stronger network of peers, you're not alone.

That's exactly why we created the Child Care Operators Academy.

Beginning this September, the Academy brings together childcare owners, operators, directors, and emerging leaders from across Canada for six months of practical leadership development. Together we'll explore the real challenges of running a childcare organization—from leadership and human resources to financial sustainability, compliance, strategic planning, and organizational growth.

Because stronger leaders build stronger organizations, and stronger organizations create better outcomes for children, families, and educators.

Registration for the September cohort is now open at www.churchergroup.com/academy.

Strong Leadership Doesn't Happen by Accident

August is more than the final month before fall. It is an opportunity to strengthen the leadership that will shape the year ahead.

The conversations you have now, the expectations you set, the leaders you develop, and the time you invest in planning will influence your team's confidence, your program's culture, and your organization's success long after September begins.

Strong childcare organizations are not built by reacting to problems. They are built by leaders who communicate clearly, make thoughtful decisions, invest in their people, and continue investing in themselves.

As fall approaches, this is the time to ask:

• Are our expectations clear?

• Are our leaders prepared?

• Are we communicating consistently?

• Are we addressing challenges early?

• Are we making time to lead, not just manage?

• What kind of organization do we want to build this year?

If those questions have you reflecting on your own leadership journey, you're not alone.

Need support preparing your team for the fall season? The Churcher Group can help you review your professional development needs, plan staff training, and strengthen your program systems before September.

Plan Your Fall Training