By: Marisa Blair, Jessica Crump, Matthew Korn, Casey Pechan, Meredith Ratto, Sean Reynolds, and Grant Templeton

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Gregory Shine Daycare Crisis Communications Plan

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Rockville Christian Church

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!Table of Contents Background......................................................................................................................................4

Situation Analysis ............................................................................................................................4 Core Problems..................................................................................................................................5

Opportunity ......................................................................................................................................5 Goal..................................................................................................................................................5

Objectives ........................................................................................................................................5 Key Publics ......................................................................................................................................5

Strategies and Tactics ......................................................................................................................8 Evaluation ......................................................................................................................................12

Appendix........................................................................................................................................13 Calendar .........................................................................................................................................14

Gantt Chart.....................................................................................................................................17 Budget ............................................................................................................................................18

Communication Chart....................................................................................................................19

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Background:

Gregory Shine Daycare Center is a nonprofit childcare organization that was founded in 1979. It was built on the positive reputation of being a licensed and reputable childcare facility with an impeccable safety record. Gregory Shine is known for its exceptional staff who are Early Childhood Educator-designated, Infant and Child Care First Aid certified, and “child development and pedagogical” educated. In Lane County, there are 71 certified centers who provide care for infants and toddlers, and 381 certified Family Childcare Certified providers accept care for infants and toddlers.

On the morning of November 7, 2011, two-year old Logan Simpson broke his leg on Gregory Shine’s playground. None of the daycare supervisors were looking directly at Logan when the incident occurred and no one knows exactly how Logan broke his leg. Logan broke his right femur and was placed in a body cast from his mid-chest to his right ankle for at least six weeks. The day after the accident, director of Gregory Shine Daycare, Jean Dempsey, filed a Serious Occurrence report about Logan’s injury.

The Simpson family was forced to hire a personal support worker and a nanny to provide Logan with 24-hour care because the family was struggling to balance the “needs of both a toddler in traction and a newborn baby.” Mr. Simpson was forced to take time off work to care for Mrs. Simpson, who came down with the flu, and the two children. The unexpected expenses of caring for Logan created a financial burden for the family. After consulting with her lawyer, Dempsey chose to not reveal the results of the Serious Occurrence report and she soon discontinued communication with the Simpson family. The family faced a significant financial burden and was frustrated with Dempsey’s limited communication after the incident. Dempsey remains concerned about the crumbling relationship with the Simpson family, and about Gregory Shine’s reputation moving forward. Situation Analysis:

Prior to Logan breaking his leg, Gregory Shine Daycare Center was known for its impeccable safety record and superior staff who make the center a “second home” for its children. As a licensed and reputable facility, parents feel at ease when leaving their children with Gregory Shine’s highly trained staff. Gregory Shine is a childcare facility which offers care for infants, toddlers and preschool children. Each child is designated into specific classrooms based on age and the required ratio of children to caregivers based on Exhibit 3 from the Gregory Shine Daycare case study. When the daycare is operating at full capacity, 41 children, the infant room may have up to 10 children, the toddler room may have up to 15 children and the preschool room may have up to 16 children.

The incident with the Simpson family left many parents concerned as they questioned

how the situation was being handled. Executive Director Jean Dempsey has had no

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communication with the Simpson family since the accident, and has failed to communicate the situation with other Gregory Shine parents. The daycare center’s lawyer has advised Dempsey to have no contact with the Simpson family because an apology could be considered admission of guilt, which may motivate a lawsuit. The Simpson family is frustrated with the lack of communication and concern for their injured child and the extra costs they have incurred while caring for Logan. Other parents with children enrolled at Gregory Shine are becoming increasingly apprehensive with how the situation has been handled. Dempsey’s fear of negative publicity and losing currently enrolled children remains, as she is hesitant to draw any more attention to the incident.

In order to maintain its reputation as a safe and reputable facility, Gregory Shine will

implement a communication plan. The plan will attempt to mend the relationship with the Simpson family, improve communication among all Gregory Shine parents, and improve communication with parents in the community. Core Problem:

The core problem for Gregory Shine is a lack of proper communication. Dempsey and the employees at Gregory Shine Daycare failed to fully engage in crisis communication which further frustrated and confused parents. The Gregory Shine Daycare families were not notified that a child was injured or informed as to what was being done about the situation. After speaking to her lawyer, Executive Director Jean Dempsey has grown nervous and followed her lawyer’s advice to not communicate about the situation. She has also failed to communicate to her employees how she would like the situation to be handled going forward. Opportunity:

Gregory Shine Daycare has the opportunity to improve communication with all parents and take steps to mend its relationship with the Simpson family. Doing this will help to reinforce the reputation Gregory Shine has worked to establish for itself as a “second home” for children, and parents will once again feel satisfied and informed about the care their children are receiving. Goal: For Gregory Shine Daycare to be seen as a safe and enriching place for children. Objectives:

1. To retain enrollment of 85 percent of children, or 34 children currently enrolled at Gregory Shine Daycare.

2. Increase safety awareness for parents at Gregory Shine by at least 50 percent. 3. To mend the relationship with the Simpson family. 4. Host an event for Gregory Shine with a minimum of 50 potential parents from the

Eugene community in attendance to increase awareness of the daycare center.

Key Publics: The Simpson family:

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The Simpson family has struggled with the emotional and financial burden of their two-year old son’s broken leg. Logan’s mother, Catherine Simpson, was on maternity leave at the time of the accident, caring for her four-month old child, the newest addition to the family. Attempting to care for one immobilized child and an infant added a level of stress to Catherine’s life that she was not prepared for, and she soon came down with the flu, forcing her husband to take time off work to care for the family. A support worker was hired for the first week after Logan’s break, and then a nanny had to be hired to care for Logan for four weeks while he healed, and several hospital expenses were incurred.

The Simpson family also never received answers about how Logan broke his leg, and have had little to no communication with Jean Dempsey, aside from being compensated for Logan’s tuition for the month of November. Being compensated for a months tuition without a word of condolence or explanation has left Catherine Simpson feeling as if Gregory Shine considers her family to be, “yesterday’s trash - disposable and without value.” Primary Message: We are sorry for what happened and we want to make it right. Secondary Messages:

• Jean Dempsey and the Gregory Shine staff would like to present a check to the Simpson family to compensate for Logan’s medical expenses.

• Gregory Shine would like to offer Logan a spot in the Toddling Turtles class once again, if the Simpson family is interested.

• We would also like to let the Simpson family know that a spot for their youngest child has been saved as well, if they choose to accept it.

Parents and Guardians at Gregory Shine Daycare: Other parents and guardians with children enrolled at Gregory Shine Daycare were never

officially informed of Logan Simpson’s broken leg. Shanthal Majunder only heard of the incident because he is both a parent at Gregory Shine and a board member at the daycare. He has expressed concern about the fact that other parents are not being informed about the daycare, citing that safety is a priority for all parents. Word of mouth spreads quickly and parents would certainly be alarmed to hear of a child breaking their leg without being told by the center they routinely drop their children off at for extended hours.

According to a study by Mintel, Marketing to Mom’s, “When it comes to their child’s well being, safety is the number one concern among moms. Child happiness, followed by finances, education, and nutrition, round out the top five.” While safety is an obvious concern for all parents, it is especially important to millennial mothers, which are the main parenting demographic at Gregory Shine. According to Marketing to Mom’s, “Millennial moms are more likely than Gen X and Baby Boomer moms to say safety is their top worry while Gen X and Baby Boomer moms are more likely to rank finances as their number one concern.” Also unlike Gen X and Baby Boomers, Millennial parents have a more equal parenting style, and fathers are increasingly more involved in child rearing. This simply means that now more than ever, both parents will be highly involved and concerned with child-rearing.

Currently, there are 41 children enrolled at Gregory Shine Daycare. Specifically, 10 infants, 15 toddlers, and 16 preschool-aged children. It is essential for parents with such young children currently enrolled to remain informed and satisfied about their child’s care to prevent

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losing this public’s trust and enrollment, and consequently the potential enrollment of other parents as word spreads. Primary Message: Here at Gregory Shine Daycare, we understand the importance of communication as well as safety, child development and family atmosphere. Secondary Messages:

• Gregory Shine daycare will never leave a parent or guardian uninformed. Gregory Shine staff will always be available to address any questions and concerns that come up.

• Since safety is one of the most important elements at a daycare, Gregory Shine will inform parents and guardians of the current facility status and update them when renovations are made to make the facility safer for infants, toddlers and children.

• The daycare focuses to develop children’s social interactions and educational knowledge through activities, games and field trips.

• Gregory Shine strives to create and maintain strong relationships with parents, guardians and other family members through communication, consideration and care.

• Gregory Shine works to be a home away from home for your child. We strive to create a comfortable family atmosphere and become a place where parents are comfortable leaving their children to learn, play and socialize with others.

Potential Parents Within the Eugene Community:

According to the 2010 census, Eugene, Ore., has a population of 156,185. Out of this number 4.9 percent of the population is under five years of age. This means that it can be reasonably expected that there are approximately 7,650 mothers with children under the age of five in Eugene, if we consider one child per mother in this age demographic. Within this group of parents, the ones most likely to seek out Gregory Shine Daycare are those of a middle to upper class wealth demographic, who are able to invest in high-quality daycare for their child, and who want their child to be in a family-like setting similar to their parenting style at home.

Whether these mothers live in single-parent or dual-parent homes, or the primary caregiver is a single father, parenting is a high stress job. According to a study by Mintel, American Parenting Styles-US-, “parents must serve as facilitators, schedulers, and organizers since they are generally responsible for making everything happen, whether it be enforcing bedtimes, making sure that homework is complete, driving to scheduled enrichment activities or attending routine medical appointments. This can represent an exhausting and what at times may seem like a never ending pace for many busy caregivers.” When you factor in the fact that many of these parents are also trying to juggle a life outside of their childs, it’s understandable why a quality daycare is so important, and one that fits with the parent’s life and parenting style.

The 71 daycare centers that care for infants and toddlers in Lane County vary greatly in size, amount of specialized care, the number of languages spoken by staff, and amount of time focused on accelerated education. Gregory Shine Daycare prides itself on having a small family-like setting, intimate class sizes, and accelerated education program. Gregory Shine is the daycare center catering to the invested parent. This parent is looking to immediately put their infant on a waitlist to ensure they begin receiving the best early childhood education possible and they are willing to pay the tuition for it. This works well for parents within the Eugene community, who have likely chosen Eugene as their home because of the high quality of life

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found in Eugene, with plenty of recreation for their children, and a safe and family oriented community to raise them in until they reach adulthood. Primary Message: Gregory Shine is a top-rated daycare center committed to the safety and enrichment of your child. Secondary Message:

• Gregory Shine has been a licensed operation since 1979 and has cared for hundreds of children over the years.

• Gregory Shine Daycare has grown to be one of the most reputable childcare facilities in the area.

• The daycare’s staff is involved in continuous professional development to remain up-to-date on early childhood development.

• The staff is certified by the Nation Recreation and Park Associations classroom course for playground and child safety.

Strategies and Tactics: Objective 1: To retain enrollment of 85 percent (34 children) of children currently enrolled at Gregory Shine. Strategy 1: Encourage one-way communication between Gregory Shine Daycare and parents with enrolled children by implementing daily updates and monthly newsletter. Delivering consistent online updates from Gregory Shine Daycare to parents will establish Gregory Shine’s improved communication. Tactic: Daily Updates Forms

• Each day starting Monday, January 23, 2012, the head teacher will fill out a form to inform the parents of how their child’s day went.

• This form will be placed with the child’s belongings prior to the child leaving for the day. • The form will indicate a rating of the child's overall day, eating habits, activities, and any

specifics for individual children. See Appendix for form example.

Tactic: Monthly newsletter via email from Gregory Shine Daycare to parents with enrolled children.

• The first newsletter is to be sent out immediately after the parent-teacher conferences. It will acknowledge and apologize for Gregory Shine’s lack of communication in recent events and explain Gregory Shine’s honest intent to increase communication with parents. The first newsletter will announce the playground and children environment safety course being offered to Gregory Shine teachers and reiterate that safety is the number one priority at Gregory Shine Daycare. Newsletters will include designated sections for each class, which will be written by the head classroom teacher. This way Gregory Shine can give parents detailed information and updates about each class.

• Newsletters will offer a review of the previous month and an agenda of activities and learning subjects for the month to come.

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Strategy 2: Generate two-way communication between Gregory Shine Daycare and parents with enrolled children by implementing face-to-face contact sessions. Tactic: Parent-teacher conferences

• Hold quarterly one-on-one parent teacher conferences. • The first conference will inform parents of the newly implemented monthly newsletter. • The first conference will initiate a conversation about the incident with Logan. • Assess child’s progress with parents to inform parents about where their child is

excelling, and any changes or possible behavioral issues the teachers have noticed. • Use conference to open a two-way conversation and allow parents to express any

questions or concerns.

Strategy 3: Assess communication between Gregory Shine Daycare and parents with enrolled children by measuring change in parent opinion. Tactic: Parent survey

• Gregory Shine will immediately issue a survey to parents in January. This survey will ask parents questions regarding how they feel about Gregory Shine’s communication and safety standards. There will be open-ended questions at the end of the survey where parents can express any thoughts or concerns.

• Gregory Shine will issue a second survey to parents three months after the first survey. This survey will be distributed after three newsletters have been emailed, with the first newsletter announcing that all Gregory Shine instructors have been enrolled in the Nation Recreation and Park Association’s CPSI (Certified Public Safety Inspector) classroom Course, and after the first parent teacher conference. Parents will again be asked how they feel about Gregory Shine’s communication and safety standards.

• Gregory Shine will compare survey results to measure the success of strategies and tactics used to increase communication with parents and make any changes if necessary.

Objective 2: Increase safety awareness for parents at Gregory Shine by at least 50 percent. Strategy 1: Arrange an informational session where potential parents and children are welcomed to observe and learn about Gregory Shine Daycare. Tactic: Gregory Shine open houses

• Open houses will be promoted on Gregory Shine’s Facebook page and through Google advertisements.

• Open houses will occur on: o Saturday, February 25 o Saturday, March 31 o Saturday, April 28 o Saturday, May 26

• All current parents and children, potential parents and children and community members will be invited.

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• El Torrito will cater the open houses. • Attendees will be encouraged to explore the daycare and playground, as well as interact

with staff members. There will be a short information session prior to center tours. • Designated supervised play areas will be available for children. • All Gregory Shine staff members will attend the open houses and be available to answer

questions and inform parents of Gregory Shine’s accelerated educational program, top tier facilities, family-like setting and certified instructors.

Strategy 2: Use a community event to attract attention to Gregory Shine Daycare. Hosting a successful event will bolster Gregory Shine in the eyes of the community. Tactic: BBQ event

• BBQ will occur on Saturday June, 30 at the outside backyard area of the daycare. • All current parents and children, interested parents and children, and all community

members will be invited through Facebook page promotions and google ads. • Horse Head will cater BBQ • Giant bounce slide and Petting Zoo as activities for children • All Gregory Shine staff will attend in order to connect with parents.

Strategy 3: Applying media outreach as an informational resource and communicative tool in connecting Gregory Shine with potential parents. Obtaining a social media presence will aid Gregory Shine in marketing itself and making impressions on its audience. Tactic: Gregory Shine Daycare Facebook page

• Page will be used to offer general information, advertise events, and interact with audiences.

• The open house and summer barbeque will be heavily advertised. Tactic: Boosting Gregory Shine’s online presence through Google advertisements along with paying for Gregory Shine to be a top hit on Google.

• Gregory Shine will also advertise itself on Google and pay to be a top hit on Google for those who search for daycare in the Eugene area or search for Gregory Shine.

Strategy 4: Measure communication and safety awareness between Gregory Shine Daycare and parents with enrolled children. Tactic: Parent survey

• Gregory Shine will immediately issue a survey to parents in January. This survey will ask parents questions regarding how they feel about Gregory Shine’s communication and safety standards. There will be open-ended questions at the end of the survey where parents can express any thoughts or concerns.

• Gregory Shine will issue a second survey to parents three months after the first survey. This survey will be distributed after three newsletters have been emailed, with the first newsletter announcing that all Gregory Shine instructors have been enrolled in the Nation Recreation and Park Association’s CPSI (Certified Public Safety Inspector) classroom Course, and after the first parent teacher conference. Parents will again be asked how

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they feel about Gregory Shine’s communication and safety standards. This survey assessment will only occur one-time.

• Gregory Shine will compare the survey results (survey 1 and survey 2) to measure the success of strategies and tactics used to increase communication with parents and make any changes if necessary.

Objective 3: To mend the relationship with the Simpson family. Strategy 1: Initiate communication with the Simpson family in order to express an understanding of the seriousness of Logan’s incident, and to show empathy and apologize for the breakdown in communication. Show the Simpsons that Gregory Shine values its relationship with them by offering to alleviate the family of the burden caused by incident, along with listening to their concerns. Tactic: Invite Simpson family to meet with Gregory Shine in person.

• The meeting will be held on Friday, January 13, at the Simpson’s house. Meeting outside of the daycare, at the Simpson’s house, will remind the family that Gregory Shine is reaching out as concerned people, not from a business perspective. Meeting at the Simpson’s house will also be convenient for the family, given Logan’s cast and having a small infant. Dempsey will stress that she wants to listen to any and all concerns that the Simpson family might have, and apologize for the stress they have suffered. She will make it clear that Gregory Shine is committed to doing what is right for the Simpson family, and that while the daycare was not responsible for Logan’s break, Gregory Shine is sorry for the lack of communication.

Tactic: Compensate the Simpson family.

• During the meeting with the Simpson family, Gregory Shine will offer to pay all of Logan’s medical bills, and offer Logan his spot back in the Toddling Turtles classroom.

Objective 4: Host events at Gregory Shine to increase the number of children on the intent to register list by 50 percent. Strategy 1: Arrange an informational session where potential parents and children are encouraged to register their child at Gregory Shine Daycare. Tactic: Host Open Houses

• Open house will be promoted on Gregory Shine’s Facebook page and through Google advertisements.

• Open house will occur on: o Saturday, February 25 o Saturday, March 31 o Saturday April 28, o Saturday, May 26

• All current parents and children, potential parents and children and community members will be invited.

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• El Torrito will cater the open house. • Attendees will be encouraged to explore the daycare and playground, as well as interact

with staff members. There will be a short information session prior to center tours. • Designated supervised play areas will be available for children. • All Gregory Shine staff members will attend the open house and be available to answer

questions and inform parents of Gregory Shine’s accelerated educational program, top tier facilities, family-like setting and certified instructors.

• Applications and enrollment information will be available for parents with an intent to register.

Strategy 2: Use a community event to attract potential parents and children to register at Gregory Shine Daycare. Tactic: Host BBQ

• BBQ will occur on Saturday, June 30, at the outside backyard area of the daycare. • All current parents and children, interested parents and children, and all community

members will be invited through Facebook page promotions and Google ads. • Horse Head will cater BBQ. • Giant bounce slide and Petting Zoo as activities for children. • All Gregory Shine staff will attend in order to connect with parents. • Applications and enrollment information will be available for parents with intent to

register. Evaluation: Objective One: To retain enrollment of 85 percent of children, or 34 children currently enrolled at Gregory Shine. Criteria: Gregory Shine has retained an enrollment of at least 34 children. Tools:

• Count the number of children enrolled in Gregory Shine before and after the communication tactics have been implemented to determine if at least 85 percent (34 children) have retained their enrollment

Objective Two: Increase safety awareness for parents at Gregory Shine by at least 50 percent. Criteria: Safety awareness for parents at Gregory shine has increased by 50 percent. Tools:

• Compare the results of the two surveys distributed the parents to determine whether 50 percent of parents have shown increased satisfaction and awareness of the safety standards at Gregory Shine.

Objective Three: To mend the relationship with the Simpson family. Criteria: The Simpson family’s relationship with Gregory shine has been mended and they do not intend to sue Gregory Shine. Tools:

• Successfully avoid legal action from the Simpson family

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• Determine if the Simpson family wants to retain their youngest son’s reserved spot at Gregory Shine

Objective Four: Host events at Gregory Shine to increase the number of children on the intent to register list by 50 percent. Criteria: The number of children on the intent to register list has increased by 50 percent after the Gregory Shine community events have taken place. Tools:

• Compare the number of children on the intent to register list before and after the opens houses and BBQ event have taken place to determine if the number children on the list has increased by 50 percent

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