Question: Child care during meetings

We offered to provide child care for $3 during PTO meetings. This includes pizza, bottled water and a movie. Is this unfair? Some parents suggested we should feed them for free and anyone that comes to the meeting. We are trying to raise participation. Small school

Asked by funwithsugar

Answers:

Community Advice

firefighter464 writes:
most meetings last an hour or less, who gets hungry at them? Sure everybody wants stuff for free, it's, sadly, human nature. Ignore that. Bottled water? Is your tap water toxic? I get that you are trying to raise participation--so DO offer childcare because that part is a great idea so that objection by busy parents is erased and they can attend your meeting child-free. I'm also reading that you aren't talking babies since babies don't eat pizza. So what age group needs childcare? Can you just get high school age kids to do some community volunteer work by reading a story to the kids or putting on a puppet show acting out a story? No puppets? Just use stuffed animals. Every household has them. For free. Age group non-appropriate for that? Then try having the HS volunteers teach the kids a new dance. Surely the HS kid has his/her own music boombox. Food and expense is ridiculous to offer if you are small and need participation. Save your $ for what you are doing as a PTO, not spend it on just getting together. Just my opinion.

Community Advice

funwithsugar writes:
Thanks for the feedback. Found out they actually want the PTO to pay for food to encourage them to come. Not going to happen.

Community Advice

newpres33 writes:
We offered Pastries and drinks for our first big orientation meeting, but that a one time thing. We have high school national honor society teens volunteer to watch any children, in exchange for volunteer hours. This is a win/win situation for everyone involved.