What can a daycare management software do for your childcare business?

It will help you work smarter and not harder.

An intelligent daycare management software can help you simplify the routine tasks in your business (bookings, sign-in outs, daily diaries, invoicing and the entire lot), increase your productivity and make your life a lot easier, just the way some of our modern day comforts have changed the way we live.

Now, in case you are wondering, no, you don’t have to consider yourself tech-savvy to use many of the modern daycare software programs, and neither will it cost you an arm and a leg to get one.

The reasons?

The better the technology, the simpler it will be for the user. For instance, if you feel you need a training course to get your sleek new freezer to make a bowl of ice, there is obviously some fundamental flaw in the way it was designed.  The place for all the complexities of a smart product is behind the scenes, at the back-end, for the eyes of the geeky developers only.

When it comes to a childcare software program, if you can figure out how to use a smartphone and ATM, you can pat yourself on the back, a childcare software should be right up your alley.

And the pricing?

Childcare software programs no longer fall under the category of overpriced luxury, thanks to the entry of subscription model SaaS (Software as a Service) childcare solutions into the market. SaaS providers sell licences of their software in the form of monthly or yearly subscription plans, making affordable digital solutions available to all types of users.

For instance, if you have ever tried to buy a copy of Adobe Photoshop, you’d remember it used to come with a prohibitive price tag for the average user. But, with Adobe now switching to the subscription model, users can easily buy many of their software plans at an affordable monthly rate that suits their pocket.

So, coming back to childcare management, no matter what bracket your childcare business falls under – day care centre, nursery, preschool, after-school care, holiday care, childminding – there is an easy-to-use technology solution within arm’s reach for you, should you choose to go for it.

Now, what can a Childcare a.k.a. Daycare Management Software do to change the way you run your childcare business?

Let’s have a look.

You get to run your childcare centre at full capacity and bring in some extra revenue.

You have 3 children absent in the toddler room, but you have all the expected staff in on the day. You meet the child-staff ratios. Then why not take in ad-hoc bookings for those places and operate at full capacity?

Many nurseries shy away from ad-hoc sessions because of the hassle of managing the impromptu bookings and the invoicing that follows. Setting up a systematic booking system with a childcare software program can make it easier for you to handle the booking process as well as encourage more parents to approach you for ad-hoc sessions (and bookings in general).

An online or app-based booking platform allows busy parents to place ad-hoc requests and session bookings more conveniently while making it easier for you to streamline the booking and invoicing process at your end, making it a win-win for both parties.

Print. Write. Scan. PDF. Repeat? Not anymore.

Let’s take your daily attendance sheets for example. How would you manage the attendance register at your centre on a regular day?

Print the attendance sheet. Mark the attendance manually (and get the parents to sign on it), store them as hard copies AND/OR scan the sheets and PDF it for your records and for the inspection authorities. Repeat.

A smart childcare software program like Cheqdin can help you do the same task a lot more smartly and efficiently - the 21^st century way.

How?

The software will generate your daily attendance list (based on the booking details entered in your system) and make it available on the device of your choice (smartphone/tablet/laptop/desktop).  You mark the attendance digitally on the device OR get the parents to sign directly on the device.

The attendance sheets get securely saved on your device and the cloud, with the signature and time of each entry, all accurate to the t, AND with the option for you to print them out, should you need it.

Tuck away a copy of all your documents securely in the cloud.

One of the best parts of using a cloud-based childcare software program is the automatic cloud back-up that comes as part of the package. All the data you enter into your system will be automatically backed up and stored securely in the cloud, meaning, should your tablet or laptop get damaged or stolen, your valuable data will not go down with the device.

All you need to do is log into your software account - from any device with an internet connection -  and you will have all your documents and data intact.

Tag, Sort, Filter - Yes. But no more hunting for that elusive document.

How many times have you frantically sifted through piles of files and folders for that one elusive document that decided to go missing right when you were buried neck deep in work?

Tags and filters are the cool little bells and whistles on these software programs that help you make your life easier. You can create groups and tag the children depending on say, allergies, the funding plan they come under, the sessions they attend and you get to sort and filter the lists out in a jiffy, anytime you need it.

You can even customise the tags depending on the requirement of your nursery. For instance, create separate tags for the children who have been given permission to be included in the nursery photos or for the children who have Special Needs Requirements, and you can pull out the lists instantly.

You get to keep a tight rein on document management.

As a childcare centre, you would have different members of the staff entering information, such as the staff and student sign-in-out information, session booking details, funding information, daily diaries, to name a few.

If you have a childcare centre management software for all these tasks, with your staff having their own set of logins to access the account, it becomes easier to keep track of the accuracy of information entered, as all edits made will leave a digital trail that can be traced back to the user and the time when the edits were made. There won't be much room for errors to go find a safe hiding place.

Sounds good? Being one of the industry pioneers in SaaS software, Cheqdin has a range of affordable subscription plans for all childcare providers. Check out our pricing page to find out what we can offer to give your setting a digital makeover.