As an owner, operator, or director of a childcare center, you have a lot on your plate. From managing a team of educators, keeping parents and caregivers satisfied, insuring your classrooms are organized and bills are paid, to most importantly, ensuring your children are growing, learning, and thriving! Each day goes by in a blink of an eye and you can use all the support you can get.
This is where a childcare center management app comes in to save the day! Believe it or not, there is technology now available that can take almost all of your paperwork, admin tasks, and emails off of your hands! Childcare management platforms can save you hours and hours of admin time and provide you with more flexibility and freedom to be present in the classroom and support your team.
When researching and choosing a childcare management platform, be sure to ask the following questions:
What services does the childcare management platform provide?
Childcare management apps (such as HiMama!) can provide the following services:
- Smooth parent communication. Ditch the days of email! You can share videos, updates, photos, and more directly through an app. Delight parents and bridge the gap between learning that happens in your program and learning at home.
- Contactless check-in. Parents can check-in their children securely from their mobile devices. No paper or pen is required. Timestamps register the time each child arrived to the exact minute.
- Comprehensive classroom management. Have your classroom at your fingertips. Use tablets to record observations through a simple-to-use interface, and share pictures and reports with parents in real-time. Plus, stay in the loop about what is happening in each classroom.
- Digital daily reports. Goodbye paper daily reports! Digital reports save directors on average five hours a week. Use digital daily sheets for meals, naps, activities, and more. Send the daily reports automatically by the end of the day or manually whenever you need.
- Effortless observations. Attach photos or videos with classroom observations to show child development in action. Save time by making notes about all children at once, multiple at a time, or child by child.
- Informative assessments. Your program provides stimulating learning and development activities, but are parents informed about your hard work? Through management apps, every child can receive a unique development report showing educators’ notes across learning domains, all aligned to your developmental standards.
- Simple online billing and payments. If you’re using a manual system to keep track of payments, things can get overwhelming. Digital platforms allow you to set flexible tuition plans, create and send custom invoices, generate reports and track all your billing activities at a glance.
- Smart lesson planning. Use an app to record planned learning experiences for the week and automatically align them to your program’s learning domains, such as cognitive, sensory, or physical development. Plus, you can automatically connect to your state or province’s framework.
- Beautiful portfolios. Portfolios are a great way to see a child’s experiences in an organized format. Say goodbye to binders and hello to an online portfolio, which is automatically generated as educators record photos, stories, and observations in the classroom.
- Activity planner. Access developmentally-appropriate activities to share with your staff or families. Complete with step-by-step instructions, videos, and free printables, never run out of inspiration for fun new activities!
Below is an example of a daily report in HiMama!
Can I get a free demonstration?
Yes, most childcare management programs will offer a free demonstration or trial for you to get an inside look at how everything works and how it can transform your classroom management! Keep reading to book your free demo of HiMama!
What technology do my classrooms need to use these programs?
Generally speaking, most childcare management programs will require tablets connected to wifi! With at least one tablet in each classroom, your educators will be able to properly support their children’s days and communicate digitally with parents directly.
What is the cost of a childcare management app?
The costs vary and are generally monthly or yearly subscription fees.
How do I get all of my paper data into the online system?
This will vary based on the company you choose to work with. At HiMama, our support team can help! We have many processes and systems in place to help you take your child’s information in its current format and get it inputted into an app.
How does the onboarding process work?
Support is very important as you get acquainted with a new childcare management platform. The level of support you receive will vary depending on the company you choose to work with. At HiMama, you will get paired with a dedicated onboarding representative to help you get started. You will also be provided with live, interactive online training for you and your educators. Once your initial setup is complete, you will continue to have unlimited phone & email support for staff and families, as well as comprehensive support resources, including how-to videos!
Is my data safe online?
Privacy must be taken very seriously. All companies will use various forms of data protection. At HiMama, all photos and videos of a child are posted only to the accounts of the parents or guardians of the child. No one else can access this information without express consent being provided by the parents or guardians. All account passwords are encrypted for additional security.
What if my parents have questions?
Because we know they will! One of the largest benefits of using a childcare management app is the increase in parent satisfaction. Not only can they now get in touch directly with their child’s educators, but they can also access tech support directly through the platform. At HiMama, parents have a direct line to our support team right in their account!
Choosing a childcare management app is a very important decision for your business. It is important to make sure that all of your questions are answered and that you are setting yourself up for success. HiMama is the #1 rated childcare app! Book a demo here!
