Running a daycare or early education center is a lot of work. Aside from keeping up with bright young minds and planning outstanding lessons and activities, there's a lot of administrative tasks that need to be handled.
Did Skyler's mom pay for last month? Has Ayden been out for a few days, or are you thinking of his best friend Brian? Have you had the time to send out instructions for the next enrollment cycle?
If you're feeling a little overrun with work, it sounds like you could benefit from child care management software.
Are you new to the world of software for child care management? Let us be your guide! Keep reading so you can learn the most important things about child care centre management software.
What is Child Care Management Software?
There are plenty of jobs that have been made easier with the help of software, and the child care world is no different. Essentially, the child care management software program you use can do a lot to lighten the load on paperwork and other typical administrative duties.
A basic program can handle most record-keeping tasks like the names and contact information of your students and their parents. Some can even handle tracking attendance and help with enrollment management.
Good programs can help out with the financial side of your work. The software you choose can do payment tracking and tuition invoicing. A people management component that can handle keeping information on background checks and licenses can also be helpful.Why You Need Child Care Management Software
You probably already use computers at work and use general office help programs like Microsoft Word or Google Docs. However, if you really want to manage the admin side of your child care work, you need to invest in good software that's specifically made for people in child care.
Want to know the true benefits of child care management software? After you see all of the good it can do for you, you'll be eager to find a program of your own.
Spend Time on What Matters
Administrative work is very important and helps keep your staff and your students safe. It may be important, but doing it the old-fashioned way is very time-consuming.
We bet that your staff would much rather be spending time with the kids or on lesson work than admin tasks. If you switch over to a software program, they'll be able to spend more time on educating and caring for kids.
Automate Your Office Work
How much time does your staff spend signing, filing, and sending out paper forms? Paperwork and forms may have been the best way to handle things in the past, but using software will benefit everyone in the long run.
Storing your files on a computer will make finding information much easier and faster. Instead of having to go through paper files, your staff will be able to find whatever they need with a few keystrokes.
Digital records are also much more secure than paper ones. Paper files can get damaged by the elements or easily taken away. Digital files won't deteriorate and can be more difficult to steal.
Strengthen Parental Bonds
Plenty of the parents that drop their kids off for care wish they could be more involved in schooling, but they simply don't have the time to engage the way they want. Make it easier for parents to ask questions and do necessary tasks through software.
Imagine having a rough day at work, then getting an email before your drive home that shows some great artwork your child created. Think about the impact you could have on a stressed and busy parent's day by sending them a push notification about the paperwork that's due.
Gain Better Insight
You were concerned that Katie doesn't seem to be making many friends and only plays with one girl. After taking a peek at her record, you see that just 3 months ago she was refusing to interact with anyone and crying after drop off. All of a sudden Katie having one friend went from being a concern to a triumph!
One of the best benefits of using child care software is that all of the information you need can be kept in one place. You'll be able to take a true look at a child's progress and can find ways to better serve their needs.
Improve Everything Overall
When you take a big picture view of everything child care software can do, you have the opportunity to truly improve your business.
You'll be able to provide better services for parents. Teachers can spend more valuable time with their students. Your staff will be able to work more efficiently and have more time to focus on improving their lessons and bonding with kids.
Choosing the Right Child Care Management Software
Now that we've made our case for why you should invest in child care software, let's spend a little time on making sure you know how to find the right one.
When you're looking for programs also be sure to look for plenty of reviews. Look into reviews from other school programs and see what they have to say about usability and features.
Plenty of different programs will have a variety of features, but one of the most important things any program has will be compliance. Violating any confidentiality rules around personal and medical information could harm your business and put students and families at risk. Make sure that any program you use will follow strict standards.
Ready for Your Demo?
You may have gone for a while without using child care management software, but it's time to change that. There's so much good the right program can for your students, staff, and overall business. It's time to start researching your options.
Schedule your demo today so you can start seeing the benefits of child care software firsthand.Are you looking for more child care management information? Check out our Ultimate Guide to Child Care Management.
Our child care management system makes running your child care program simple and efficient. Get back to what's most important. You shouldn't have to spend more time on the administrative tasks than you do with children and staff.
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Or schedule a demo with us to learn more about how our child care management system, Alliance Core, can streamline your administrative processes.
Do you run an early childhood association made up of child care providers? If so, check out our Ultimate Guide to Shared Service Alliance.
Header image courtesy of Jumpstory.
