Daycare.com Venture

[Michael]

I would like to get some feedback on a potential business co-venture I am considering in the near future. between Daycare.com and a company called SimpltySafeChild.

https://simplysafechild.com/schools-daycares/

I would be updating and remodeling the site (not this forum) to make it more modern and offer the SimpltySafeChild app for free to Daycare listing members.

Do you think this is a good idea and does the app add value? Thx

[Alwaysgreener]

I like the concept. My Dd school has an app for messages, one for lunch payments, a site to pay for sports, one for volunteer sign-ups, one for lunch menus, and one for grades/schedules. I would love to see it as an all-in-one plus I love the GPS portion.

In K my dd with selective mute was not dropped off at the bus stop, the driver did not stop and just waved to my dad that was waiting for her. I freaked, the bus garage told me she was talking too much which is why she did not get off but they would turn the bus around this one time. (yes the dispatcher is a lair, she lies every time I talk to her and she has threatened to end bus service for us)

I am freaked every time the bus is late because I am not sure where she is. We looked into a GPS key chain on more than one occasion.

Even though I would love to see this in schools, it would take the whole county to agree to it, the way the district is set up.

For the daycare part, I would try especially the payment part depending on the turnaround for me to get my money. Most apps for daycare payments take 3-4 days were other apps like Paypal is the next business day. I would go back to cash and checks before I would wait 3-4 days.

[girlmomma]

I currently use brightwheel for my daycare - I love it! But there are changes I’d like to see. I don’t get paid thru BW, I use Zelle/Venmo. I don’t want to/don’t want parents to pay for the service fees, although I know that is common when using a third party service. Also, like Always mentioned, the daycare apps don’t deposit funds the next business day.

I think it would be very useful to parents for peace of mind. I know I’d like to know where my youngest child is when she goes off to K next year.

[e.j.]

I think I'd love the app if I had a larger daycare. Since I'm only licensed for 6 and seldom have more than 7 or 8 kids enrolled at a time, it feels as though it would be more than I would need personally. I can see where it would add value for many childcare businesses, though.

[Alwaysgreener]

I think I'd love the app if I had a larger daycare. Since I'm only licensed for 6 and seldom have more than 7 or 8 kids enrolled at a time, it feels as though it would be more than I would need personally. I can see where it would add value for many childcare businesses, though.

It did seem like it favored Centers over home care.

Daily connect charges based on the number of kids enrolled, that was a major selling point for me. So how they billed would matter to me too.

The other childcare app that Michael featured on this site, girlmomma used it for a while until they closed, and they charged per child too.

[Alwaysgreener]

Honestly, IMO, it is hard for an app to be compatible with schools and centers and also be flexible for Home care. I had been one of the first to try Brightwheel when it first launched, at that time it was centered-based and wanted a lot of entries and pictures throughout the day, which being only me, it is hard to constantly picking up my phone and enter something.

I did like the layout of the one you featured before (spoutary?), they even called me for feedback. after I posted my review on the app. At the time I was not ready to add an app to what I offered. When I did, I found that they were closing.

I do not like Kidkare their setup is odd (stupid), When I sign the kids in and out, it does not make me save it. But when I enter a meal in the calendar, if I click outside of the box, I lose all my work. If I go to record a meal and attendance for the meal (working from the top of the screen to the bottom, a message pops up telling me I do not have any attendance for the meal that I am entering but if I go to the attendance at the bottom of the screen first no pop-up. Then when I am done I have to save it. But wait if I choose a meal I already saved to make sure it is correct, it forces me to save it even when I do not make any changes.


I ended up with daily connect and because I have to track my DH presence in my home, due to state law, I have to use the center version of the software because you can not add a teacher/sub to the home version. It does not cost more for it, so it seems odd that the upgraded features that I got when I switched are not available on the home version. But because I have the center version, I also have features that I do not even need or use.

I would love an app that allows me to turn on or off features that I want. That I pay per child and that payments arrive in my account the next day. It would be beautiful if it was compatible with KidKare, so when I record a meal on KK, it would show up in the child feed on the DC app, and when the child is signed in by a parent with the dc app, that they get signed into KK. Maybe have a calendar compatible with google calendar.

[Alwaysgreener]

Also, my opinion on this app being centered base is based on its photos and description. Neither is telling me why it would be great for a home dc, the pic shows an attendance count of 27, Other than BC state, most states put home-based at 4-8 kids per day. The description does not say anything about small/ home dc benefiting but it does mention employees. I love that it does the payments and I do not mind paying a small fee because it is a tax write off but I want my money now and do not want to wait 3-4 days, that defeats the purpose of getting paid before care.

Currently, I use this site to invoice and send receipts to my family, it is free to use. I could opt into having the parents pay me for a fee but there is a wait to get my money, so I stick with Paypal, cash, or check. https://my.waveapps.com/login/

[Michael]

Thanks for the feedback.