Drop-off and pickup can be a chaotic time, especially when multiple parents arrive at once and kids are all kinds of hyped up and excited. Being able to keep up with everything can be exhausting and difficult. From passing out flyers to keeping up with payments or talking with an overly-chatty parent, any number of things can bottleneck the whole check-in/check-out process.
So what’s a director to do to manage drop-off and pickup successfully? Read on to discover some helpful tips that just may save you and your staff time and stress so everyone can focus on the task at hand—dropping off and picking up children safely and effortlessly.
Make Check-in and Check-out Simple
Streamline your check-in and check-out process with childcare management software that offers parents the ability to check in their children via a smart device that instantly captures signatures for improved safety. This capability will decrease wait times and give staff more time to connect with parents and kids quickly and efficiently.
Ensure that your childcare management software also includes the ability to access any emergency medical and pick-up information—that parents can easily update from their mobile devices. Having vital information right at your fingertips will be helpful if parents have any questions or concerns during the drop-off and pickup process.
Effectively Communicate With Parents
Instead of having to hand out flyers or verbally tell parents about the happenings at your facility, which can make the check-in and check-out process take even longer, why not communicate with parents easily through their smartphones? That way the process runs smoothly without any unnecessary hiccups.
When choosing effective childcare management software, consider utilizing software that includes the ability to efficiently reach out to parents via their mobile devices. Send out detailed communication, virtual flyers and more with just the push of a button to a few members or all! Consider even having the ability to interact with them if parents have questions, concerns or simply positive feedback.
Eliminate the Need for In-Person Payments
Make it easy for parents to pay for your services by offering them the ability to do so online right from their mobile device. Instead of having to pay by check or card in person, parents can pay on the go from anywhere and at anytime, right from their phones—that way you and your clientele don’t have to worry about payments during the check-in/check-out process. And if they forget to make a payment, you can quickly send them a message to make them aware if your childcare management software also includes an easy way to communicate with parents.
Support Your Communities With ACTIVE Network
At ACTIVE, we offer a comprehensive solution for childcare management called ACTIVENet. This innovative recreation management software delivers a wide range of useful features designed to simplify daily activities for childcare programs, including:
- Online & in-person registration options
- Auto-pay & flexible payment plans
- Calendars for program coordination
- Parent engagement & communication tools
Our software specialists have years of experience helping childcare programs automate manual tasks, build stronger lines of communication with parents and enable friction-free enrollment, all while protecting and managing their data.
Contact ACTIVE today to learn more about our leading software tools for childcare management and how you can put them to work for the families you serve. You can also reach out for additional resources to help you forge stronger communities and grow your programs over time.