Hello MarinaVanessa,
Thank you very much for taking the time to share your thoughts.
I found your last paragraph, about the program you might like, especially interesting. CareSoft is currently in the planning stage of two additional modules that could be used independently or in combination with the existing Childcare Tracker program.
One of those modules will be used for invoicing parents and collecting payments. It will be capable of integrating with the Childcare Tracker program which already tracks attendance, activities, meal logs, notes, incidents, and phone calls. One existing feature I haven't mentioned is that parents may electronically acknowledge incidents during the day which can save time at pick-up. It sounds like the addition of mileage and expenses needs to be considered for the new module.
The other new module will be a meal and activity planning calendar. It will be capable of transferring scheduled items from its calendar to the Childcare Tracker.
If you have any interest in the planning of these new modules, in terms of expressing your business needs, please contact me directly via PM. I would be happy to hear more about how new technology could help you run your business.
Regarding the cost of the current program, it isn't posted on the site because it depends on multiple factors. The subscription is monthly and based on the number of children that were checked in for the month. You can enter all of your children into the system and only pay for the ones you use. For example, you could offer the service to parents and only use it for the children of interested parents. One thing that I will say, in all honesty, is that we don't want cost to prevent anyone from being able to use it. We are always open to work with people and find a fitting solution given their circumstances. For smaller centers or homes, the monthly cost per child normally ranges from $5 to $8; for larger centers or homes there isn't a set price. In any situation we will work with the home or center to determine what fits best for them. Also, anyone can sign up without entering any kind of billing information and use the software free for a month.
Going back to your description of the program that would be better for you, I know it sounds like asking for a lot but I believe it is all very reasonable and certainly possible. Again, I very much appreciate your feedback and it was great to hear your ideas
Thank you, Michael