Apps, Anyone?

[NightOwl]

Which android apps do you guys use to help manage your business? I've seen someone post about a check in type app, but can't remember the name. And I'm sure there are others that may be useful.

[Blackcat31]

I don't use any android apps as I have Apple products but apps I use to help me run my business are:

• Cake Child Care management (similar to Check in kids but does more than just serve as a virtual time clock)
  
• Kids2Go (Minute Menu food program app)
  
• Google Drive
  
• Genius Scan
  
• Evernote
  
• Pinterest
  
• Common Core

I have a ton more apps but those are the only ones I use for the business end of this job.

HTH

[NightOwl]

Thanks for the response! I was beginning to wonder if everyone still used the old notebook and pen method. Lol. The check in kids and cake childcare management programs, are those apps or software programs for the laptop? Or online programs? I can't find them in the App Store.

[Blackcat31]

Originally Posted by Wednesday

Thanks for the response! I was beginning to wonder if everyone still used the old notebook and pen method. Lol. The check in kids and cake childcare management programs, are those apps or software programs for the laptop? Or online programs? I can't find them in the App Store.

Check in Kids might not be available as for Android... I don't know but will check and see what I can find out for you.

Cake Child Care is both a desktop program and an app. You have to have the desk top version installed and then can use the apps for things like communication, checking in and out and other features.

I am pretty sure they offer an android version too but will check.

Tadpoles is a classroom management program that is also like Cake where you do have to have the desktop version and then link that to the app.

[NightOwl]

Gotcha. Thanks a bunch!

[Blackcat31]

Here is the Check in Kids site....

http://virtuclock.com/

Here is Cake

https://cakechildcare.com/

Here is Tadpoles

http://www.tadpoles.com/


I haven't had any luck with finding out if any of them offer apps for android users.

[SignMeUp]

Do parents need to use your device to sign in? How do you do manage that without little dcks having access to your tablet?
Is there privacy or do parents see everyone's names? (They do see names on my paper sign-in so it's covered in my privacy policy anyway.)

I would love to switch to using this kind of sign-in, rather than the paper sign-up sheets. Accuracy

[Blackcat31]

Originally Posted by SignMeUp

Do parents need to use your device to sign in? How do you do manage that without little dcks having access to your tablet?
Is there privacy or do parents see everyone's names? (They do see names on my paper sign-in so it's covered in my privacy policy anyway.)

I would love to switch to using this kind of sign-in, rather than the paper sign-up sheets. Accuracy

I am currently using Cake. Parents sign in and out using my i-pad. Each parent is assigned their own PIN number to use for signing in/out. Each families profile is private and no one sees anything other than their own family's info.

I have been doing this for only about a month but so far am LOVING it! The program automatically adds late and early fees as well as limits the families ability to sign in/out if it isn't their scheduled time.

As far as kids grabbing or touching.... when I rolled out the program for a trial run, I told parents that if I ONE child tried to touch/grab my I-pad and the parent did not correct them or allowed them to touch it...they (the parent) would be required to put down a $500 deposit (cost of replacement) and when they withdraw from my care the deposit would be returned.

I have 12 different families and 4 VERY grabby kids.....NOT a single parent has allowed their child to touch it. Not even the ones who are usually permissive about everything .

I have one mom that used to allow her child to take the pen on the sign in clip board and "sign" himself in.... he just scribbled on the sheet. It got kind of annoying so I just ended up telling her that my paperwork were official documents and that her child needs to NOT sign in and she NEEDED to be the one to teach him that.

I hand my i-pad directly to the parent AFTER they have either put their child down (if carrying them) or once I take the child. The older kids who walk in know NOT to touch and if they do, their parent will have to pay.

My parents know I enforce my rules so I usually have no offenders

[SignMeUp]

I read a previous thread where you talked about these apps and I checked them out. The only thing stopping me is that they required iPad, no android.
But I'm still interested enough to consider it, so the info is really helpful.

Most of my families are great, but there is always that one

[Blackcat31]

Originally Posted by SignMeUp

I read a previous thread where you talked about these apps and I checked them out. The only thing stopping me is that they required iPad, no android.
But I'm still interested enough to consider it, so the info is really helpful.

Most of my families are great, but there is always that one

I think the Cake one is available on any tablet/smart phone...not positive but I *think*

I got an i-pad though a community grant for participating in our star rating system. I received $500 for signing up and $1500 for completing the rating system.

I used it to buy the i-pad.

[SignMeUp]

Good use of funds

Interesting re: the qrs. I don't think they did that in the metro. There were incentives but nothing that good. I planned to do P.A. but the registry screwed up my training so badly, they wasted my window of time.
When it rolled out, we could use our past five years of training and I had hundreds of hours that should have applied.

[NightOwl]

Thank you so much Blackcat31!! This is so helpful! Now, to decide...

[Blackcat31]

Originally Posted by SignMeUp

Good use of funds

Interesting re: the qrs. I don't think they did that in the metro. There were incentives but nothing that good. I planned to do P.A. but the registry screwed up my training so badly, they wasted my window of time.
When it rolled out, we could use our past five years of training and I had hundreds of hours that should have applied.

Yeah my county gets a lot of incentives.

We also have grants for parents via the Parent Aware. Qualifying parents can get up to $5000 PER CHILD simply for using a PA participating provider.

Providers DO get paid 20% above the MAX reimbursement rate for CCAP so that is nice too.

[SignMeUp]

Interesting that it varies that much. Same here, I believe, for CCAP families. In recent years, I only register occasionally to accommodate someone who calls & asks. Probably won't do that anymore if the union goes through, though it bothers me a bit. I like having a mix of families in most every way.

[melilley]

Originally Posted by Wednesday

Thanks for the response! I was beginning to wonder if everyone still used the old notebook and pen method. Lol. The check in kids and cake childcare management programs, are those apps or software programs for the laptop? Or online programs? I can't find them in the App Store.

I still use pen and paper.
I just got a smartphone last month...lol

[Blackcat31]

Originally Posted by SignMeUp

Interesting that it varies that much. Same here, I believe, for CCAP families. In recent years, I only register occasionally to accommodate someone who calls & asks. Probably won't do that anymore if the union goes through, though it bothers me a bit. I like having a mix of families in most every way.

I will quit taking families using CCAP if the union comes to town.

I am NOT supportive of a union that does nothing for me but collect my money.

I know everyone says that is not true but I have yet to find anyone who can offer me hard evidence that a union is beneficial for self employed business owners.

We've had many discussions about unions on this board. If you have spare time ever....scroll through the forum archives and read some of them. They are fascinating and full of really good info.

[SignMeUp]

Originally Posted by Blackcat31

If you have spare time ever....scroll through the forum archives and read some of them. They are fascinating and full of really good info.

I'll have to look for that. I was seriously interested in what they could do, but I think they have proven what they're about. And it's my money. And I want it

[Preschool123]

I checked the cake app and it seems fantastic but jist a quick question in florida we are required to have the actual signature or full name of the person picking up or dropping off. Does the cake app allow parents to sign or is only a the time.

[Blackcat31]

Originally Posted by marlyerodrigue

I checked the cake app and it seems fantastic but jist a quick question in florida we are required to have the actual signature or full name of the person picking up or dropping off. Does the cake app allow parents to sign or is only a the time.

Each parent has a PIN so when checking in or out they use a PIN specific to them. The app also takes their picture when they are signing in so I would think that is better than a signature but I suppose that is up to each agency/state to say so I would definitely check.

[MarinaVanessa]

I don't use an app like BC is describing but I use some smaller but helpful apps.

The FB Page Manager App: for uploading photos of activities to my business FB page.

Vaccine Reminder: works with it's website. You enter each child's vaccine dates and it will remind you when their next ones are. Setting it up is a little difficult but once you get it going it's helpful.

Contageous?: an app that let's you look up communicable illnesses and tells you details like symptoms and whether the child should be excluded or not.

Hours Calculator: I keep track of my business tasks when children aren't present in a planner and this app helps me add up the hours before entering them into MMK.

Class Messenger: let's me send alerts, messages and photos to clients. One, a fiew or several clients at once.

Recipe Calculator: helps figure out ingredient amounts when a recipe serving size is more or less than what I need.

[Childminder]

I tried Cake but found some flaws. If a parent forgets to sign in but then signs out that out time goes for the sign in time and there is no was to fix it. I was in conversation with their tech department and they were most helpful, very accommodating, but I couldn't/didn't wait for it to be fixed and moved back to paper.

MMK phone app also didn't fulfill my needs.

I have children that come at all different times and for full and part time days or periods of time so the financial/billing doesn't/didn't work for me.

[Blackcat31]

Originally Posted by Childminder

I tried Cake but found some flaws. If a parent forgets to sign in but then signs out that out time goes for the sign in time and there is no was to fix it. I was in conversation with their tech department and they were most helpful, very accommodating, but I couldn't/didn't wait for it to be fixed and moved back to paper.

MMK phone app also didn't fulfill my needs.

I have children that come at all different times and for full and part time days or periods of time so the financial/billing doesn't/didn't work for me.

You can personalize that portion of it now. I have mine set up so that each family/child has it's own rate template including fees for late pick up and early drop off.

I did notice that when someone forgets to sign in, that it does go right to the next option but so far, my parents have all been really good about remembering to sign in. so far.