This month, a new, disruptive and free childcare software app has launched called foundations – aimed at childminders that are still wrestling with paperwork and looking to take their setting digital.
Foundations – created by the UK’s most trusted nursery management software specialist, Connect Childcare – has been built especially for childminders, daycare settings, and afterschool clubs, so they can manage their admin tasks and communicate with parents – all one in one easy-to-use platform.
Childminder Deborah Foster commented: “Connect’s foundations platform is very time-efficient for me. I don’t have to recall what happened earlier in the day because I can record things in real-time – allowing me to spend more minutes with the children instead of on lengthy admin tasks. It’s been a game-changer in how I run my business.”
The tech can also save settings up to £5,000 per year, based on in-house research in which we’ve discovered that some customers are spending this amount on ink cartridges alone!
Commenting on the rationale behind the software development, Chris Reid, foundations and Connect Childcare’s CEO, said: “We’re passionate about helping Early Years sector professionals focus on what’s most important to them, and what they love the most – child development.
“With many smaller sites having paper-based systems in place, this not only takes important time out of their day to create and locate documents, but data can easily be misplaced. Housing confidential information in one centralised system helps to streamline operations and safeguard sensitive details.
“Physical safety is also a key benefit of the software. By automating more tasks and reducing parent-practitioner contact, this will play a vital part in helping to reduce the transmission risk of Covid-19.”
In fact, an Early Years Alliance survey results also revealed that ‘ensuring the safety of children and practitioners at their provision’ was the second most cited cause of stress among sector professionals.
Commenting on the findings, Chris concluded: “Smaller providers often feel even more left behind an already ‘forgotten sector’. We want to make savvy tech solutions accessible to all providers – empowering them in their day jobs to feel safe and supported.”
Some of the features to foundations include:
It takes just minutes to set you up on our free foundations app!
Get started or find out more on our website here.