Before and After Care
Top rated software for before & after care programs
Playground helps before and after care programs run their operations with ease, leaving behind clunky workarounds, spreadsheets, and systems.
Join 300,000+ owners, directors, teachers, and families already on Playground
Customizable tools for success
Don't get forced to use full-day child care tools that don’t fit
Playground was built with your flexibility and scale in mind.
Easily manage before care, after care, or both
Support drop-in care or recurring schedules
Customize schedules across programs, districts, or sites
Accept flexible enrollments with family-facing options
Track attendance and collect late pickup fees
Generate accurate reports for licensing or funding
Flexible enrollment flows for every need
Customize flows for self-serve, admin-led, or hybrid enrollment
Playground gives you control over how families register and how your team reviews and manages registrations.
Tailor the enrollment process for each program
Offer district-wide or location-based enrollment
Build packets with required paperwork and payments
Configure dynamic pricing for before/after/camp
Automate reminders for incomplete enrollments
Support rolling, term-based, or drop-in enrollments
Flexible payment options, faster reconciliation
Let families pay how they want and reconcile faster
Drop-in care, recurring care, sliding scale, or custom payment plans. Playground handles it all with precision.
Invoice for hourly, daily, weekly, or monthly care
Apply discounts, late pickup fees, and subsidies
Sync with attendance for automatic charges
Set billing rules per program or district
Families can pay via card, ACH, or cash tracking
Close the books monthly to lock financial data
Real-time reporting, zero manual effort
Keep families informed (and delighted)
Whether it’s weather alerts, last-minute schedule changes, or sweet photos, families stay connected without clogging your team’s inbox.
Send updates via app, text, and email
Share daily photos, messages, or newsletters
Schedule announcements ahead of time
Create program calendars with RSVP support
Track family engagement in the dashboard
Real-time reporting, zero manual effort
Insightful reporting without the manual work
Powerful, real-time reporting across attendance, billing, and engagement helps programs stay compliant and optimized.
Track revenue by program, site, or district
Report on attendance with required data formats
Identify absences or families needing outreach
Monitor staff ratios and activity logs
Run drop-in care usage reports
Seamless expansion across all locations
From one site to nationwide operations
Whether you’re a single-school program or manage hundreds of sites across dozens of districts, Playground flexes to meet your needs.
Track revenue by program, site, or district
Duplicate program setup across new sites
Lock down billing settings or allow local control
Apply org-wide roles and permissions
Centralize paperwork, calendars, and reporting
Flexible care, fully under control
Offer flexible care without creating chaos
Playground makes it easy to offer and manage drop-in attendance.
Enable drop-in attendance with automatic billing
Let families request or reserve care in advance
Track usage and generate revenue reports
Apply limits or eligibility rules as needed
FAQs
What does Playground do for before and after school care programs?
Why are full-day daycare tools a poor fit for after-school programs?
How do you handle flexible enrollment for before and after school care?
How do you bill for hourly, daily, weekly, or monthly after-school care?
How do you offer drop-in care without creating chaos?
How do you keep families informed about schedule changes?
What reporting do before and after care programs need?
How do you scale before and after care across multiple schools or districts?
