Childcare software for daycares
Childcare software that gives teachers their time back
Attendance, messaging, meals, and invoicing in one place — so your staff spends minutes on admin instead of evenings. Parents see the day as it happens.
Free for up to 4 children · Set up in minutes · Cancel anytime
Minutes
to set up your center
1 place
for attendance to invoices
Free
for up to 4 children
14 days
free trial on paid plans
Everything your center needs
Replace paper sheets, scattered texts, and spreadsheets with one platform built for early childhood education.
Digital Attendance
PIN kiosk check-in, staff quick tap, digital signatures, and configurable health screens at arrival.
Activity Logging
Meals, naps, milestones, and notes — logged in seconds. Parents see the day as it happens.
Family Messaging
Direct messages, center announcements, and emergency broadcasts. Families stay informed.
Tuition & Billing
Create invoices, credits, and payment records in the app. Online card payouts via Stripe are still rolling out.
Health & Safety
Medications, incidents, sleep checks, allergies, staff:child ratios, and licensing readiness.
Secure by design
Encrypted data in transit, role-based access, staff permission controls, and audit trails.
See a morning
Real screens from a working day. Hover to magnify, click to view full-size.
The morning at a glance
Who's here, which rooms are full, what just got logged.
Every child, at a glance
Presence rings show who's in, out, or absent — check in with one tap.
Attendance, live
Who's in, who's out, and who still needs a tap.
Meals & flags
See allergies before you serve — not after.
Lobby kiosk
A PIN on the door tablet. No clipboards.
Family messages
The same thread staff and parents already use.
Parent home
One screen: their child, and what needs them.
Built in a real classroom
We got tired of software that hid the price
HappyGarden started at a daycare and preschool in Noe Valley, San Francisco. We wanted something better and more affordable than what was on the market. So we built it, ran it on our own rooms, and only then offered it to everyone else.
Read the storyRunning your day, simplified
Three steps from chaotic mornings to calm ones.
- 1
Set up in minutes
Add your rooms, import your roster, and invite staff and families. No training webinar required.
- 2
Run the day
Kids tap in at the kiosk or with a teacher. Meals, naps, and notes log in seconds — parents watch along.
- 3
Close the loop
Send messages, log incidents, and create invoices from the same login. Directors see ratios and who’s here at a glance.
Published prices. No demos required.
Most childcare software hides its pricing behind a sales call. We put it on the website.
Seedling
For nannies and tiny home daycares
Up to 4 children
Start free- Digital check-in & check-out
- Basic activity logging
- 1 room / classroom
- Parent messaging
- Mobile-friendly web for parents
Sprout
For home daycares just getting started
Up to 12 children
Start 14-day trial- Everything in Seedling
- Unlimited rooms
- Invoices, credits & payment records
- Staff time tracking
- Health & safety tools
- Email support
Bloom
For growing centers that need more power
Up to 50 children
Start 14-day trial- Everything in Sprout
- Calendar & staff shifts
- CACFP menus & claims
- Admissions CRM & public apply
- Priority support
Grove
For large centers & multi-site operators
Unlimited children
Contact sales- Everything in Bloom
- Multi-site locations & switcher
- Priority onboarding
- Dedicated success manager
Every paid plan starts with a 14-day free trial. No credit card required. Cancel anytime. Full pricing · Compare alternatives
Frequently asked questions
Straight answers about childcare software and how HappyGarden fits your program.
What is HappyGarden?
HappyGarden is childcare software for daycare centers, home daycares, and nanny programs. It was built by Happy Garden Child Care Center — a daycare and preschool in Noe Valley, San Francisco — and used on our own rooms first. It replaces paper sign-in sheets, scattered text threads, and billing spreadsheets with one platform for attendance, parent communication, invoicing, admissions, and health & safety.
How much does childcare management software cost?
HappyGarden publishes all prices upfront: free for up to 4 children, $49/month for up to 12 children, $149/month for up to 50 children, and custom pricing for multi-site organizations. Paid plans include a 14-day free trial with no credit card required.
How is this different from Brightwheel or Procare?
Published prices (no demo required to see what it costs) and setup measured in minutes rather than weeks. See our side-by-side comparison pages against Brightwheel, Lillio, Procare, Playground, and Kangarootime.
Do parents need to download anything?
Parents get a mobile-friendly web app — no app store download required. They check their child in and out with a PIN, receive messages and announcements, see meals, naps, and activities, and view invoices in the app.
Is my data secure?
Yes. Data is encrypted in transit, access is role-based with granular staff permissions, and every attendance change is audit-logged. You control exactly who sees what.
Can I migrate from another system?
Most centers import their roster and get running the same day. Student records, rooms, and staff can be set up in minutes, and our team helps with imports from spreadsheets or your current provider.
Ready when you are
Set up your center in minutes. Free for your first four children — keep going only if it earns its place.