License & Deployment Mix: 15 tools – 2 OSS, 13 SaaS. (OSS and SaaS counts can overlap when an open-source tool also offers a vendor-hosted edition.)
What Is Childcare Management Software?
Childcare management software is the operational backbone of a childcare center, daycare, preschool, or after-school program. It handles enrollment, attendance, billing, parent communication, classroom management, and licensing compliance – replacing paper sign-in sheets, manual invoicing, and disconnected systems with a unified platform.
Unlike generic business software, childcare management includes domain-specific features that general tools cannot provide:
- Enrollment management – applications, waitlists, registration forms, classroom placement, and capacity tracking
- Attendance tracking – digital check-in and check-out via kiosk, QR code, PIN pad, contactless NFC, or parent mobile app
- Billing & tuition – automated recurring tuition billing, subsidy tracking, co-pay calculation, late fees, and payment processing
- Parent communication – two-way messaging, daily activity reports with photos/videos, newsletters, and emergency alerts
- Classroom management – lesson plans, developmental milestones, assessments, curriculum tracking, and learning portfolios
- Staff management – employee scheduling, staff-to-child ratio monitoring, certification tracking, professional development, and time clock
- Licensing compliance – state licensing requirements, ratio tracking, incident reporting, background check tracking, and audit-ready records
- Health & safety – medication administration tracking, allergy alerts, immunization record management, incident/ accident reports, and emergency contacts
- Subsidy management – government childcare subsidies (CCDF, state-specific programs), co-pay tracking, and subsidy reporting
- Daily activity reports – meals, naps, diaper changes, activities, and milestones shared with parents in real time
- Child portfolio – developmental progress documentation, learning stories, and assessment tracking over time
- Transportation – bus routing, pickup and drop-off tracking, authorized person verification
- Multi-site management – managing multiple centers from a single platform with consolidated reporting
- CACFP – Child and Adult Care Food Program (USDA meal tracking, menu planning, and reimbursement claim filing)
The information on these pages was researched by a combination of human review and large language models. To suggest an addition or correction, please contact us. Prepared by Rhodium Systems Inc., author of the ResorsIT platform — a unified IT operations management platform for IT teams and MSPs that integrates a curated suite of open-source, commercial, and SaaS applications into a single system with shared identity, single sign-on, access control, and a common audit trail. Use this catalogue only as a starting point for your own research, and review any tool carefully against your own requirements before relying on it. Catalogue data version 2026.197.
Comparison
SSO / OIDC Comparison
OIDC is the preferred SSO protocol.
| Tool | OIDC | SAML | Authentik Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gibbon | No | No | Yes | No enterprise SSO |
| OpenEduCat | No | No | Yes | No enterprise SSO |
| Procare | No | Yes | Yes | SAML via Authentik |
| brightwheel | No | No | Yes | No enterprise SSO |
| Lillio | No | No | Yes | No enterprise SSO |
| Kangarootime | No | No | Yes | No enterprise SSO |
| ChildPilot | No | No | Yes | No enterprise SSO |
| Jackrabbit Care | No | No | Yes | No enterprise SSO |
| Sandbox | No | No | Yes | No enterprise SSO |
| EZCare | No | No | No | No SSO support |
| Kindertales | No | No | Yes | No enterprise SSO |
| Famly | No | No | Yes | No enterprise SSO |
| Cheqdin | No | No | Yes | No enterprise SSO |
| iCare | No | No | Yes | No enterprise SSO |
| MyKidReports | No | No | Yes | No enterprise SSO |
Best SSO support: Procare is the only childcare management tool in this evaluation with SAML SSO support, enabling integration with Authentik. No tools support native OIDC.
Market reality: Childcare management software overwhelmingly targets small businesses. Enterprise SSO protocols (SAML/OIDC) are rare; Google social login is the most common authentication option.
Deployment Comparison
| Tool | Type | Platform | Cloud | On-Prem |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gibbon | Self-hosted | Linux/PHP | No* | Yes |
| OpenEduCat | Self-hosted | Linux/Python | No* | Yes |
| Procare | SaaS | Browser/App | Yes | No** |
| brightwheel | SaaS | Browser/App | Yes | No |
| Lillio | SaaS | Browser/App | Yes | No |
| Kangarootime | SaaS | Browser/App | Yes | No |
| ChildPilot | SaaS | Browser/App | Yes | No |
| Jackrabbit Care | SaaS | Browser | Yes | No |
| Sandbox | SaaS | Browser/App | Yes | No |
| EZCare | SaaS | Browser | Yes | No |
| Kindertales | SaaS | Browser/App | Yes | No |
| Famly | SaaS | Browser/App | Yes | No |
| Cheqdin | SaaS | Browser/App | Yes | No |
| iCare | SaaS | Browser/App | Yes | No |
| MyKidReports | SaaS | Browser/App | Yes | No |
* = Can be self-hosted on cloud infrastructure ** = Legacy Procare Desktop available on-prem; current product is SaaS only
Core Features Comparison
| Feature | Gibbon | OpenEduCat | Procare | brightwheel | Lillio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Enrollment | Basic | Basic | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Attendance | Yes | Basic | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Billing | No | Basic | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Parent app | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Classroom | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Staff mgmt | Yes | Basic | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Health/safety | Basic | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Subsidies | No | No | Yes | Yes | Basic |
| Multi-site | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Feature | Kangarootime | ChildPilot | Jackrabbit | Sandbox | EZCare |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Enrollment | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Attendance | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Billing | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Parent app | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Basic |
| Classroom | Yes | Yes | Basic | Yes | Basic |
| Staff mgmt | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Health/safety | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Subsidies | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Multi-site | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Feature | Kindertales | Famly | Cheqdin | iCare | MyKidReports |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Enrollment | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Attendance | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Billing | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Parent app | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Classroom | Yes | Yes | Basic | Yes | Yes |
| Staff mgmt | Yes | Yes | Basic | Yes | Yes |
| Health/safety | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Subsidies | Basic | Basic | No | Yes | Basic |
| Multi-site | Yes | Yes | Basic | Yes | Yes |
API Comparison
| Tool | REST API | Access | Documentation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gibbon | No | Open (OSS) | N/A |
| OpenEduCat | Yes | Open (OSS) | Odoo API docs |
| Procare | Yes | Partner program | Good |
| brightwheel | Limited | Contact vendor | Limited |
| Lillio | Limited | Contact vendor | Limited |
| Kangarootime | Limited | Contact vendor | Limited |
| ChildPilot | No | N/A | N/A |
| Jackrabbit Care | Yes | Customer access | Good |
| Sandbox | Limited | Contact vendor | Limited |
| EZCare | No | N/A | N/A |
| Kindertales | Limited | Contact vendor | Limited |
| Famly | Yes | Partner program | Good |
| Cheqdin | No | N/A | N/A |
| iCare | Limited | Contact vendor | Limited |
| MyKidReports | Limited | Contact vendor | Limited |
Best API: OpenEduCat benefits from the Odoo API framework. Procare offers a partner API program. Famly and Jackrabbit Care also provide documented APIs. Most childcare tools have limited or no public API access.
Monitoring Integration
| Tool | Telegraf | Fluent Bit | Grafana |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gibbon | MySQL/Apache metrics | PHP/Apache logs | Custom dashboards |
| OpenEduCat | PostgreSQL/Nginx metrics | Python/Nginx logs | Custom dashboards |
| Procare | SaaS – infra only | SaaS – N/A | SaaS – N/A |
| brightwheel | SaaS – infra only | SaaS – N/A | SaaS – N/A |
| Lillio | SaaS – infra only | SaaS – N/A | SaaS – N/A |
| Kangarootime | SaaS – infra only | SaaS – N/A | SaaS – N/A |
| ChildPilot | SaaS – infra only | SaaS – N/A | SaaS – N/A |
| Jackrabbit Care | SaaS – infra only | SaaS – N/A | SaaS – N/A |
| Sandbox | SaaS – infra only | SaaS – N/A | SaaS – N/A |
| EZCare | SaaS – infra only | SaaS – N/A | SaaS – N/A |
| Kindertales | SaaS – infra only | SaaS – N/A | SaaS – N/A |
| Famly | SaaS – infra only | SaaS – N/A | SaaS – N/A |
| Cheqdin | SaaS – infra only | SaaS – N/A | SaaS – N/A |
| iCare | SaaS – infra only | SaaS – N/A | SaaS – N/A |
| MyKidReports | SaaS – infra only | SaaS – N/A | SaaS – N/A |
Self-hosted tools (Gibbon, OpenEduCat) offer full monitoring via database and web server metrics. SaaS tools are limited to endpoint and network infrastructure monitoring.
Licensing Comparison
| Tool | License | Type | Cost Model |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gibbon | GPL-3.0 | Open source | Free |
| OpenEduCat | LGPL-3.0 | Open source | Free; paid enterprise |
| Procare | Proprietary | SaaS | Per-child/mo |
| brightwheel | Proprietary | SaaS | Per-child/mo; free tier |
| Lillio | Proprietary | SaaS | Per-child/mo |
| Kangarootime | Proprietary | SaaS | Per-child/mo |
| ChildPilot | Proprietary | SaaS | Per-child/mo |
| Jackrabbit Care | Proprietary | SaaS | From ~$45/mo |
| Sandbox | Proprietary | SaaS | Per-child/mo |
| EZCare | Proprietary | SaaS | Contact vendor |
| Kindertales | Proprietary | SaaS | Per-child/mo |
| Famly | Proprietary | SaaS | Per-child/mo |
| Cheqdin | Proprietary | SaaS | From ~$39/mo |
| iCare | Proprietary | SaaS | Contact vendor |
| MyKidReports | Proprietary | SaaS | Per-child/mo; free tier |
Tools
15 tools.
brightwheel
brightwheel is one of the fastest-growing childcare management platforms, serving tens of thousands of early education programs across the United States.
License: Proprietary (proprietary) · Kind: web · Deploy: saas · SSO: none
Cheqdin
Cheqdin is a UK-based childcare management platform serving nurseries, preschools, childminders, and after-school clubs primarily in the United Kingdom. The platform has been expanding into other English-speaking markets.
License: Proprietary (proprietary) · Kind: web · Deploy: saas · SSO: none
ChildPilot
ChildPilot is a childcare management software platform designed for daycare centers, preschools, and after-school programs.
License: Proprietary (proprietary) · Kind: web · Deploy: saas · SSO: none
EZCare (SofterWare)
EZCare is a childcare management solution from SofterWare, a company that also produces software for nonprofit organizations, camps, and after-school programs.
License: Proprietary (proprietary) · Kind: web · Deploy: saas · SSO: none
Famly
Famly is a European childcare management platform headquartered in Copenhagen, Denmark. The platform has a strong presence in the UK, Denmark, Germany, and other European markets, with growing adoption in North America.
License: Proprietary (proprietary) · Kind: web · Deploy: saas · SSO: none
Gibbon
Gibbon is an open-source school management platform covering student records, attendance, timetabling, assessment, and parent communication, with an early-years module adaptable to preschools.
License: GPL-3.0-only (OSS) · Kind: web · Deploy: native · SSO: none
iCare Software
iCare Software is a childcare management platform designed specifically for multi-center childcare operations.
License: Proprietary (proprietary) · Kind: web · Deploy: saas · SSO: none
Jackrabbit Care
Jackrabbit Care is a childcare management platform from Jackrabbit Technologies, which also produces Jackrabbit Class (for class-based businesses like dance studios and gymnastics).
License: Proprietary (proprietary) · Kind: web · Deploy: saas · SSO: none
Kangarootime
Kangarootime is a childcare management platform with particular strength in billing, subsidy management, and financial operations. The platform serves childcare centers, preschools, and after-school programs across the United States.
License: Proprietary (proprietary) · Kind: web · Deploy: saas · SSO: none
Kindertales (formerly Kinderlime)
Kindertales, formerly known as Kinderlime, is a childcare management platform that rebranded after being acquired.
License: Proprietary (proprietary) · Kind: web · Deploy: saas · SSO: none
Lillio (formerly HiMama)
Lillio (formerly HiMama) is a cloud-based childcare center management platform known for parent engagement and daily reporting, covering enrollment, attendance, billing, and child development documentation.
License: Proprietary (proprietary) · Kind: web · Deploy: saas · SSO: none
MyKidReports
MyKidReports is a childcare management platform that emphasizes automated daily reports and parent communication. The platform serves daycare centers, preschools, and after-school programs in the US market.
License: Proprietary (proprietary) · Kind: web · Deploy: saas · SSO: none
OpenEduCat
OpenEduCat is an open-source education ERP built on the Odoo framework. It provides student management, attendance, timetabling, library management, and basic fee collection – primarily targeting schools and universities.
License: LGPL-3.0-only (OSS) · Kind: web · Deploy: native · SSO: none
Procare Solutions
Procare Solutions is the market-leading childcare management platform, serving over 40,000 childcare centers across North America.
License: Proprietary (proprietary) · Kind: web · Deploy: saas · SSO: SAML
Sandbox Childcare
Sandbox Childcare (formerly Sandbox Software) is a childcare management platform serving daycare centers, preschools, and early education programs.
License: Proprietary (proprietary) · Kind: web · Deploy: saas · SSO: none
