Procare Solutions vs ChildWatch

Lillio

brightwheel

Kangarootime

Maintainly

Aptien

Pazo

Compare Procare Solutions and ChildWatch based on features, pricing, verified reviews, integrations & more on GetApp. Find out which software is best for your business in 2026.

Brightwheel is both a mobile app (Android + iOS) and cloud-based software built for childcare, daycare, and preschool programs. Brightwheel childcare management software offers digital check-in/-out, digital daily reports, paperless billing, robust parent comms, and free training and support.

Lillio is a cloud-based solution for parent communication, digital daily reports generation, and educational documentation in daycare, child care and preschool classrooms.

Playground

Playground is a childcare management software that assists with billing, family engagement, digital paperwork, attendance tracking, food program management, reporting, staffing, and more.

All-in-one child care management software trusted by 40,000+ daycares, preschools, and youth programs to streamline operations. 

Activity Dashboard

Activity Tracking

Alerts/Notifications

Assessment Management

Assignment Management

Attendance Management

Attendance Tracking

Billing & Invoicing

Calendar Management

Certification Tracking

Check-in/Check-out

Class Scheduling

Communications Management

Contact Database

Curriculum Management

Customer Accounts

Customizable Forms

Customizable Reports

Daily Reports

Data Import/Export

Data Security

Document Management

Document Storage

Electronic Payments

Electronic Signature

Employee Management

Enrollments/Onboarding

Faculty/Staff Management

Financial Management

Immunization & Allergy Tracking

Incident Management

Learning Management

Lesson Planning

Meal/Nutrition Management

Milestone Tracking

Mobile Access

Multi-Location

Online Calendar

Online Payments

Parent Portal

Parent/Student Portal

Payment Processing

Records Management

Registration Management

Reporting/Analytics

Reporting & Statistics

Resource Scheduling

Role-Based Permissions

School District

Self Service Portal

Student Information/Records

Student Management

Task Management

Third-Party Integrations

Wait List Management

By industry, Procare Solutions reviewers are most commonly professionals in education management (57%). The most frequent use case cited is daycare (86% of reviewers).

Users and use cases

Reviewers appreciate affordable entry-level packages and à la carte modules, which they say help control costs. Some users report frustration with hidden fees, frequent price increases, and bundled options that include unwanted features.

Value for money

Procare Solutions is a daycare solution with key features that include data security, a parent portal, communications management, payment processing, and attendance tracking, and more.

Procare Solutions

Windows

Linux

Android

iPhone

iPad

Chromebook

Web-based

Basic

Communications And Events

Our school's enrollment and schedule structure (where students enroll in multiple classes and different programs through the year) requires several workarounds/nonintuitive uses of Procare Desktop's tracking & tags, as the generic options do not accommodate our schedule structure.

Director

We love the features such as; messaging, digital attendance, and the wide variety of activity options (ouch reports, notes, meal, mood, nap, and much more).

Family Coordinator

I am a member of the admin team that uses daily Procare and I absolutely hate how the desktop Procare does not sync with Procare connect. If I input information on the desktop version of Procare especially things like schedule and allergies it does not automatically sync with Procare Connect.  

director

the online payments and it makes my buisness run smoother, it has the online minute to minute update on the child's day for parents and they really like that

Owner Director

Lately, it feels like it’s down more often than it’s working. When problems come up, they can’t be fixed without calling support, and the hold times are outrageous — anywhere from 45 minutes to over two hours with no call-back option.

Owner and Director

I enjoy the convenience of everything happening on one platform - attendance, billing, staff time cards, parent and staff communication, onboarding new clients - it really simplifies my day!

The parent app enhances communication and engagement, and the platform provides reliable tools for meeting licensing and compliance requirements. While I wish it offered online form completion for parents and staff, the benefits far outweigh this drawback, making it a valuable resource for managing a childcare center efficiently.

Assistant Director

I use Procare for everything; attendance tracing for children and staff, data/required paperwork, tuition charges and payment, center expenses, parent and staff communication, children’s daily reports, and more.

Executive Director

Overall, we truly value ProCare as it is multifaceted through allowing us to reach out to families to share messages, emails, or photos of their children during the day to let them know how they are doing.

Office assistant

Making custom reports, tracking items, procare engagement, easy cobtact with parents, daily nites and milestones recording.

The system itself is very user-friendly and capable of handling everything from attendance and daily reports to billing and parent communication all in one place.

Owner and operator

I can communicate with the school via the messages part of the app and I can clock my child in for class remotely when I get close enough to school.

Owner

Features like automated billing, real-time updates for parents, and easy attendance tracking have improved communication and efficiency.

Family Services Coordinator

When a parent is at the center wanting to make a credit card payment with Tuition Express there should be a place to confirm the amount is what they want to pay.

The filter returns "kids who attend 2 days" OR "kids who have allergies" which is a large data set of all the "kids who attend 2 days" OR kids who have "allergies."

However as of recent with the new changes implemented there have been a ton of bugs and the flow of the ledger seems to be off making it aggravating for centers using the software before the major update.

It allows you to keep track of enrollment, student information, and billing all in a single platform.  

BKKR

The service for both customer/parent is always helpful and the reps are always accommodating, the credit card options this year is great with the exception it should be spaces between 16 digits Visa/MV/Disc.

Board Secretary

Rates that were discussed and promised during the sales process are not what we are being charged. When questions come up about these discrepancies, there is no one available to resolve them. When money is involved, the inability to get answers is extremely concerning.

manager

I like the program and find it very useful; however, enhancing the vaccine tracking program with automated suggestions for upcoming or catch-up doses based on the child’s age and vaccination history.

It's very reassuring for our parents to have that open line of communication and availability to and with our teachers and staff while their child is in our care.

Executive Secretary

Another drawback is that we are not able to do patch payment entries for tuition payments.  

I also love that my teachers are able to directly connect with parents throughout the day and send to the minute updates for their babies.

Owner, Director

It’s easy to update students’ information and share daily updates with parents, including photos, videos, meal times, diapering/potty schedules, and nap times.

Teachers are able to communicate easily and send detailed reports to parents to reflect the actions of their child's day.

teacher

The app doesn't allow you to attach pictures or documents when sending direct messages to parents.

That option should populated once you choose the card you are using, Amex should be different, this would help with typing the correct nmbr.

Procare seems to have lost sight of customer care and reliability, focusing instead on signing up new centers and collecting good reviews, rather than supporting the ones who have been with them for decades.

Office Manager

Overall, Procare is a great value for a small school while keeping attendance, billing and daily communications with our families.

One of the reasons we chose engagement as a software for parents was because of the syncing. Whenever I have called the support team they have always fixes issues promptly and with great customer service.

Program Coordinator

Procare desktop combined with the engagement app for teachers/parents is the only one that has been able to help us streamline our registration, payment and communication processes all in one place.

I love having one program that keeps our our children's data organized, makes billing a breeze, and allows me to run payroll with the push of just a few buttons.

ILC Summer Camp Director

I also liked the ability to keep track of all pertinent information for each of the campers and staff, as well as the ability to track attendance and compile specific reports.

The check-in/out system is smooth, the parent communication features help us stay connected on the procare app and messenger.

Directo oif operations

Procare has truly streamlined how we manage our center, making it easier to focus on the children instead of administrative tasks.

It has taken the place of the following for us: Quickbooks billing, timtraxx clocking in/out system, Remind for parent messaging, emails for newsletters, GroupMe for staff messaging, manual sign ins and outs for students, etc.

We have a custody issue that involves a DVPO and cannot stop the non custodial parent from seeing when mom drops off or picks up which is a violation of the order.

Procare Solutions makes parent sign in/out a breeze and allows us to easily print reports that help with completing payroll and subsidy reimbursement.

For this reason, I do not utilize Procare's meal-tracking feature. If not, I wish there were the option to sync Procare and KidKare, as I use Procare to type our menus but then have to input everything again in Procare, such as the meals and estimated attendance.

It has help us on  how we manage our daily operations by streamlining communication, simplifying administrative tasks, and enhancing parent engagement.

It is also transparent in that all staff are able to see the messages that go back and forth on this platform.

Teacher

It makes daily updates, attendance tracking, and parent communication so much easier.

We use it for tuition invoicing, payment processing, business accounting, tracking requirements, parent engagement, and communication.

The ability to accept all forms of payment for tuition, the ability to collect and generate all types of data, and the ability to generate reports.  

owner

I also wish I could update which bank account tuition payments go to without having to call and wait for the backend team to process the change (which usually takes 48+ hours).

Procare has provided my school with an excellent product and customer service to back it up.   As stated above, it has provided a platform that our preschool families have found to be intuitive and reliable to navigate.

One drawback of Procare Solutions is that parents and staff cannot fill out forms online like they can with other platforms.

It has capability to capture CACFP enrollment but it doesn't do anything beyond that.

Program Director

ACH doesn't work as their connector, Plaid, throws out an error message. When I select Debit card as alternate option, ProCare tacks on fees anyway

ProCare's messaging system allows us to send updates, share important notices, and communicate directly with parents quickly and easily.

Users report that Procare Solutions' attendance tracking offers real-time classroom counts, easy report generation, and compliance with licensing requirements. Reviewers indicate that digital attendance reduces paperwork, supports ratio management, and assists with audits and funding. They say administrators appreciate being able to track attendance by room, date, or program, though some mention syncing issues between desktop and app versions and desire clearer absence reporting. They find attendance tracking in Procare Solutions essential for daily operations and regulatory compliance. Of the 235 Procare Solutions users who gave detailed accounts of their use of Attendance Tracking, 85% rated this feature as important or highly important.

Parent Payment

Tuition

Parent Communication

Parent and Child Management

Child and Preschool Management

Phone Support

Tracking

School and Teacher Management

Clock In and Out

Complex and rigid accounting features

51% of reviewers feel negative about Accounting. Some users report difficulties with reconciling accounts, limited integration with popular accounting software like QuickBooks, and a lack of customization for specific reporting needs. Reviewers say the system can be confusing for non-accountants, with outdated or cumbersome expense tracking and insufficient checks and balances. They find the ledger and deposit features challenging to use, and mention issues with correcting errors or managing refunds. Many users indicate that these limitations require extra manual work and can lead to discrepancies in financial records.

Slow and inefficient phone support

Shareholder-Administrator

We had been double billed for almost 10 months and when we noticed this we made a call to our rep who we did talk to once, but who did not stop the payments, return phone calls, answer our emails even make the meeting we arranged on-line.

There is typically a long wait time on customer service calls, and only about 60% of the time is the problem resolved on that call.

42% of reviewers feel negative about Phone Support. Some users say reaching customer service by phone often involves long wait times, frequent transfers, and unresolved issues. Reviewers indicate that follow-up is inconsistent, with callbacks sometimes delayed or missed entirely. They mention that support staff may lack the necessary expertise to resolve complex problems promptly. Users find it frustrating to spend significant time on hold or to repeat their concerns to multiple representatives, which can delay critical tasks and add to operational stress.

Cumbersome messaging and email tools

I myself get 50-100 emails daily and some do get lost in the shuffle. If I could have this huge amount of info in one place I know I would be a lot less stressed and embarrassed when I/my child misses an event.

Director of Preschool

There are also very few functions in the email, so I can't bold anything or change the color or fonts to stand out, nor can I put pictures.

40% of reviewers feel negative about Email and Messaging. Some users report that the messaging system lacks essential features like threading, editing, and formatting options, making communication inefficient. Reviewers say sending attachments is limited, and mass messaging or bulk texting can be unreliable. They mention difficulties with syncing messages across platforms, missing notifications, and challenges in managing large volumes of communication. Users also highlight that the email system is not customizable, and important messages can be easily lost or overlooked, leading to missed information.

Limited and inconsistent desktop access

On the flip side, there are functions that can only be done on the desktop version, which means I have to have my laptop available.

Administrative Director

Staff times don't sync to desktop, there is no way to export family data to registration forms, would like a forms area for medication and field trips.

50% of reviewers feel negative about the Desktop Version. Some users say the software’s reliance on Windows-only compatibility is inconvenient, especially for those using Mac devices. Reviewers report that features are not always synchronized between desktop and online versions, causing data inconsistencies and workflow disruptions. They mention that some functions are only available on specific platforms, requiring multiple devices or additional steps. Users also highlight issues with outdated interface design, slow performance, and difficulties accessing the system when internet connectivity is unreliable.

Frequent technical glitches

Dentist

Procare does seem to "glitch" more than other platforms, making it useless at times.

46% of reviewers feel negative about Bugs and Issues. Some users report experiencing regular glitches, crashes, and slow loading times, particularly during busy periods. Reviewers say technical problems can disrupt daily operations, with some features occasionally becoming inaccessible or malfunctioning. They mention that resolving these issues often requires time-consuming troubleshooting or contacting support. Users indicate that connectivity problems, server disconnections, and hardware compatibility issues are recurring frustrations, impacting their ability to rely on the software for uninterrupted service.

All-in-one center management

Procare Solutions has significantly improved our center's efficiency and communication.

93% of reviewers feel positive about Center Management. Some users say the software centralizes all essential functions needed to run childcare centers, regardless of size. Reviewers indicate that having everything in one place, from compliance tools to customizable features, makes administration more efficient. They appreciate the flexibility to adapt the system to their specific center’s needs and the ability to manage multiple locations. Users think the platform saves significant time on daily tasks, improves organization, and provides a professional appearance. Many mention that it simplifies oversight and enhances the overall quality of center management.

Intuitive and user-friendly design

I love how user friendly it is and the convenience of having all tools in one software.

91% of reviewers feel positive about the User Interface. Some users say the software is easy to navigate and requires minimal training, making it accessible for staff and parents alike. Reviewers appreciate the straightforward layout and clear organization of features, which reduces the learning curve. They mention that the interface supports efficient completion of daily tasks and simplifies complex processes. Many users highlight the convenience of having all tools in one place and note that the user-friendly design contributes to a positive overall experience.

Comprehensive attendance oversight

95% of reviewers feel positive about Attendance Tracking. Users say the system allows them to efficiently monitor both student and staff attendance, often down to the minute, which is crucial for payroll, grant reporting, and compliance. Reviewers appreciate having all attendance data consolidated in one platform, making it easy to generate reports and streamline daily operations. They find automated tracking and real-time updates valuable for reducing manual work and improving accuracy. Many users highlight the convenience of integrating attendance with billing, scheduling, and parent communication, noting that it saves time and increases organizational efficiency.

Robust parent engagement tools

Teachers Assistant 

I can send parents messages immediately when needing to reach them, and they can easily communicate back quickly .

93% of reviewers feel positive about Parent Communication. Reviewers indicate that the platform offers multiple ways to connect with families, such as messaging, newsletters, and daily activity updates. Users appreciate being able to communicate quickly and efficiently, which enhances parent satisfaction and engagement. They find features like real-time notifications, group messaging, and transparent chat functionality particularly useful. Many users say the system helps keep parents informed and involved in their child’s day, providing peace of mind and improving the overall childcare experience.

Streamlined childcare operations

93% of reviewers feel positive about Childcare and Daycare Management. Some users report that the software covers a wide range of administrative and operational needs, from enrollment and billing to compliance and daily reporting. Reviewers appreciate the automation of routine tasks, which frees up time to focus on quality care and education. They find the system’s comprehensive features beneficial for both large and small centers, and value the ease of managing staff, children, and parent communication in one place. Many users highlight improved efficiency and organization as key benefits.

Procare Solutions vs ChildWatch Comparison (2026)

Procare Solutions

ChildWatch

Overview

Video & Screenshots

Pricing

User reviews

Key features

Integrations

Alternatives