If you manage an after school program, you need to be aware of automation advancements that will save you a great deal of both time and money. State-of-the-art daycare computer software offers you a management system keyed to your particular needs, so you can work smarter instead of harder.

Today’s sophisticated childcare management software can keep track of check-in/check-out, collections, your revenue cycle, center utilization, and adherence to regulations. Because of its proven ability to handle cash flow, the cost is offset by savings on labor and cutting the revenue process by about 100 hours a week. So the technology is essentially free.

Around 32.7 million children are in after school programs and other childcare arrangements. About 23.4 percent of children younger than five are in some form of organized child care arrangement, whether it be a childcare center, a nursery, or preschool. That figure represents about a third of those whose mothers are employed and 28.6 of children with mothers who are in school.

But of the one million or so childcare centers, family childcare homes, early childhood education programs and after school programs in the United States, the majority lack any kind of formal technology infrastructure and business intelligence tools.

A modern childcare management software program provides tools that can help you with building a business, motivating the staff, child safety and food programs while providing guidance on leadership, entrepreneurship, building enrollment and marketing.

It’s a sign of the times we live in that less than a third of today’s children have a full-time, stay-at-home parent. So child care is a vital component of our society, and it represents about 7.8 percent of the typical family’s monthly income. That can be a real hardship for some, and most Americans (over 66%) agree that the government or businesses should do more to help working parents with their child care expenses.

If you’ve reached a point of success at which you’re now thinking of automating your business, be sure to research the many ways that doing so can streamline your operations and improve your bottom line. You can soon be spending much less time on administration and collections and a lot more providing the best possible experience for the children in your care.