The early education (childcare) sector is highly regulated and rightly so! But, this means also high dependence on paper to create and maintain records.
This includes recording each aspect of the child’s day in the daycare including meals, nappies, attendance, learning outcomes, incident reports, checklists, and the lists goes on.
In recent years, there have been a few technology companies that have realized that there is a gap in the market and have started introducing software solutions that are tailored to the needs of the sector. These childcare software companies aim to make the overall operations of childcare centred more efficient and reduce their dependency on paper.
But as they say, change is a slow process and this is what can be seen in the childcare sector as well when it comes to the adoption of such technologies. The biggest challenge that childcare software providers face is the attitude of the early education workers towards the use of technology within the centres.
Here are some of the top reasons Industry workers have provided in a recent survey for not being pro-technology:
- Technology can be overwhelming.
- Paper still is more convenient and efficient.
- Technology can crash.
Change can be a scary process….the thought of a known devil is better than the unknown…it is this thought that restricts our perspectives and limits the realm of possibility that change can bring; (more often than not) something better.
Here are 5 reasons why we think technology can benefit the sector:
1. Streamline centre operations
Childcare software can be thought of as a way of keeping records in one central location. Educators can collaboratively work within this environment and fulfill compliance requirements. These records can then be accessed by either the staff or the management from the cloud as and when required.
This allows for less use of paper, avoids data duplication and overall creates a more efficient way to maintain records.
2. Better Communication with Parents
Childcare software come with a number of functions that allow educators to share observations, learning outcomes, events and more with the parents of the children attending daycare.
This helps parents to get better insights into the early learning journey of their child and allows them to further build on their child’s skills, learning, and knowledge at home. Research has also indicated that parents are more likely to recommend daycare centers that keep the parents informed about their child’s schedule at daycare.
3. Sustainability
There is a growing pressure on educational institutions to incorporate sustainability into their curriculum but at the same time, educational institutions also have the responsibility of adopting sustainable practices.
4. Create a Better Work Environment for Educators
One of the top reasons for a high attrition rate in the early education sector is that educators are drowning in mountains of paperwork to keep up with compliance requirements.
The use of technology can certainly help in reducing some of the pressure. These software solutions allow for a more efficient way of record management and therefore give back time to the educators, time that can be utilized to focus on educating the children.
5. Better Curriculum Planning
Some childcare software providers also allow for educators to plan their curriculum in a better manner and in line with the educational frameworks devised by the regulatory authorities. Not only does this help educators to better attain their goals but also allows centers to achieve better ratings from the regulatory departments. This also leads to better levels of satisfaction for parents who can then view what their child is learning at daycare.
About the Author
This article has been produced by Divij Mehta, the founder of Cubsta, a functionality-rich, cloud-based daycare software that he has developed after first-hand experiencing the childcare services in Australia. The overall aim to develop the software was to reduce the use of paper in the daycare sector and make it a more sustainable environment.