Quality connections with families and staff

Brightwheel’s childcare app enables families, staff, and administrators to easily communicate with each other, build deeper relationships and ensure important updates are seen.

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Brightwheel’s communication app

The #1 childcare software that enables you to centralize and send real-time messages, emergency alerts, and newsletters all from the same platform you use for billing, admissions, and classroom management. 95% of administrators and staff report brightwheel improves parent communication.

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Simplify parent engagement

  • Real-time messaging

    Keep an open line of communication between you, your staff, and your parents

  • Direct messaging

    For sensitive or private subjects, message parents directly without any staff involved

  • A green icon for brightwheel's functionality that allows educators to create lesson plans

    Centralize communications

    Reduce the number of apps for parents and message them directly from the brightwheel parent app, including prospective families, so they don’t miss updates!

Easier staff communication

  • Quick and easy to use

    Give staff an easy tool to message parents directly and share their children’s progress

  • Ongoing appreciation

    Help staff build stronger relationships with families using brightwheel’s teacher parent communication app

  • Real-time support

    Message staff individually or as a team, respond to questions instantly, and foster a sense of community

The complete communication platform

  • Based on your needs

    Send messages with or without attachments, reminders, SMS alerts, announcements, or newsletters from brightwheel’s childcare app

  • Available anywhere

    Securely communicate with staff and maintain parent engagement from the brightwheel mobile app or web

  • An orange icon for brightwheel's functionality that support child development

    Easy to scale

    Easily communicate with an individual student's parent, a group of parents, a whole classroom, or the entire program.

Brightwheel customers on building quality connections with families and staff

“Brightwheel gets an A+ for parent satisfaction. A huge piece families love is how brightwheel brings them into the room. We get so many compliments about it.”

Marc H, Owner at A Strong Start Early Care & Education in Shelton, CT

“Brightwheel has been a tremendous blessing. I’ve received great feedback because with Messaging I’m able to step in and help answer questions a teacher might not be as comfortable answering.”

Cally B, Assistant Director at MBCC Journey in Birmingham, AL

My teachers appreciate that I can respond to their messages in the moment, like when they want to take a break. Two-way communication helps promote staff satisfaction.”

Pam M, Preschool Executive Director in Denver, CO

Customer Stories

Plus, many more valuable features including:

Billing & payments

Send automated invoices, accept online payments, and get paid on time. 90% of preschools report that more families pay on time with brightwheel.

Easier childcare billing

Center management

Simplify administrative tasks with Brightwheel’s all-in-one app & save up to 20 hours per month.

Easier center management
An orange icon for brightwheel's functionality that enhances program quality

Learning

Save time, enhance program quality, and support child development. Add your own curriculum or upgrade to get Experience Curriculum in brightwheel.

Get quality learning

FAQs: Tips and insights about the communication feature

Some of our parents do not respond to our communications. How can we get their attention with brightwheel?
Brightwheel centralizes communications in the same app families use to see updates on their child’s learning and make tuition payments, making it easier for families to respond. Brightwheel also gives you the option to send an SMS Alert (outside the brightwheel app) to families that have an authenticated mobile number on file. This is a great option to get the attention of families regarding urgent matters. Please note that push notifications are turned on when an account is created. It is highly recommended that both Messages notification options remain enabled to ensure good communication between the provider and student contacts.
Some parents prefer receiving less frequent communications. How can we manage their expectations via brightwheel?
Brightwheel enables families to easily tailor their account settings, opting in/out to receive notifications for messages, photo/video updates, check-in/check-out, learning milestones, nap times, and more. It is highly recommended that message notifications remain enabled to ensure good communication between families, staff, and administrators.
How does brightwheel ensure secure communication with parents?
Brightwheel offers the highest levels of security across all accounts, and we are the first in the early education industry to add two-factor authentication as an extra layer of security to protect your, your staff, and your families account information. When there's a matter that should only be discussed between Admin/Manager and Parents without staff involved, there is an option to send a message to individual parents and have the thread be viewable by only Admins and Managers.

Join millions of educators and families on brightwheel

Take a tour and see how brightwheel can help you, your staff, and your families.

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