--- title: "Enrollment and Admissions for Childcare Centers" id: "26196" type: "page" slug: "childcare-enrollment-registration" published_at: "2026-06-18T05:34:32+00:00" modified_at: "2026-06-18T05:34:32+00:00" url: "https://mybrightwheel.com/childcare-centers/childcare-enrollment-registration/" markdown_url: "https://mybrightwheel.com/childcare-centers/childcare-enrollment-registration.md" excerpt: "Digital enrollment formsOnline registrationDocument collectionWaitlist management 20 hrssaved per month on administrative work #1rated all-in-one childcare solution 92%of admins who switched from paper say it’s easier to stay organized 95%of admins say brightwheel is easy to use What is this..." taxonomy_language: - "English" --- [Brightwheel](https://mybrightwheel.com/) › [Childcare centers](https://mybrightwheel.com/childcare-centers/) › Enrollment and Admissions for Childcare Centers # Enrollment and Admissions for Childcare Centers ## Move your entire enrollment process online and onboard new families without chasing paperwork. Brightwheel lets families complete digital enrollment forms before their first day — and gives directors and administrators real-time visibility into enrollment status across the center. Digital enrollment formsOnline registrationDocument collectionWaitlist management 20 hrssaved per month on administrative work #1rated all-in-one childcare solution 92%of admins who switched from paper say it’s easier to stay organized 95%of admins say brightwheel is easy to use What is this **Enrollment and admissions for childcare centers** refers to the end-to-end process directors and administrators use to collect registration forms, gather required child information, manage waitlists, and onboard new families before care begins. Brightwheel moves this process online — families complete digital enrollment forms from their phone, and all information is stored in brightwheel and connected to billing, attendance, and daily operations. How it works ## How enrollment and admissions works for childcare centers Every new enrollment at a childcare center requires collecting significant documentation: emergency contacts, authorized pickups, allergy and medical information, immunization records, signed enrollment contracts, and — in most states — specific licensing forms. When this process is managed by paper packets, it creates administrative work for staff and friction for families before they’ve even started care. Brightwheel digitizes the entire enrollment process. Administrators create a digital enrollment package — forms, information requests, required documents — and send it to families with a single link. Families complete everything from their phone before the child’s first day. Administrators and directors can see exactly which families have completed their enrollment and which have outstanding items. For centers managing waitlists, digital enrollment also streamlines the handoff when a spot opens up. Reaching out to a waitlist family and getting them enrolled and paperwork-complete can happen in a day rather than taking a week of back-and-forth. Licensed childcare centers are required to maintain specific enrollment records. Digital enrollment forms collected through brightwheel are stored permanently and accessible during an inspection without searching through paper files. See it in action ## See how brightwheel enrollment and admissions works How childcare centers use brightwheel to enroll new families online · 2 min What’s included ## Everything you need for enrollment and admissions at your center 📝 ### Digital enrollment forms Create and send customizable enrollment forms to families. Families complete everything from their phone — emergency contacts, allergies, signed contracts, and required documents — before their child’s first day. 📧 ### Online registration Send a registration link to new families and they complete enrollment before their child’s first day — no paper, no chasing, no data entry by staff. 📁 ### Document collection Request and collect required documents — immunization records, licensing forms, signed contracts — through brightwheel. All documents are stored permanently and accessible from any authorized device. 📊 ### Enrollment visibility Directors and administrators can see enrollment status across the entire center in real time — total enrollment, available capacity, waitlist size, and outstanding forms. Buyer’s guide ## What to look for in enrollment software for childcare centers Enrollment software for childcare centers needs to be both efficient for staff and frictionless for families. Here are the capabilities that matter most. ✓ Digital form completion by families An enrollment tool that puts data entry on the family — not the staff — eliminates transcription work and errors. Families complete their information directly into the system, and it’s accurate from the start. ✓ Center-wide enrollment visibility Directors and administrators need to see enrollment status, available capacity, and waitlist information across all classrooms from one view. A unified enrollment platform provides this visibility automatically. ✓ Completion tracking and follow-up tools The most common enrollment frustration is not knowing who has completed their forms. An enrollment tool with real-time completion tracking and easy follow-up tools removes the manual chasing. ✓ Document storage and licensing compliance Many licensing requirements involve collecting and maintaining signed contracts, immunization records, and authorization forms. A digital enrollment tool that stores these permanently and makes them accessible for inspection is a compliance asset. ✓ Connection to billing, attendance, and daily operations When enrollment is complete, the child’s information should flow directly into billing, attendance, and daily reports without duplicate data entry. A connected enrollment system saves administrative time throughout the child’s enrollment. Provider story “ > Enrollment is all online on brightwheel. I don’t need to chase down families for forms anymore, because I can ensure it’s all on file before they start. KR Kelly R. Director, Good Shepherd Learning Center · Douglassville, PA [Read customer stories →](https://mybrightwheel.com/customers/) Getting started ## Set up digital enrollment for your center 1 ### Create your digital enrollment package Build the enrollment forms, document requests, and consent forms your center requires. This becomes the standard enrollment package every new family receives. 2 ### Send enrollment to new families When a family accepts a spot, send them a brightwheel enrollment invitation. They complete all forms and upload required documents from their phone before the child’s first day. 3 ### Monitor completion and follow up Brightwheel shows which families have completed enrollment and which have outstanding items. Send follow-up reminders with a tap for anyone who hasn’t finished. 4 ### Connect enrollment to billing and operations Once a family completes enrollment, their child’s profile is ready for billing, attendance, daily reports, and communication — all from the same platform. Common challenges ## Common enrollment challenges for childcare centers — and how to address them Enrollment administration is one of the highest-volume administrative processes for childcare centers. Most friction points are solvable with a digital process. Enrollment paperwork creating front desk burden When enrollment requires staff to collect, review, and file paper packets from every new family, the front desk carries a significant administrative burden before a child even starts. Digital enrollment puts the work on the family, not the staff. Families not completing enrollment before the first day When families receive paper packets to complete at home, completion before the start date is inconsistent. Digital enrollment with e-signature that families complete from their phone significantly improves pre-start completion rates. Staff re-entering enrollment data into billing and attendance systems When enrollment information is collected on paper and then entered into separate billing and attendance systems, data entry errors accumulate and staff time is wasted. Brightwheel collects enrollment data once and connects it to all downstream systems. No real-time enrollment visibility Directors who have to manually count enrollment across classrooms don’t have the data they need to make informed decisions about capacity, staffing, and waitlists. Brightwheel gives administrators real-time enrollment data across the center. Licensing forms not complete at program start Licensed programs may have compliance exposure when children start care without all required forms on file. Digital enrollment in brightwheel creates a pre-start checklist that ensures required documentation is complete before the child’s first day. FAQ ## Common questions about enrollment and admissions for childcare centers Can families complete enrollment forms on their phones? Yes. Brightwheel enrollment forms are fully mobile-friendly. Families receive a link, create their brightwheel account, and complete the entire enrollment package from their phone. Can directors and administrators see enrollment status across all classrooms in real time? Yes. Brightwheel gives directors and administrators real-time visibility into enrollment status, available capacity, and outstanding forms across every classroom in the center. Does brightwheel store enrollment records for licensing? Yes. All enrollment documents and child information are stored permanently in brightwheel and accessible from any authorized device at any time — including during a licensing inspection. Can I collect signed enrollment contracts through brightwheel? Yes. Enrollment contracts can be included in the digital enrollment package. Families sign them digitally and the signed documents are stored in brightwheel. How do I know which families have outstanding enrollment items? Brightwheel shows the enrollment completion status for every family. You can send follow-up reminders directly through brightwheel to families who haven’t finished. Does completing enrollment connect to billing and attendance? Yes. When enrollment is complete in brightwheel, the child’s profile is immediately connected to billing, attendance, daily reports, and communication — no separate setup required. Explore more Other features for childcare centersEnrollment and Admissions for other program types [FeatureBilling & payments →](/childcare-centers/billing) [FeatureCommunication →](/childcare-centers/communication) [FeatureDaily reports →](/childcare-centers/preschool-daily-report) [FeatureChildcare forms →](/childcare-centers/childcare-forms) [FeatureExpense management →](/childcare-centers/expense-management) [FeatureAttendance & check-in →](/childcare-centers/child-care-attendance-tracking) [SegmentIn-home child care →](/in-home-child-care/childcare-enrollment-registration) [SegmentPreschools →](/preschools/childcare-enrollment-registration) [SegmentMontessori →](/montessori/childcare-enrollment-registration) [SegmentMultisite centers →](/multisite-centers/childcare-enrollment-registration) [SegmentGovernment & network partners →](/government-and-network-partners/childcare-enrollment-registration) [SegmentCamps & afterschool →](/before-and-after-school-programs/childcare-enrollment-registration) ## Ready to move your center’s enrollment process online? Join thousands of childcare centers that use brightwheel to collect enrollment forms digitally, onboard families before day one, and keep all records in one place. [Get a demo](https://mybrightwheel.com/demo/) [See pricing](https://mybrightwheel.com/pricing/)