--- title: "Daily Reports for In-Home Child Care" id: "26137" type: "page" slug: "preschool-daily-report" published_at: "2026-06-18T00:20:37+00:00" modified_at: "2026-06-18T00:20:37+00:00" url: "https://mybrightwheel.com/in-home-child-care/preschool-daily-report/" markdown_url: "https://mybrightwheel.com/in-home-child-care/preschool-daily-report.md" excerpt: "Meal loggingNap & sleep trackingActivity recordsFamily-visible updates 95%of admins report brightwheel improves communication with families 3 of 4families adopt brightwheel in their first week #1rated all-in-one childcare solution 20 hrssaved per month on administrative work What is this Daily reports..." taxonomy_language: - "English" --- [Brightwheel](https://mybrightwheel.com/) › [In-Home Child Care](https://mybrightwheel.com/in-home-child-care/) › Daily Reports for In-Home Child Care # Daily Reports for In-Home Child Care ## Log meals, naps, activities, and moments throughout the day and share them with families automatically. Brightwheel replaces paper daily sheets with a digital record families can see in real time. Meal loggingNap & sleep trackingActivity recordsFamily-visible updates 95%of admins report brightwheel improves communication with families 3 of 4families adopt brightwheel in their first week #1rated all-in-one childcare solution 20 hrssaved per month on administrative work What is this **Daily reports for in-home child care** refers to the digital logs a home-based childcare provider creates throughout the day documenting each child’s meals, sleep, diaper changes, activities, and notable moments. Brightwheel delivers these reports to families in real time so they know exactly what their child did during the day — without the provider needing to fill out paper forms or send individual texts. How it works ## How daily reports work for in-home childcare providers Families with children in in-home care want to know what their child ate, when they slept, what they played, and how they’re doing — especially for infants and toddlers whose parents can’t ask them directly. Paper daily sheets have been the standard for decades, but they require the provider to write by hand, remember to send the form home, and hope the family reads it. Digital daily reports change this entirely. The provider logs entries on their phone throughout the day — a tap to record a bottle feeding, a note about a nap, a photo from outdoor play. Families receive push notifications on their phones in real time and can see the complete daily record in the app. For in-home providers, daily reports also serve a documentation function. A complete record of meals served, sleep times, and incidents is valuable in the event of a licensing inspection, a health concern, or a conversation with a family about their child’s development. In-home providers who replace paper daily sheets with brightwheel typically save significant time — logging on a phone is faster than writing, and delivery is automatic rather than relying on a physical form going home in a backpack. See it in action ## See how brightwheel daily reports works How in-home providers use brightwheel to log and share daily reports with families · 2 min What’s included ## Everything you need for daily reporting 🍼 ### Meal & feeding logs Record bottles, solids, and snacks with a few taps. Track amounts and timing for infants and older children. Families see exactly what their child ate during the day. 😴 ### Sleep & nap tracking Log nap start and end times as they happen. Families and providers both have an accurate record without estimating from memory at pickup. 🎨 ### Activity notes Document what children did during the day — outdoor play, crafts, circle time, reading. Notes go directly to families through the app. 📸 ### Photo moments Capture and share photos throughout the day. Families receive them as push notifications and can save them from the brightwheel app. Buyer’s guide ## What to look for in daily reporting tools for in-home child care Daily reporting tools vary significantly in ease of use. Here are the capabilities that matter most for an in-home provider logging throughout the day. ✓ Fast mobile logging An in-home provider can’t step away from children to fill out a form. Daily reporting needs to happen in seconds on a phone. If it takes more than a few taps, it won’t get done consistently. ✓ Real-time delivery to families Daily reports that go home on paper get forgotten in backpacks. Real-time delivery to family phones means parents see updates throughout the day, reducing pickup-time questions and inbound texts. ✓ Tracking for multiple children simultaneously In-home providers typically care for multiple children at once. A reporting tool that tracks each child individually — without requiring the provider to switch between separate apps — is essential. ✓ Photo sharing built in For young children especially, photos are the most meaningful part of a daily report. A reporting tool with built-in photo capture and delivery eliminates the need for a separate sharing app. ✓ Record-keeping for licensing In-home providers in licensed programs may be required to maintain records of meals, medications, and incidents. A digital daily report creates a searchable, organized archive automatically. Provider story “ > We’ve pretty much replaced all pencil and paper in our programs thanks to brightwheel. Everything is digital, which is so much more efficient. MH Marc H. Owner, A Strong Start · Trumbull, CT [Read customer stories →](https://mybrightwheel.com/customers/) Getting started ## Set up daily reporting in minutes 1 ### Add each child to brightwheel Create a profile for each child in your program. Add their date of birth, allergies, and any relevant care notes. 2 ### Invite families to the app Send each family an invitation to brightwheel. Once they set up their account, they’ll receive daily report notifications in real time. 3 ### Log your first daily activity During the day, tap to log a meal, nap, or activity for a child. It takes a few seconds and the family receives it immediately. 4 ### Build reporting into your daily routine Log entries as they happen throughout the day rather than all at once at pickup. Consistent real-time logging gives families a complete picture and reduces end-of-day scramble. Common challenges ## Common daily reporting challenges for in-home providers — and how to address them Daily reporting is one of the most visible ways in-home providers build family trust. These are the most common obstacles providers face. Forgetting details by the end of the day When providers rely on memory to fill out daily sheets at pickup, details get lost. Logging in real time as events happen produces a more accurate record and removes the end-of-day catch-up. Paper forms that never make it home Daily sheets sent home in backpacks get lost, arrive crumpled, or go unread. Digital delivery directly to family phones means every family gets every update every day. Families calling or texting during the day to check in When families don’t have real-time updates, they reach out directly during the day, creating interruptions. Proactive daily reports through brightwheel reduce this by keeping families informed before they need to ask. No permanent record of daily care Paper daily sheets aren’t searchable and don’t survive long. Digital records in brightwheel are stored permanently, making it easy to reference past entries if a question arises about a child’s care. Reporting for multiple children at the same time In-home providers caring for multiple children need to log for each one accurately. Brightwheel’s individual child profiles make it easy to switch between children and log each one correctly. FAQ ## Common questions about daily reports for in-home child care Can I send daily reports to families in real time? Yes. When you log a meal, nap, or activity in brightwheel, families receive a push notification on their phone immediately. They don’t have to wait until pickup to see what their child did during the day. Can I log daily reports for multiple children at once? Yes. Brightwheel maintains an individual profile for each child. You can switch between children quickly to log activities as they happen throughout the day. Does brightwheel store past daily reports? Yes. All daily reports are stored in brightwheel permanently and are searchable by date and child. You can reference past records any time from your phone or computer. Can I include photos in daily reports? Yes. You can capture and attach photos directly from your phone when logging activities. Families receive the photos as part of the daily report notification. Do families need to download an app to see daily reports? Yes. Families access daily reports through the brightwheel app on their phone. Setup takes a few minutes — 3 out of 4 families adopt brightwheel in their first week. Can I log meals, naps, and activities separately for each child? Yes. Each child has their own profile in brightwheel. Meals, naps, diaper changes, and activities are logged and displayed individually so families see only their own child’s record. Explore more Other features for in-home child careDaily Reports for other program types [FeatureBilling & payments →](/in-home-child-care/billing) [FeatureCommunication →](/in-home-child-care/communication) [FeatureEnrollment & admissions →](/in-home-child-care/childcare-enrollment-registration) [FeatureChildcare forms →](/in-home-child-care/childcare-forms) [FeatureExpense management →](/in-home-child-care/expense-management) [FeatureAttendance & check-in →](/in-home-child-care/child-care-attendance-tracking) [SegmentChildcare centers →](/childcare-centers/preschool-daily-report) [SegmentPreschools →](/preschools/preschool-daily-report) [SegmentMontessori →](/montessori/preschool-daily-report) [SegmentMultisite centers →](/multisite-centers/preschool-daily-report) [SegmentGovernment & network partners →](/government-and-network-partners/preschool-daily-report) [SegmentCamps & afterschool →](/before-and-after-school-programs/preschool-daily-report) ## Ready to replace paper daily sheets with real-time digital reports? Join thousands of in-home providers who use brightwheel to log daily activities and keep families connected throughout the day. [Get a demo](https://mybrightwheel.com/demo/) [See pricing](https://mybrightwheel.com/pricing/)