#1 childcare software for new programs
Be ready on day one
Be ready on day one
Set up your operations before you open. Manage enrollment, billing, and family communication in one simple app.
Already use brightwheel? Join your school
Trusted by millions of educators and families
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Why new programs love brightwheel
Pre-opening family enrollment
Start a waitlist and create a clear process to enroll families early.
The New Program Experience
Dedicated 1:1 coaching to navigate licensing and opening tasks.
Simplified financial management
Automate billing to ensure you get paid on time, right from the start.
Positive first impression
Show families and staff that you’re ready and organized, even before your doors open.
Pre-opening family enrollment
Start a waitlist and create a clear process to enroll families early.
The New Program Experience
Dedicated 1:1 coaching to navigate licensing and opening tasks.
Simplified financial management
Automate billing to ensure you get paid on time, right from the start.
Positive first impression
Show families and staff that you’re ready and organized, even before your doors open.
New program owners and directors: Brightwheel is for you
Seamless parent communication
- Send updates about your opening date, share progress photos, and build excitement before you launch
- Compose messages and reminders from both the app or web platform
- Make it easy for families to get in touch with you and access messages in one place
“Parent communication has drastically improved thanks to brightwheel. Parents are more in tune with what’s going on at school, so they’re more responsive. Because brightwheel is easy and quick to use for everybody.”
Cally B. Assistant Director at MBCC Journey
Birmingham, AL
Early enrollment tools
- Collect applications online, build a waitlist, and keep all family details in one place
- Customize your enrollment contracts and collect signatures digitally
- Track enrollment details to understand and project future enrollment
“Now, enrollment is all online on brightwheel. We no longer have manual processes where families come in and sign paperwork in the office. I don’t need to chase down families for forms anymore, because I can ensure it’s all on file before they start.”
Pam M. Owner and Executive Director at Creative Learning Preschool
Denver, CO
Automated billing setup
- Create tuition plans and set up online payments ahead of time. Then, start collecting when you open your doors
- Protect payment data with bank-level security and encryption
- Connect with Quickbooks for easy accounting and taxes
“95% of my parents are now on track with payments. Before, it was really bad. Parents love that they can see exactly how much they owe, right on their phones.”
Munisha M. Director at Excelsior University for Children
Seabrook, TX
Enhance your staff experience
- Give new hires a simple tool to help them feel confident on day one
- Facilitate clear and direct communication with staff members via integrated messaging
- Manage staff schedules, track training, and communicate changes quickly
“Revising the schedule takes less than 5 minutes and everyone is aware of what is going on, which makes for a seamless operation.”
Kelly R. Director of Good Shepherd Learning Center
Douglassville, PA
Improve your classroom management
- Create classroom schedules for teachers and students, and monitor attendance so you’re always in compliance with ratio requirements
- Store child records, enrollment forms, and staff documents in a safe, organized system
“Brightwheel helps me manage every aspect of our program from signing in and out to billing to maintaining relationships with families. I love that it’s all in one system and centralized.”
Kelly R, Director at Good Shepherd Learning Center
Douglassville, PA
Support educators with curriculum and lesson plans
- Create and share lesson plans, track developmental milestones, and log daily activities all within the app
- Keep families updated on their child’s development with progress reports
- Add Experience Curriculum to enhance program quality with digital lessons and hands-on learning materials
“Our teachers love Experience Curriculum. Newer teachers feel more confident because they can use it as a strong foundation and build from there to support child development in their classrooms.”
Tiffany P. Teacher & Curriculum Coordinator at Tarrytown Children’s Center
Austin, TX
Frequently asked questions
At brightwheel, we’ve supported thousands of new programs and truly get how complex opening a childcare program can be. That’s why we created our New Program Experience: to help you launch smoothly and confidently.
You’ll receive dedicated 1:1 coaching to help you build a personalized, on-time opening plan and get fully set up in brightwheel. Plus, you’ll gain access to a full library of new program tools and resources and a supportive community of providers for learning and connection. Brightwheel is the only ECE software that offers this level of dedicated support tailored to new programs.
Brightwheel provides robust enrollment management features that help new programs attract and onboard families efficiently. You can manage inquiries, track applications, share important documents, and collect necessary information, making the pre-opening enrollment period stress-free.
Yes, brightwheel simplifies billing with automated setup and management tools. You can easily set up recurring payments, track invoices, and collect payments securely, reducing administrative burden and ensuring consistent cash flow for your new program.
Brightwheel fosters strong home-to-school connections with its family communication features. You can share daily updates, photos, videos, and important announcements with families in real-time through the app, enhancing engagement and building trust.
You can trust that your program’s and families’ data is secure with brightwheel. We prioritize data security and adhere to the strictest measures to protect all information in our system. Our platform is also compliant with all applicable data privacy laws. To learn more about brightwheel’s security practices, visit brightwheel’s Security FAQs here.
Brightwheel offers transparent, all-inclusive pricing plans that scale with your program, often proving more cost-effective as you grow, with no hidden fees for essential features. Request pricing information to explore how brightwheel can benefit your program.
What new program owners and directors are saying
Read more testimonials in customer stories
I would say that if you are a new program you should definitely jump on brightwheel and just experience it. There’s no reason not to, with the cost and the effectiveness, it’s 100% a yes for me.
As I build my new program, the billing features are a game changer. I can easily invoice parents, and everything is automatically tracked—especially helpful come tax season.
Experience Curriculum allows you to lean into creativity while following the curriculum. It’s all right there, it’s all prepared for you, and then you can lean into it.
Brightwheel helps us in every way possible. From their onboarding and support team to the features that keep us organized, on track with planning, and communicating smoothly to parents and each other.
I would say that if you are a new program you should definitely jump on brightwheel and just experience it. There’s no reason not to, with the cost and the effectiveness, it’s 100% a yes for me.
As I build my new program, the billing features are a game changer. I can easily invoice parents, and everything is automatically tracked—especially helpful come tax season.
Experience Curriculum allows you to lean into creativity while following the curriculum. It’s all right there, it’s all prepared for you, and then you can lean into it.
Brightwheel helps us in every way possible. From their onboarding and support team to the features that keep us organized, on track with planning, and communicating smoothly to parents and each other.
Seamlessly switch to brightwheel from other childcare management software
Easy onboarding trainings
Get access to guided training through brightwheel Academy, a comprehensive learning tool to help you, your staff, and families master using brightwheel.
Speedy support team
Brightwheel has the industry’s largest support team and will ensure that you get quick answers through live chat whenever you need them (response times are less than 1 minute!). Brightwheel’s support team plays a pivotal role in enabling new users to maximize every feature of the software.
Roster and rate card upload tool
Switching to brightwheel is easy when you upload your student rosters. The brightwheel team will import your roster and tuition rates into your brightwheel account so you have all of the information you need from day one.
One simple, transparent price
You won’t pay more as you use more features on brightwheel. Your price is based on enrollment capacity and you get access to all features on the platform.
Brightwheel vs. Procare
Switch to brightwheel, the leading childcare management software with tools for billing, communication, and admissions—all in one easy-to-use platform.
Early education resources
Simplify childcare licensing
This free checklist contains actionable steps to:
- Understand the key steps to obtain your childcare license
- Learn the benefits of being a licensed program
- Keep your program compliant
- Gain access to crucial state and federal resources
Review the latest ECE insights & resources about starting a childcare program
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