Improving parent communication by switching to Lillio

Center Name: Little Discoveries Early Learning Cooperative  | Location: Weyburn, Saskatchewan | Size: 120 children 

“When we had Procare, families engaged very little. Lillio creates more opportunities for parents to interact, so now I see them commenting on photos, sending messages to teachers and overall connecting with us more on a daily basis and saying how much they love the updates through Lillio.”  – Jessica Fenwick

In 2023 over 2000 educators in childcare centers across North America endorsed the transformative impact of childcare management tools as the number one solution for improving parent engagement. Investing in a childcare management software is how many childcare professionals seek to improve record keeping, automate tuition collection, save time on financial operations and administrative tasks, and most importantly, keep parents informed about their children’s daily activities, experiences and development. This is why it is comes as no surprise , that in the first month of 2024 almost half of childcare centers worldwide have shared that they use a childcare management software like Lillio.

One center that did just this is Little Discoveries Early Learning Cooperative, a licensed child care facility that provides care and education for roughly 120 children between the ages of six weeks and 12 years. Committed to providing quality care, Little Discoveries strives everyday to cultivate and maintain meaningful relationships with their children and families. Little Discoveries knew it was time to make a change.

Last year, Little Discoveries switched their childcare management software provider to Lillio to improve communication and boost family engagement. The seamless transition from their previous childcare center management tool (Procare) to Lillio was a pivotal moment for the center, resulting in a higher software return on investment, and most importantly, more families positively engaging with the childcare center everyday.

The challenge

Aiming to elevate the parent experience and engagement at her center, Jessica Fenwick, the director of Little Discoveries, initially turned to Procare for child care management software assistance. After a disappointing deployment and investment, Jessica knew that her next childcare center management partner had to be one that would act as a true collaborator, committed to helping her reach her goals. Lillio, with it’s comprehensive parent communication features proved to be the support she needed for not only handling all administrative tasks, but for the seamless communication between childcare center and parents.

The solution 

For a director as committed to providing quality care to children and families as Jessica, using an app that was deterring parent communication was not going to cut it. Understanding the importance of positive family relationships for child development, and recognizing the key features within Lillio’s childcare center management software, the next step seemed obvious for Jessica. The seamless transition from Procare to Lillio was a game changer for Jessica and her team of educators. “There were easy-to-follow and interactive online training sessions provided for the staff, and then for any staff who wanted someone at Lillio to be on the phone with them and help them learn the product hands on, we had that option as well. It was great for us,” Fenwick shared. Lillio not only helped simplify administrative tasks but improved communication, ultimately enhancing both the parent and child’s experiences.

Little Discoveries relies on Lillio for:

Lesson Planning

Daily Documentation

Family Communication

Notable improvements since using Lillio

• Increase in overall staff usage

• Improved user experience

• Decrease in staff frustration
  

After the – you get what you paid for and that’s it – experience she had with Procare, Jessica swore the next childcare management software she brought into Little Discoveries would be a true partner. Recognizing the significance of key features needed for parent communication and the specific needs of childcare centers, Lillio emerged as the ideal solution. The software not only helped her meet her goals, but it also demonstrated a commitment to constant growth and adapting to keep up with Jessica’s evolving needs. “With Procare we did not have a partnership the way we do with Lillio. We did not have people checking in, asking for our feedback or what we needed to succeed, which Lillio always does. It truly feels like you want the best for us, and that you want to improve your product to make it easier for us, and that is really nice.”, Jessica shares. As a dedicated childcare professional, Jessica understands the importance of partnering with a daycare management software that truly wants the best for childcare providers, children and families.

During the first few months using Lillio, Jessica spoke with families about what their experience has been like since the center transitioned from Procare. “Parents used to not really use Procare at all. With Lillio’s parent portal there is just so much for them to do that they couldn’t before. Families can like and comment on photos that are shared with them and they really like that quick and easy engagement during the work day. It has also been very user friendly for them “ Jessica shares. Lillio not only facilitates enhanced parent engagement but also provides families with lesson plans, enrollment management, attendance management and an overall user-friendly platform, contributing to an improved experience for everyone at their childcare center.

The result 

Partnering with a new child care management software has been a success for Jessica and her team. Family engagement in early childhood education strengthens the bond between home and school and fosters increased collaboration between families and educators. Through the partnership with Lillio, Jessica was able to achieve the main goal that she wanted to with her investment – providing a better parent experience and improving engagement. As busy child care professionals, Jessica and her team now feel empowered using a high-quality management software that will grow with them, knowing they will have Lillio’s support along the way.

“The best thing for us since switching from ProCare to Lillio is that parents seem happier and are way more engaged. Lillio offers more ways for families to engage with their child throughout the day and that has elevated their experience”  – Jessica Fenwick, Little Discoveries Early Learning Cooperative 

To learn more about how your center can engage and delight families with Lillio’s childcare management software fill out the form below!