We understand you will have questions.  That's why we've prepared a list of frquently-asked ones to handle the most common of questions for your review prior to purchasing ChildWatch® for your business.

If after reading our FAQ, you have further questions, we'd be happy to assist you.  Simply contact us and let us know how we may be of assistance.

 

 

Computers are fairly new to most of my staff. How difficult is it to learn ChildWatch® and get started.  I don't have a lot of time to train.

We like to think of ChildWatch® as the best combination of simplicity and power on the market.  Our software comes with a ready-to-use training tutorial which carefully guides your staff through the system.  Offering step-by-step examples, even the most computer-illiterate can quickly learn in about two hours.

 

There are times when we have parents picking up and dropping off children and that we need the computer to process payments.  Does your system allow us to do both at once?

Yes.  ChildWatch® is fully-networkable meaning you can inexpensively connect two or more computers at your center and simultaneously run ChildWatch® on them.  You could have parents checking their invoices at the front, staff clocking out for the day, and management collecting and entering payments - all at once.

 

We have a daycare center of over 250 families.  Can your software handle all of this data, and if so, what kind of computer "monster" do I need to run it?

ChildWatch® has been successfully tested with several thousand families in it.  In fact, our larger clients have as many as 3,500 children across 1,500 families. ChildWatch® was designed to handle centers of all sizes.  Our database engine is backed by Microsoft®, can handle up to a billion records, and is the fastest on the market in its class!

The type of computer required for ChildWatch® can vary, depending on the size of the center, whether running standalone or network, etc.  However, in answer to this question, we'd recommend a Pentium-class PC (about the 1ghz range) with 256MB RAM and a 20GB hard drive.  If networking multiple PCs, we advise running Windows NT/2000/XP/Vista/7 on the server (same hardware or greater) with Windows XP at each workstation.  Where possible (clients willing and able), we recommend using Windows NT/2000/XP/Vista/7 in lieu of 95/98/Me due to their proven stability.

 

Our center bills a different rates for each child. How does ChildWatch® handle this variance?

ChildWatch® offers very flexible billing methods. Each child may be set up with his/her unique set of charges and prices. Only management knows the difference in rates within the system.  All children can be billed at once, but internally, each child will be charged his/her rate for the appropriate charges.

 

We offer flat-fee and hourly-based billing. Can ChildWatch® do both?

Yes. ChildWatch® offers both types of billing.  In fact, the billing is flexible enough to tackle most any billing need. One unique feature is the "block billing" option.  This option can eliminate outstanding payments and increase cash flow by allowing parents "worry-free" pre-payments for their children.  Blocks of hours may be purchased in advanced and gradually decremented as they admit their children for daycare services.  This provides peace-of-mind for the parents as they need not worry about having the money for the week or forgetting their checkbook -- the funds are pre-paid as often as your center decides.

 

Can we eliminate a person sitting at the desk when using your attendance tracking option?

Yes. The main purpose in offering our touchscreen option is to help reduce costs and increase the bottom-line.  This is further accomplished by reducing staffing requirements and/or allowing staff to perform other tasks while parents securely check their children in & out, check on account balances, etc.

If you wish to retain a person at the desk, she can greet the parents, assist with the checkins and act to verify who's checking in/out whom.  She can also perform the checkins for the parents or for entire classrooms as an option.

 

Are time clocks required to track employee time & attendance?

No. Employees simply clock in and out at any of the ChildWatch® stations in the center.  If using touchscreens for parents to check children in & out, these screens may double in function by providing employees quick access to log themselves in and out, whether for the day or for meal breaks.

 

Must I purchase the entire package? What if I only need certain components?

You only purchase the components you need.  You never get stuck with a bunch of "bells & whistles" you won't use.

 

We get reimbursement funds for serving meals to children on special rate plans.  Can your software track and report these meals for the USDA Child & Adult Care Food Program (CACFP)?

ChildWatch® will automatically track and report on USDA meals served at a very basic level.  If you participate on the CACFP, we would advise you take a look at our service, ChildWatch® Web CACFP.  This service offers in-depth claims processing, but is made for independent centers or sponsors of homes/centers.

 

What if I wish to add options later? Can I add to my system?

Yes.  At any point, you may purchase additional components which can be made instantly available within your system.

 

Do you offer any type of discounts? What if our business has multiple sites?

Yes.  For larger businesses with multiple locations, we do offer discounts and special rates.  We will work with you to help you reduce your system costs as your business grows.

 

How can we be sure your software is right for our center?

Try it out!  FREE!  We offer a fully-working demo version.  You may enter actual families, perform billing, track attendance, etc. as though you had already purchased the system.  You should also see our product comparison chart. It can assist in determining the best product based on the features you need.

 

Do you offer support during the trial period?

Yes.  You will receive free online product support during your trial.  Support is limited to email only and will cover program basics.  Networking and other in-depth issues are not supported during this phase.

 

We like to know we're always up-to-date.  When are updates available and how are they distributed?

ChildWatch® requires an Internet connection in order to check for updates.  Updates are provided for a limited period of time with this product.  If you require continual, automatic updates, we would suggest taking a look at our Internet-delivered software service, ChildWatch® Web.

 

How can ChildWatch® save us money?

There are many ways in which ChildWatch® can save your center money.  Reduced staffing and/or alleviating repetitive tasks, clocking children in/out, tallying sign-in sheets, checking balances and collecting past due payments, recording and notifying of immunization statuses, allowing pre-paid accounts (eliminates outstanding debt), auto-preparation of meal counts and reimbursements, storing information electronically (reducing paper costs), and allowing remote operation (management can work from home without duplicate paperwork) are all examples of how ChildWatch® can reduce your workload as well as your costs -- increasing the bottom line!

 

What about reports?  There are times we may need a report which is not already in your software.

RSI provides free report development whenever the report is mutually beneficial.  Should you have a need which falls outside of this situation, RSI will customize reports specific to your needs.  We also offer a built-in report writer so you can create any report you wish.

 

Are pictures required in ChildWatch® ?

No.  But we recommend them simply because they are quick and inexpensive to capture and they make a nice additive to the overall experience in using ChildWatch® .  Forget someone's name?  With the photos in the system, ChildWatch® allows searching by face!

 

We frequently take our classes on field trips.  There is a separate charge for each outing.  Do we have to bill each child individually?

Field trips and miscellaneous charges are quickly and easily handled within ChildWatch® .  You can bill an entire classroom for a trip to the library in a matter of a few clicks.  You can charge standard rates or override with a special one.  Whether by classroom, group, or individually, ChildWatch® allows quick and flexible billing.

 

Keeping up with immunizations is a hassle and requires several hours each month of our staff.  Can ChildWatch® alleviate this drudgery?

Yes.  ChildWatch® is designed to automatically track and report child immunization records and statuses.  At any point, you can report which children are up-to-date and which are past due.  Parents can automatically be notified upon checkin about upcoming and past due shots.

 

Can I define my own fields within ChildWatch® ?

Yes.  ChildWatch® offers user-defined fields to allow data storage beyond our own ideas. In addition, we offer a "notes" area in which users may comment about an incident or store other information.

 

What about data merging?  Can I quickly send out a letter to 100 parents?

ChildWatch® offers a complete data merge feature.  Exportation of data in several formats is quick and simple. WordPerfect, Word, Excel -- whatever the case -- as long as the target program can import, it can almost always import and utilize ChildWatch® data.  Sending out a mass mailing to 100 or more parents is a matter of a few clicks!

 

How easily can we attain emergency and medical information should an accident take place?

ChildWatch® is organized in such a way as to provide all pertinent data in one central area.  This allows users to gain access to schedules, billing charges, emergency and immunization information without leaving the main screen.  Should an evacuation due to fire or other emergency occur, ChildWatch® provides a quick method to learn which children were onsite at that moment.

 

We sometimes have difficulty collecting payments. How can ChildWatch® help in this fashion?

ChildWatch® offers pre-payment of services.  This provides strong cash flow for the center and at the same time, provides the ability to greatly reduce or even eliminate late payments.

 

What does ChildWatch® offer over its competition?

RSI has spent years researching the industry, massaging its own software to meet and in most cases, exceed the normal requirements of daycare centers.  From top-of-the-line support staff to included toll-free support and continual product updates, we feel ChildWatch® offers the best mix of functionality, features, and affordability on the market.

Our staff is capable of providing technical support beyond the competition because the very people involved in developing the system are directly involved with its support.  Our daycare consultants can also offer insight where others fall short as they've actually been out in the field, working where many of you are today.

 

If I decide to purchase ChildWatch® , how long does it take to before we may begin entering family information and using the system?

With one phone call or email, we can turn your demo version into a purchased copy -- instantly!  You needn't wait for a disk.  Simply exchange a code with RSI and you're up & running without interruption or data loss.

 

Our trial period has expired.  How can we get an extension?

We understand that running a childcare takes a lot of time.  If you have found yourself interested in our products and services, but have failed to find the time to work with the demo you requested, as a one-time courtesy we will extend one time the demo for you.  Simply give us a call or email us and we'll help you continue your evaluation.

 

Is ChildWatch® protected from data loss?

This answer is really up to you and your staff.  ChildWatch® has complete backup functionality.  Backups may be performed in a matter of seconds and can prove to save months of work.  We provide the ability to quickly and effortlessly backup your vital data.  You provide the discipline to perform backups on a regular basis.  We also recommend using a UPS (uninterruptible power supply) to overcome brown-outs.

If you fear that backups will be done and performed regularly, you may wish to take a look at our Internet-delivered software service, ChildWatch® Web.  This service provides automatic protection for your data even if your computer crashes or is stolen.  In any case, your data are safe.

 

Does RSI provide data conversion from a prior system?

Yes.  Depending on the complexity of your data, we offer data conversion services for basic child and client information. The cost for conversion is evaluated on a case-by-case basis.  While we cannot guarantee any or all data will convert into our format, we promise to give our best attempt.

 

Do you offer program customization?

RSI promotes idea sharing and will consider any needs or desires of all businesses.  We provide free customization when the changes will benefit the system overall.

 

How is the touchscreen used? Do I need a computer store to install it?
 
The touchscreen is an optional item and is useful in providing quick and easy check in/out of children.  Employees benefit from this as well when using the Employee T&A option to act as a "punch" clock.  A computer store is not required to install this item.  Installation takes about 10 minutes and can be performed by most anyone.

 

Can you tell me about RSI and its staff?

RSI has been in business since 1992.  We've established a professional track record and have maintained a positive rapport with our clients.  We are proud to be involved with daycare consultants and technical staff to provide our customers with the best possible solutions and support.

 

We serve meals on a rotating weekly schedule.  Can ChildWatch® handle this?

Yes.  ChildWatch® offers basic menu development and up to 15 rotating weeks.  You can even save menus and reload them for later use.

If you participate on the CACFP, we would advise you take a look at our service, ChildWatch® Web CACFP.  This service offers in-depth claims processing, but is made for independent centers or sponsors of homes/centers.

 

What steps are necessary to install ChildWatch® ?

That's an easy one -- simply download the installation program (chldinst.exe) and run it on a Windows PC which meets the minimum requirements.  Instructions are provided during the installation.  Each installation takes only a few minutes.

 

Can we assess late fees or other miscellaneous charges to specific accounts?

Yes.  You can assess any type of fee you can think of at any time to any number of children.  Unique rates and special discounts are a snap!

 

How do we get the photos of parents and children into ChildWatch® ?  Is it difficult to update the photo?

Easy! Capturing photos electronically means nearly no cost.  It takes only about 15 seconds to take and store the photo of a child, parent, or employee.  Updating is a simple matter of clicking to take "new photo" and the new picture is stored over the old one.  It's a quick and simple process to keep children's photos up-to-date as they grow.

 

Can parents use an ID with barcode to check into the center?

Yes.  ChildWatch® is designed to allow parents to swipe an ID for initial system access.  After this, we recommend a touchscreen (but a mouse can be used) for selecting which children are to be admitted or released.

 

We currently use QuickBooks® for our accounts receivable and payroll.  Does ChildWatch® integrate with this software?

Yes.  We offer an optional link which will export both accounts receivable and employee time & attendance data to QuickBooks®.

 

We offer juice, diapers, and other items a la carte.  Will ChildWatch® allow these types of sales?

Yes.  You can configure ChildWatch®  to take over the sales process of a la carte items at the point of checkin.  Items and their quantities are recorded and reported by classroom so staff will know who gets what.

How can we keep parents from getting into the system if we allow them to check their own children in & out?

If you are allowing the parents to check in/out their children, you will either provide with a touchscreen (recommended) or a mouse.  They will not have access to the computer or keyboard; this prevents unwanted activity.

 

At year-end, how easily can we clear out our records for the next year?  Is is possible to look at last year's data without losing the current data?

With proper access, you can clear out the ChildWatch® data in a matter of just a few minutes.  The system is immediately ready to go for the upcoming year.

Yes. You can look at any data set at any time.  Simply backup your current data and restore from a prior backup.  Review the information you need and then restore from your most recent backup.

 

Is Internet access required in order to run ChildWatch® ?

No.  But we recommend it! In order to receive product updates and email support, you will need to have Internet/email access on your system somewhere.  You need not have access on each workstation, but it is recommended at the server.

 

What if we would like to create our own reports and labels?

Great -- ChildWatch® has a basic built-in report & label generator.  You can design your own report & labels to meet your ever-changing needs.