Connect Childcare
Connect Childcare is paid nursery management software for administration, attendance, finance, child development, parent engagement, and daily operations.
What Connect Childcare is
Connect Childcare is paid nursery management software for administration, attendance, finance, child development, parent engagement, and daily operations. It provides enrolment management, check-in, billing and payments, and lesson planning across Android, iOS, macOS, web, and Windows. iConnect records observations with photos, videos, and notes, assessments, learning journals, and parent observations. Safeguarding functions include medication logs, accident reports, emergency contacts, digital registers, and permission controls. Connect Cashflow combines card payments, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Direct Debit, instant bank transfers, and HMRC Tax-Free Childcare in ParentZone. That parent app handles updates, journals, payments, and nursery communication. Windows desktops are supported, while Mac users can use Parallels; iConnect runs in supported browsers. Setup is free, with optional Cashflow, SMS, and postcode-lookup add-ons.
Good
- Covers attendance, finance, development, and parent engagement
- iConnect stores multimedia observations and learning journals
- ParentZone supports updates, communication, and payments
- Works across web, Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS
- Includes 24/7 online help and onboarding guidance
Watch out
- No free plan or free trial
- Fixed-term contracts apply
- Optional features can add fees
Who it suits
Connect Childcare is aimed at independent nurseries, preschools, and multi-site early years groups. It suits providers needing administration, child records, parent communication, attendance, and payment tools.
Verdict
Connect Childcare brings nursery administration, child development, safeguarding, communication, and payments into connected services. Its fixed-term paid plans and early-years focus make it most relevant to professional childcare providers.
Plans and prices
From Connect Childcare's own pricing page, checked 7 Oct 2026.
| Plan | Price | What it gives you |
|---|---|---|
| Connect Childcare | £50 a month | Management of multiple settings · Finance and admin · Communication · Reporting · StaffPlan included · Prices exclude VAT · Fixed-term contract |
| iConnect Daily | £50 a month | Daily operations · Enquiry management · Child development · Reporting · Prices exclude VAT · Fixed-term contract |
| ParentZone | £50 a month | Parent engagement app · Child updates · Daily events · Bills and payments · Bookings · Prices exclude VAT · Fixed-term contract |
| Multi-site Groups and Chains | Priced on request | Bespoke quote · Tailored plans for groups, chains, or franchises with 10 to 300+ sites |
The facts
Each one read from Connect Childcare's own pages, with the date it was checked.
What it does
- Attendance and check-in
- Yeschecked 22 Sep 2026
- Audience
- The software is aimed at early years providers including independent nurseries, preschools, and multi-site nursery groups.checked 7 Oct 2026
- Child development
- iConnect supports observations with photos, videos, and notes, assessments, online learning journals, and parent observations.checked 7 Oct 2026
- Contract and fees
- The maker states that customers have a fixed-term contract, setup is free, and optional add-ons include Connect Cashflow, SMS text messages, and postcode lookups.checked 7 Oct 2026
- Enrollment management
- Yeschecked 22 Sep 2026
- Family communication
- Yeschecked 22 Sep 2026
- Integrations
- The company describes strategic partnerships with complementary software providers and says its partnership with Nuuri supports parent enquiries and pre-enrolment.checked 7 Oct 2026
- Payments
- Connect Cashflow supports card payments, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Direct Debit, instant bank transfers, and HMRC Tax-Free Childcare through a single checkout and ledger in ParentZone.checked 7 Oct 2026
- Purpose
- Connect Childcare offers nursery management software for administration, attendance, finance, child development, parent engagement, and daily operations.checked 7 Oct 2026
- Safeguarding
- iConnect supports medication logging, accident reporting, emergency contacts, digital registers, and permission-based access settings.checked 7 Oct 2026
- Security and compliance
- The company says it is hosted on ISO-certified infrastructure, holds Cyber Essentials and Cyber Essentials Plus accreditations, is GDPR compliant, and meets PCI DSS standards.checked 7 Oct 2026
- Support
- Included support includes 24/7 online help, phone and email support, customer training, and guidance from onboarding and customer success managers.checked 7 Oct 2026
- Support hours
- Phone support is available 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday, ticket responses 8am to 6pm Monday to Friday, and the online helpdesk and chatbot are available 24/7.checked 7 Oct 2026
Money
- Billing and payments
- Yeschecked 22 Sep 2026
- Free plan
- Nochecked 22 Sep 2026
- Lesson planning
- Yeschecked 22 Sep 2026
The company
- Company history
- The site says Connect Childcare has worked in partnership with nurseries since 2004.checked 7 Oct 2026
- Headquarters
- Nelson, United Kingdomchecked 19 Oct 2026
Where it runs
- Mobile app
- ParentZone is a parent app for daily updates, learning journals, payments, and communication with a child’s nursery.checked 7 Oct 2026
- Mobile apps
- bothchecked 22 Sep 2026
- Platform compatibility
- The maker says Connect Childcare runs on Windows desktops or on a Mac using Parallels, while iConnect is a web app that works in supported browsers across a wide range of devices.checked 7 Oct 2026
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