At Daily Connect, we’re constantly working hard to add new features that make life easier for our users – childcare professionals around the world.
In a recent update, we added several new features to our attendance tracking tools. Together, these will improve the sign-in process, add additional security features, and make it easier for administrators to track attendance.
These features have now been activated on all active Daily Connect accounts. Read on to learn more about how you can start using them and the benefits you can expect to see.
Paper QR Code for Sign In Kiosk
Since launching in 2020, Daily Connect’s digital sign-in kiosk has evolved to become a popular feature that’s widely used. The digital sign-in kiosk allows parents to sign-in or sign-out their child digitally, either by using a unique PIN code or by scanning a QR code displayed on a device.
To use this feature, many childcare providers have set up a tablet at the entrance of their facility, or alternatively, have used tablets or smartphones used by teachers in individual classrooms.
This latest update removes the need for these dedicated devices. Instead, you can print out your QR code and place this at the entrance to your facility. Parents just have to use their Daily Connect app to scan the code to sign their child in and out. That makes for a smoother childcare sign in process and frees up an additional device that was previously only used for the sign in process.
To print your QR code, navigate to Settings > Sign In Kiosk in the Daily Connect web application. You can still collect parent’s signatures and ask sign-in survey questions with this option, and teachers can use the QR code to clock in too.
One thing to keep in mind is that this sign-in method is not the most secure. Parents and teachers could take a photograph of the QR code and use this to sign in when they’re not at your facility, causing confusion.
If this is a concern, either change your QR code on a regular basis. You can do this by navigating to Settings > Sign-In Kiosk > Print Code > Reset Code in the Daily Connect web app.
Preventing Manual Sign-In and Sign Out
To add an additional level of security, we’re adding a new option that gives childcare centers the ability to not allow parents to sign-in using the Daily Connect mobile app, unless they use a QR code or PIN code.
Sometimes, parents can sign in and out from home when using the Daily Connect app. That can cause issues with billing, timing, and more for administrators, and if it happens too often, it’s best to turn this feature on.
You can disable manual sign-in and out in the Settings > Sign In Kiosk in the Daily Connect web application.
Easily View Children Sign-In and Sign-Out Times
We’ve also made improvements to the Attendance Dashboard on the Daily Connect web application. In addition to the list of children and teachers that are currently at the facility, the dashboard now also shows children and teachers who have already signed out for the day.
Additionally, you can toggle the In/Out toggle on the right of the Attendance Dashboard to view the children who have left and check what time they signed out.
Together, these features will significantly streamline the sign-in and sign-out process, helping teachers and administrators save time every day.
Did you know that many of our new features start with feedback from Daily Connect users like you? If you’ve got an idea for a new feature that would make a big difference to the way you run your childcare center, reach out to support@dailyconnect.com to let us know.