What are Sandbox ChildCare Management users saying about the software?

Growing with Sandbox

I have always had a positive experience. Anytime I have a question for chat , response almost immediately.

Pros

This software is easily trainable to our new franchisees.

Cons

There are two many options. There should be only what we need for our centres. eg daily report. Parent portal should be more interactive. eg. childcare friendly not office friendly.

Sandbox Software Review

I was responsible for learning and implementing the software so I started from the beginning to learn all that Sandbox could do to improve our department. I was the point person so I needed to know it from A to Z. First, the customer service representatives at Sandbox are A+; always available to answer questions and help with the set up. The system basically gave us the ability to go paperless. The system gave parents/guardians a portal for all of their needs from electronic registration to monthly payments.

Pros

The system basically gave us the ability to go paperless. The system gave parents/guardians a portal for all of their needs from electronic registration to monthly payments. We received 100% positive feedback from our families with the implementation of Sandbox. We went from entering monthly payments by hand to 98% of families using the electronic payment system through the parent portal. This gave a real-time payment tracker that allowed us to respond immediately for any late payments. This also gave us the ability to send end of the year tax statements electronically; no more bulk mailings so it saved money. We installed electronic sign-in/out for a secure and accurate attendance system. The accurate attendance also allocated accurate records for subsidy tracking; again saving money. The family account section gave the freedom to upload documents, keep track of physicals and due dates, write notes, communicate with the family securely. Sandbox has many important features that will help any child care center through the registration process, bookkeeping, communication, documentation, reports. I use many of the Sandbox installed reports each month from payment summaries to attendance reports. There are many reports available. There is also a section that we use for staffing that helps keep track of profiles, documents, due dates, etc. This gives us one location and accurate records that we use for Keystone STARS. I would highly recommend Sandbox for all child care providers.

Cons

The only negative issue I have with Sandbox is that I need to have specific wording for payment receipts that parents need to submit to their employer for dependent care reimbursement. I need to insert the specific wording manually which is tedious and takes too much time to do each month.

Sandbox

I am the part time secretary for evenings, I use sandbox to enter schedules, change schedules, make payments and reports. I use it daily, and my only question is about double entries, (see above).

Pros

For the most, Sandbox is pretty organized for our needs here. I like that staff at Sandbox keep us informed and are there for questions and answer prompt! Overall, I would recommend it to others and I appreciate the software, makes part of my job easier.

Cons

I entered one child in duplicate, and was unable to delete. It had to be archived. There has to be a way to delete double entries?

Much less expensive than other similar software

Overall we are very happy with what Sandbox has offered our centre. Set up was fairly easy, but just like any new program, there's a learning curve. The customer service has been astounding from the beginning! I can message hem about any tiny issue or question and they have an answer within minutes.

Pros

The price is great! Beats any other similar software prices by a landslide. It does everything that a daycare centre needs, and they are constantly updating and upgrading. Consumer service is fantastic!

Cons

There have been a few glitches to work through, but those have been addressed. I would love to see a more detailed explanation of payments on invoices. For example, we can make a partial payment on an invoice using a credit on an account, but on the invoice it doesn't specify where that payment came from. It just says "Amount Paid", so it can be difficult to go back and figure out where that payment came from. The invoicing/billing section needs more clarification.

Sandbox is a breath of fresh air in childcare management software!

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Pros

This program has dramatically changed our billing procedure. It is so simple and easy to use while still having all of the features we need to successfully operate our large childcare program! We love that it can be accessed remotely, parents can access the app, teachers can sign students in and out from the ipad, and so much more! If we ever need help, the customer service team gets back to us very quickly! We also LOVED that the Sandbox team helped us add all students when we started with them so we did not have to manually move everything over!

Cons

This may be a problem unique to our program. However, when we have parents complete a new registration form (needed for our license) each year, it duplicates the parents in the child profile which can cause billing or parent portal issues. We have not found a simple way to correct this on our own. Other than that, everything has been smooth sailing.

If you are wondering if you should purchase this software.....The answer is YES!

We have been extremely happy with our purchase and implantation of the Sandbox software. We have been able to drop the amount of past due tuition dramatically along with improving our system of keeping up with shot records and other requirements for the children and staff. My time spent calculating time cards has been dramatically reduced due to using the computerized time clock.

Pros

I love the ease of use of the system and that parents can view their info on the parent app. Since we have started using the software we have been able to drop the amount of past-due tuition from over 10K to under 2K weekly.

Cons

I do not like that when a couple is married that only one of them can see their account balance. I wish there was a joint option where they could both have a login that would allow them to see the balance. I have parents get confused when they login with their personal email when the account is setup under the other parent and see a zero balance. Maybe even something that showed when the parent listed as the non-payer logged in that showed this is a non-payer account. I would also like for parents to be able to pay in advance and it leave a credit on their account. Many of my parents want to pay monthly or bi-weekly and cannot pay over the amount due.

Sandbox Software

Our team has had a positive experience with Sandbox from the start.

Pros

This program is user friendly and provides record keeping that is efficient and simple to use. The billing process runs smoothly. Parents have expressed ease of use. As a client of Sandbox, I am MOST grateful for their customer service. They listen, make changes to the program if appropriate and frequently problem solve with me. I can't speak highly enough of their team.

Cons

There is not much I don't like about this program. It would be great to have a program which integrates observations with Early Learning Standards. However, that is unlikely since standards vary from state to state and this integration would be cost prohibitive for any program.

ECEC LLC

Overall I have become more efficient and saved time. I can work from anywhere and see up to the minute changes in our center.

Pros

The interface is very intuitive for me and my staff. The main reason I selected and continued the use is the customer support is beyond great. If I message I get a response in minutes and If I request a call, I am called the same day and most times with in minutes.

Cons

I wish that familie's balance would be included in the log in and log out steps.

The software with a brain

I love the software, I suggest it to other centers every time I have the chance.

Pros

The software is user friendly and fluid. It is logical to use and helps making my job simpler. The team is very responsive and takes care of us every time we have a question.

Cons

A few reports could be added but the team works with us and is willing to make changes when needed and possible.

Best Option for Child Care Centres

We have used Sandbox since their early days. We've been happy from day one and it just continues to get better. We have been using HiMama as well for documentation, but Sandbox now offers these features as well. This is a complete management and documentation package perfect for centres no matter if its 15 spaces or 150.

Pros

Customer service and support, user interface, ability to keep it simple or utilize more advanced features, value for money, ability to export data.

Cons

Nothing - we have no issues with Sandbox after 4+ years of use.

Great Program worth the price

When I first took over in the childcare office I was under the impression that Sandbox would not fulfill what we were looking for in a software program, but after doing more research on my own I discovered that Sandbox was able to do everything that other programs do. I've enjoyed working with the Sandbox program and their customer service.

Pros

This software has the same functions as many of the more expensive software. Without have any formal training on it I was able to figure it out pretty easily and being able to call, email or chat with customer support has been a huge help. Everything that we were looking for in a software program Sandbox has with being a fraction of the price of others. Sandbox is simple and clean looking and is working on updating to keep up to date resources available to parents and teachers.

Cons

Some of the features that it has such as with child daily logs is not as concise as I would prefer it to be as an administrator, but over all it is simple to use and easy for parents to navigate.

Sandbox is Top Notch!

Sandbox is super easy to use. It used to take me 3 days to do billing with the other product I used. Now it only takes me minutes! Parents love the ability of paying online and seeing real-time posts from teachers about their child. Sandbox Customer Service is Top Notch!

Pros

Sandbox Customer Service is always there, ready and willing to help in any way possible. They are fast, friendly and resourceful.

Cons

Problems linking the Sandbox app with the online software.

Amazing customer service team and amazing product

Besides the learning curve I overall enjoyed the use of the Sandbox platform and the amazing customer support team. Any time I got stuck or need to know how to do something, help was always a chat away.

Pros

I am relatively new to early childhood education getting accustomed to the many intricate facets of the role from billing, staffing requirements, immunizations, attendance, family communications, newsfeeds, etc has all been made much simpler and streamlined with the Sandbox platform. It is great to have so many features and functions all integrated within Sandbox and it has done away with the need to maintain entire filing cabinets worth of student and staff paperworks. We've had licensing come through and never glanced at our hard copies simply because all of our stuff are backed up to Sandbox.

Cons

The sheer number of features are a bit overwhelming at first and it takes a while to understand how to use the platform. I was fortunate to have a person on my team who went through the learning pains herself to help me figure out things like how to send invoices and mark kids as absent for vacations. I think an average person without such aid might struggle with a somewhat steep learning curve at first. Short tutorials (maybe in video format) that are easy to find and targeted to common, specific tasks such as how to add a child for enrollment, or how to add payment, etc would be very helpful.

I knew immediately that I liked Sandbox from the demo because it was so easy to use!

Overall, Sandbox has been very intuitive and easy to use. It's great to have the platform online and in an app so it's always accessible. I've been very happy with Sandbox so far!

Pros

Sandbox has been very easy to use, and luckily I have not had a lot of questions or issues. But, I would say what I like most about Sandbox so far is the Customer Service. The old software I was using would require several phone calls, lots of time on hold, and a lot of work-arounds to get things done. My experience with Sandbox has been the opposite! The representatives have been available and helpful! They call back whenever I call them- even if I haven't left a message. The online chat feature has also been helpful for quick questions!

Cons

So far, I would say I have liked the billing features the least in Sandbox. We are currently set up to bill families by day, and that has been the only task that has become more time consuming since switch to Sandbox. Getting all of the various schedules, snow day credits, and fees to be applied correctly has been pretty tedious and manual. We are considering switching to a flat-rate monthly fee which I do think would help alleviate some of these issues, as it seems that's what the system is designed to do.

Childcare Software

Overall, great experience!

Pros

Overall, the program is easy to use and has helped our billing process. We have been able to use the teacher app for check in and that has help tremendously through COVID. The customer service is over the top awesome. I am VERY thankful that we have someone to chat with and for the most part the same few people each time. To have them available when I need help for myself or a parent asks a questions and invaluable.

Cons

There are different aspects that do not work for our specific program when it comes to running different reports. But we like so many things about the program that we have worked around it or changed how we maneuver things to adapt to running a correct reporting. I do like however that if something does not work we can tell support and they will put in a ticket for us.

Sandbox

Pros

I Love Sandbox! You can do so many things with this program. This was the best investment our center made!

Cons

Some things seemed a little difficult to learn, but your tech support is amazing!

Love this program. Very user friendly and great support.

Very happy with this program. It is so easy to use, allows you to not only track the attendance of the children but staff as well. The support is terrific, always someone available to provide guidance. We have tried several programs and this is by far our preferred!

Pros

The software is very user friendly and forgiving if you make accounting errors. The support is efficient and reliable. Love the Parent Portal feature and ease of registration. We love being able to communicate with parents and send pictures to them throughout the day.

Cons

Cannot customize your billing dates to use the auto billing feature if you are not in Ontario. There is no way to track children if they visit in multiple programs throughout the day. At times in child care you need to move children for ratio purposes and there is no way to track what room they are in if not their primary assigned room.

Child Care Software

Amazing.... best investment for our organization

Pros

So easy to use the software and keeps parents files and financial information easy to track and stay on top of during the pandemic and our closure it allowed me to run the daycare remotely. I can't imagine without the software how difficult it would have been to manage everything without the software. So many filters allow you to get the information you need

Cons

Some things are hard coded and can't be changed

Easy childcare management tool

Overall, this product is good for what we need. We don't need all the bells and whistles so it's at the price point we want.

Pros

It is easy to set up and use. The customer service team is responsive and quick to answer your questions and take your suggestions.

Cons

The integration to the teacher app could be better. Either features for admin need to be on the teacher app or another app for admin would be nice. Also, if there was a way to keep login for the app, it would be awesome!

Sandbox Preschool Software

The biggest pro to this software is the almost immediate support you can get from software professionals.

Pros

This software is easy to use for both teachers, administration and parents.

Cons

I would like to have the ability to create my own reports.

Great Company

I have been using this program for over 6 years now. When I moved to a new program, I brought sandbox with me!

Pros

This program is very user friendly and the costumer service is amazing. Anytime we have any issues one quick email and the problem is looked into and resolved as quickly as possible. Also if there is anything we need the program to do (with limits of course) they are happy to try and accommodate the need.

Cons

Because we have a very small center there are many of the features that don’t apply to our needs. And there are few things we would like, but the program doesn’t do because of our size. We have made what is available work though.

Great Software

I love this company.

Pros

This company saved my business from going bankrupt. It is easy to use. Keeping track of schedules is simple.

Cons

I do not like the fact that you can not remove a child. you can just archive them.

Pleased overall

Help desk is AMAZING !!

Pros

Integration of accounting, parent communication and classroom management. Billing feature is easy to use.

Cons

No ability for parents to respond to posts made by teachers therefore very hard to receive feedback on our programs. App often glitches. Updates often don't work (released before bugs are worked out).

Great Product!

Love it! Easy to use. The Sandbox Team is always there to help.

Pros

Wonderful customer service. Has all the features we need to make the business run smoother.

Cons

Few glitches between products used (i.e. ios and android).

Thank you for making my job easier!

Pros

From the very start when we were researching software for our afterschool program, Sandbox was a standout. The cost and customer support was terrific. They were always there to answer questions and concerns regarding the right fit for our needs. Once we made our decision to use their product, the level of customer support has never changed!

Cons

Can't think of a thing! This software delivers everything we have needed!