Help Center

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Getting Started (in order)

1

Set up your center profile First

Go to Settings in the admin dashboard. Add your center name, upload your logo, and set your timezone. This info appears on reports, parent communications, and billing invoices.
2

Add your classrooms and set ratios

Under Settings → Classrooms, create each room and assign your state-required child-to-staff ratios. CradleDesk uses this to flag capacity issues in real time.
3

Add staff members and assign PINs

Go to Staff and add each employee. Assign them a 4-digit PIN — they'll use it to clock in and out at the kiosk. Roles control what each staff member can access.
4

Add children and families

Under Children, add each enrolled child with their classroom assignment, birthdate, and health/allergy info. Create a Family record and link guardians so all contacts are in one place.
5

Invite parents to the Parent Portal

From the Parent Portal tab, send each parent an invite. They'll receive an email to set up their password and can then view daily activity logs, messages, invoices, and pay tuition online.
6

Set up billing rates and connect Stripe Optional

Under Billing, configure your weekly or monthly tuition rates per classroom. Connect your Stripe account to accept online payments from parents. You keep 100% of tuition — Stripe's processing fee is the only cost.
7

Start logging daily activities

You're set up. Staff can now use the kiosk for check-in/out, log meals, naps, and activities, and parents see everything in real time through the Parent Portal. The Quick Log view is optimized for tablets on the classroom floor.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How does the free trial work? ▾

Your free trial gives you 14 days of full access to CradleDesk — every feature, no restrictions. No credit card required to start. At the end of your trial you can choose a plan that fits your center. If you decide not to continue, your account is simply closed and nothing is charged.

Can I switch plans? ▾

Yes. You can upgrade or downgrade your plan at any time from Settings → Billing. Changes take effect at the start of your next billing cycle. There are no cancellation fees or lock-in contracts.

Is my data secure? ▾

Yes. All data is encrypted in transit (TLS) and at rest (AES-256). Your center's data is never shared or sold. CradleDesk is designed with COPPA compliance in mind — centers are the operators, and families' children's data is handled accordingly. See our Privacy Policy for the full details.

How do parents access the Parent Portal? ▾

From your admin dashboard, go to the Parent Portal tab and click Send Invite next to a family. The parent receives an email with a unique link to set up their password. Once they log in, they can see daily reports, messages, documents, and billing — on any device, including their phone.

Do you support CACFP? ▾

Yes. The Professional tier includes full CACFP support: meal logging per child, compliance tracking, and monthly claim sheet generation. Your claim sheets are formatted to match your state agency's requirements so you can submit without reformatting. CACFP Claims is available as a dedicated view under Settings → CACFP Program.

Can I import my existing data? ▾

Yes — we can help. If you're migrating from another platform (Brightwheel, ProCare, spreadsheets, etc.), email us at info@cradledesk.com with your data export and we'll handle the import for you. There's no charge for migration assistance during your trial.

Still have questions?

We're happy to help. Send us a message and we'll get back to you within 24 hours.

Getting Started (in order)

Set up your center profile First

Add your classrooms and set ratios

Add staff members and assign PINs

Add children and families

Invite parents to the Parent Portal

Set up billing rates and connect Stripe Optional

Start logging daily activities

Frequently Asked Questions

Still have questions?