A Much Closer Look At Nap Time

Apps ▶ America’s day care industry goes gaga for digital oversight ▶ “I know parents who sit and watch their kids all day at work”

Unless your toddler is a big talker, his days at preschool or day care can be largely mysterious. Many states require teachers to record attendance, scraped knees, and uneaten meals, but it’s easy for communication to break down, especially with kids who are semi- or nonverbal. Now, mobile apps with digital logbooks are pushing those updates into the cloud, where parents can track their children in real time.

America’s 770,000 preschools and day care centers take in $53 billion a year, estimates researcher Ibisworld. Some have moved into the mobile era on their own: The 900 employer770 sponsored day cares operated by publicly traded Bright Horizons Family Solutions let parents schedule backup care via a Bright Horizons app. But 9 out of 10 U.S. day cares are mom and pop operations tending to a handful of children, and IT isn’t a priority. So software developers saw a market for apps that could simplify the filing of paperwork. They say the appeal for parents was a bonus.

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