SmartCare EHR Reviews

“All records together”

Pros

Having so many parts of childcare record-keeping combined in a single program is really helpful.

Cons

At times, it can be difficult to find the specific function I need. I prefer a more direct path to the task I'm trying to complete.

“Quick payments access”

Pros

Paying through the app works really well and posting things is quick and simple. Since it's cloud-based, everything feels faster and there's no constant need to worry about backups. Parents also really appreciate how convenient the check-in and check-out process is.

Cons

Reporting side is hard to manage and I haven't been able to create some of the specific reports we rely on. A lot of the reports also include extra information that isn't useful which means I end up doing a lot of cleanup work in Excel. For instance, I don't understand why every date includes a time like 12,00 AM. To make the report readable, I have to go through and change every date to remove the time. It would make much more sense if the time were placed in a separate column so it could just be deleted. Moving between related areas in the system also isn't very connected. If I'm in accounting and need to check something in the children's section, it doesn't link me directly to the family's child so I have to search for the child again. The same thing happens when I want to move from a child to their family or the other way around. If I'm not completely sure of the family name, I have to search for the second record manually instead of the system working more like a toggle between connected items. In Florida, we only need one date on the Immunization Record rather than the date of every single shot so this feature doesn't help me track renewal dates the way I need to. It's also very difficult to create signable attendance records for children who receive benefits from outside agencies. Right now, I have to export the full-school PDF into Excel, then build a separate page for each child and delete all the unnecessary information. There should be a way to pull this report by child or by class. I'd also much rather view attendance records for both children and employees in a monthly calendar format instead of the ledger-style format that's currently offered.

“great for shared reporting”

Pros

There are lots of really useful reports available for just about any information you need. It also helps that the entire administrative team can support customers because we all see the same real-time data.

Cons

It still doesn't work with QuickBooks Online and I'd also like the tech fee to be charged at the same time as tuition. Another missing piece is the ability to take waitlist fees online before a child is officially enrolled so customers can get a receipt right away.

“Perfect support team”

Pros

Getting around the software feels very easy and the support team has been absolutely amazing whenever I've needed help.

Cons

If I had to nitpick, it did take me a little while to uncover everything the software is capable of.

“Too many steps”

Pros

Being able to use it on both my phone and laptop is definitely a plus.

Cons

It could be a lot more user-friendly. The messaging feature is limited since there's no way to email individual people or add a cc. A lot of the reports are difficult to work through and having to keep switching back and forth between family and accounting gets frustrating. Overall, many tasks take too many steps and too much jumping between screens.

“Tuition updates help”

Pros

Keeping track of collected tuition and seeing who has paid is fast and the information stays updated.

Cons

I still need clearer guidance on how to use the software. The initial training was not enough and I would appreciate being invited to learn more.

“Autopay success”

Pros

Billing works really well and parents can pay tuition right away through autopay which is a big plus.

Cons

The parent sign-in process feels slow because the app doesn't pull up the QR code fast enough. We regularly end up with parents waiting in the lobby for their code to appear. Messaging is another challenge since parents can't contact their child's teacher directly to report an illness or share other important updates.

“Paperless sign-ins”

Pros

Having parents, relatives and friends sign in electronically is a really nice feature and it helps cut down on paper use as well.

Cons

One downside is that automatic billing gets added to a family's account when a parent doesn't sign their child out correctly from the system at the end of the day.

“Easy tuition collection”

Pros

Once everything was set up, the system pretty much ran on its own as long as we kept using it. I used to spend a lot of time collecting payments every week but now it handles that job for me.

Cons

At first, I felt uneasy because I need to actually see something working before I fully trust it. The tuition payments were coming in so I knew it was doing its job but I still had to check everything for about a month before I felt comfortable relying on it. I'm just now getting used to trusting the process.

“Family connection tools”

Pros

It does a really good job of linking families across pretty much every page which makes everything feel more connected and easier to follow.

Cons

One thing that bothers me is that I still can't reliably see the notes I add to payments all the time.

“Payments and QR access”

Pros

Having online payment available for families is really convenient and the QR scan code feature works very well.

Cons

Getting around the classroom section takes too many steps for basic day-to-day tasks. The parent app also doesn't look very appealing visually and there aren't enough features for tracking staff benefits like vacation and sick leave.

“Didn't meet expectations”

Pros

There's really not much about this software that works for me. It feels completely different from what we were originally sold on.

Cons

Honestly, there isn't much here that I can say I like. What was delivered is very different from what we were promised in the first place.

“Sign-in tracking works great”

Pros

Employee and child sign-in and sign-out tracking works really well.

Cons

There isn't an app available for employees and the classroom app is not very user-friendly.

“weak reports”

Pros

Parents can make payments online and it's also possible to send emails out to everyone at once.

Cons

Reporting side is where it falls short, payer statements, employee hour tracking and deposit tickets are all frustrating especially since we still have parents paying by check.

“very limited...”

Pros

Parent communication works well and the sign-in and sign-out process is very helpful and useful.

Cons

The reporting side is really frustrating. The software doesn't let me filter results down to the specific areas I need. There are times when I only want information for one class or even one student but it only gives an all-or-nothing option. The reports really need a filter feature.

“Disappointing restrictions”

Pros

There's a good range of features included and parents really appreciate being able to pay tuition online.

Cons

Getting started with it was very hard to figure out. When we launched in August, there were quite a few issues in the system that needed to be ironed out. We moved over from Child Care Manager after it was discontinued and this platform just doesn't compare. A lot of functions we used in CCM aren't possible here which has made the whole switch pretty disappointing.

“Thoughtful features”

Pros

After only a short time using it, this has already become my favorite out of all the apps I've tried. It offers far more functions and features than any other app my company has used. A lot of the value is in the little details, like being able to enter when the next physical is due and getting alerts for birthdays happening in your center. I really love this app and I'm excited to keep using it more.

Cons

Having so many features is a big plus but it does take a little time to get comfortable with everything. The customer support has been excellent and honestly the learning curve is probably just part of switching to a more capable system. It's worth giving your company some time to adjust.

“Fits our needs”

Pros

It didn't take long to learn and it handles what we need really efficiently.

Cons

Customer service has been the weak spot. The support representative kept changing so there was no consistency.

“Billing improvements needed”

Pros

Having current billing information right at hand is helpful and processing payments, especially credit cards, is convenient. It's also useful to have digital files for each child with contact details readily available.

Cons

Billing setup isn't very simple. When I change a tuition plan, the charge doesn't automatically update and the system only sends static bills so there's still a lot of manual billing involved. The reporting side is also frustrating, there's an overwhelming number of reports, they aren't organized by category and it's hard to tell what each one actually does. It would be much better if we could build our own custom reports from selected lists.

“Accounting causes frustrationss”

Pros

Parents are able to log in online and view their account which is helpful.

Cons

A lot of the basic functions are frustrating to deal with. There's no way to print a schedule and automatic billing can't be paused when the school is closed. In accounting, if a transaction is deleted or voided, it still appears on the account which ends up confusing parents. I also can't print certain forms the way I was able to in the old system.