Running a childcare center involves juggling multiple priorities, and optimizing your space and resources is crucial for smooth operations. The Occupancy Planner helps you allocate spaces efficiently, manage room capacities, and ensure proper child-to-staff ratios. Whether you're preparing for enrollment, rearranging classrooms, or planning future resources, this tool empowers you to make informed decisions with ease. Let's explore how it works! 🌟
Important Note: Planner Availability
The Occupancy Planner is available only on the portal.
It cannot be accessed through the Parent™ app.
📖 Table of Contents:
Learn how to navigate to the Occupancy Planner and start managing occupancy data for better resource planning.
Discover customizable settings and key filters to adjust the planner according to your center’s operational requirements.
Planner Date Range – Define the period for which occupancy data is displayed.
Setting AM and PM Session Splits – Customize session views to separate morning and afternoon enrollments.
Choose How to Group the Planner – Select how occupancy data is categorized for better organization:
None (No Grouping) – Displays raw attendance data without categorization.
Grouping by Rooms – Organizes occupancy data by specific rooms.
Grouping by Age Groups – Segments data by age-defined categories.
Grouping by Location – Displays attendance data per center location.
Understand how the "Actual" metric reflects real-time attendance compared to planned schedules.
Locate occupancy data for a specific location and understand how it is refined based on different grouping options.
When Grouping by None – Displays all children without filtering.
When Grouping by Rooms – Shows attendance sorted by room assignments.
When Grouping by Age Groups – Filters children based on their age category.
When Grouping by Locations – Displays attendance data per center or branch.
Learn how to interpret the planner layout and understand key visual indicators.
Calendar and Operating Days – View occupancy data based on operating days.
How to Read Daily Availability Information – Get a daily overview of available spaces per room location or group, comparing expected vs. actual occupancy to optimize room assignments and staffing.
Color-Coded Status Indicators – Learn how colors represent occupancy levels.
Numeric or Percentage Indicators – Understand how room capacity is measured numerically.
Explore where occupancy data is sourced from and how attendance is tracked
Source 1: All Children Attending During the Center’s Working Hours – Lists all children present during operational hours.
Source 2: Children Billing Plan – Attendance data linked to billing schedules.
Why Parent-Defined Schedules Are Excluded from the Occupancy Planner - Explains why parent-reported schedules are not used in the planner.
Understanding Data Conflict Notifications on the Planner & Resolution – Learn how to resolve attendance conflicts notified by the planner system
How to Change the Attendance Source in the Occupancy Planner- adjust the attendance source used to track child availability and occupancy trends.
Understand who has permission to view, edit, and manage occupancy data and settings.
Steps to Access the Occupancy Planner
Navigate to the Menu:
Open the Parent™ app.
On the far-left side of the screen, locate and tap the menu icon.
Select Operations:
From the menu, choose the Operations section.
Find the Occupancy Planner:
Scroll to the bottom of the Tools section within Operations.
Tap on Occupancy Planner to open the tool.
Overview of the Occupancy Planner Settings
The Occupancy Planner Settings allow you to customize how you view and manage room usage, attendance, and resource allocation. Here’s an overview of the available settings:
1. Choose a Date Range
Purpose:
Allows you to define the period for which you want to view attendance data and room usage.
Useful for daily, weekly, or monthly occupancy planning.
Example:
Select a range like Jan 1 - Jan 7 to analyze room occupancy and attendance trends for the first week of the year.
2. Define AM and PM Session Splits
Purpose
Customize how the day is divided into morning (AM) and afternoon (PM) sessions to efficiently monitor room usage across different times of the day.
How to Define the Splits
AM Session:
You define the end time for the AM session.
Example: Set the AM session to run from 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM.
PM Session:
The PM session automatically starts immediately after the AM session ends.
Example: If the AM session ends at 12:00 PM, the PM session runs from 12:00 PM to the center’s closing hour.
Apply Your Changes:
Once you’ve defined the splits, don’t forget to click "Apply" to save your settings.
Full Day Option:
Instead of splitting the day, you can select the Full Day option to view occupancy data for the entire operating day.
Example: For a center running from 7:30 AM to 6:00 PM, the Full Day view shows usage across the entire timeframe.
What Happens After Splitting AM and PM?
Planner List Updates:
After the AM and PM sessions are split, the planner list will reflect these changes.
Each day will now be divided into AM and PM shifts, showing availability for each session.
Availability Display:
You’ll see detailed occupancy data for each shift, helping you monitor room usage and staffing needs more effectively.
Example:
AM Availability: 6/5 spots filled. Over Capacity
PM Availability: Overcapacity 1 Child
3. Choose How to Group the Planner
Options
None :
Displays occupancy plans for all locations in your center.
Useful for a comprehensive view of room usage across the entire facility.
What You Will See
One Aggregated Board:
A single dashboard that consolidates occupancy data for all locations.
Displays the total number of children across the entire center without breaking it down by room or location.
Daily Totals:
For each day, the board shows the total number of children scheduled across all locations.
Example:
Monday: 120 children occupied
Tuesday: 118 children.
No Specific Details:
You won’t see data for individual rooms, age groups, or specific locations in this view.
Why Use This View?
Quick Overview: Provides a high-level snapshot of total center occupancy for each day.
Capacity Planning: Helps in understanding overall trends in attendance, useful for center-wide resource allocation.
Operational Insights: A great way to monitor the total demand across all locations without diving into details.
Specific Rooms: Viewing Occupancy for Selected Rooms
What It Does
This option lets you focus on occupancy data for specific rooms or areas within your center.
Ideal for analyzing the occupancy and usage trends of individual rooms.
How to Use
Under Grouping:
Select Rooms as the grouping option.
Select Specific Room(s):
In the bar next to the grouping selection, choose the room or rooms you want to view.
Example: Select Toddler Room or Preschool Room from the list.
What You Will See
Occupancy Data for Selected Rooms:
The dashboard displays information for only the rooms you select, excluding all others.
Example:
If you select the Fairies Garden, you’ll see data only for that room.
AM and PM Shifts (if enabled):
Separate occupancy data for the morning (AM) and afternoon (PM) sessions in the selected rooms.
Example:
Fairies Garden AM: 6/5 spots filled.
Fairies Garden PM: 6/5 spots filled.
Why Use This View
Focus on Individual Rooms: Analyze occupancy and usage trends for specific spaces.
Optimize Resources: Allocate staff, supplies, and materials based on room-specific needs.
Ensure Compliance: Monitor child-to-staff ratios and prevent overcrowding in selected rooms.
Shift-Specific Insights: Review AM and PM session data to plan staffing and activities for each shift.
Actionable Data: Gain clear insights to improve efficiency and address under- or over-utilized rooms.
Age Group: Viewing Occupancy Data by Specific Age Groups
What It Does
Allows you to view occupancy data grouped by age categories like Infants, Toddlers, or Preschoolers.
Helps analyze room usage and plan resource allocation for children at different developmental stages.
How to Use It
Select Age Group Under Grouping:
In the Occupancy Planner, go to the Grouping section.
Choose Age Group as the grouping option.
Select Age Groups in the Bar:
In the bar next to the grouping selection, choose the specific age group(s) you want to analyze.
Example: Select Infants, Toddlers, or Preschoolers
What You Will See
Age Group-Based Dashboard:
The dashboard displays occupancy data for the selected age groups, showing how many children from each group are scheduled for the day.
Example:
Infants: 10 children.
Toddlers: 15 children.
Preschoolers: 20 children.
AM and PM Session Splits (if enabled):
Separate occupancy data for morning (AM) and afternoon (PM) sessions within each age group.
Example:
Infants AM: 8/10 spots filled.
Infants PM: 6/10 spots filled.
Total Usage for Each Group:
The total number of children within each age group, aggregated across all rooms.
No Room-Specific Data:
Age grouping focuses solely on age categories and does not show specific room assignments in this view.
Why Use This View?
Targeted Insights: Focus on specific age groups to understand their room usage and attendance patterns.
Resource Planning: Allocate age-appropriate toys, learning materials, and staffing.
Capacity Monitoring: Ensure each age group’s needs are met without exceeding room limits.
Location: Viewing Occupancy for Your Entire Current Center
What You See
Aggregated Occupancy for the Entire Center:
Displays a single consolidated view showing the total number of children scheduled across all rooms and age groups within your current center.
Daily Totals:
Occupancy data is presented as daily totals, combining all sessions and rooms in the center.
Example:
Monday: 120 children.
Tuesday: 115 children.
No Room or Age Group Breakdown:
The data is grouped at the center level, so specific details like individual rooms or age groups are not shown in this view.
Simplified Center-Wide Overview:
Provides a snapshot of how your center as a whole is being utilized on a given day.
Why Use This View?
Monitor Overall Occupancy: Quickly assess total center attendance without diving into specifics.
Plan Resources: Use total numbers to allocate staff and supplies proportionally.
Identify Trends: Spot patterns in center-wide occupancy over time.
Alternatively, use the Location Search Bar to view data for a specific branch, like the West Branch, and compare it with other site
What is "Actual" in the Occupancy Planner
Definition
"Actual" refers to the number of empty seats available in a room, age group, or location.
It represents the remaining capacity after accounting for the children already scheduled or checked in.
How It Works
Room Capacity: The total number of seats available in the room.
Occupied: The number of seats currently filled by children.
Actual (Empty Seats):
Calculated as:
Room Capacity - Occupied = Actual (Empty Seats)
Example
Toddler Room:
Capacity: 15 seats.
Occupied: 12 seats.
Actual: 3 empty seats.
Why It’s Important
Helps identify rooms with underutilized capacity.
Provides actionable insights for redistributing resources or accepting additional enrollments.
Ensures compliance with capacity limits and child-to-staff ratios.
Location Search Bar: Filtering and Viewing Specific Locations
How It Works
The Location Search Bar allows you to filter occupancy data for specific locations while maintaining your grouping preferences (e.g., rooms, groups, or locations). This feature is particularly useful for centers with multiple branches or buildings.
How to Use It
Locate the Search Bar:
Find the search bar at the top right of the planner interface.
Select Locations:
Click the dropdown menu in the search bar.
Choose one or more locations (e.g., Toddler Town and Little Luminaries).
Apply Your Selection:
The planner will filter and display occupancy data based on the selected locations while adhering to your current grouping settings.
What You See
1. When Grouping by None
Display:
A single consolidated board showing the total number of expected children across all selected locations over the week.
Example: If you select Toddler Town and Little Luminaries locations, the planner displays:
Monday: 90 children (combined total from both locations).
Tuesday: 85 children (combined total from both locations).
2. When Grouping by Rooms
Display:
All rooms in the selected location(s) are displayed individually with their occupancy data.
Example: For Toddler Town, the planner shows:
Toddler Room A: 10/15 children.
Preschool Room B: 12/20 children.
3. When Grouping by Age Groups
Display:
The occupancy planner shows data grouped by age categories (e.g., Infants, Toddlers, Preschoolers) for the selected location(s).
Example:
Toddler Town:
Toddlers: 25 children.
Preschoolers: 30 children.
Little Luminaries:
Toddlers: 15 children.
Infants: 20 children.
Note: Each location’s age groups are displayed individually, and data is not consolidated across locations.
Why This Matters
Unique Insights Per Location: Shows occupancy data for age groups specific to each location.
Targeted Analysis: Enables detailed planning and resource allocation for individual locations and their unique age group requirements.
Improved Management: Avoids confusion by keeping age group data separated for each location.'
4. When Grouping by Locations
Display:
Each selected location is displayed on the board with consolidated occupancy data for that location.
Example:
Toddler Town: 50 children scheduled.
Little Luminaries: 40 children scheduled.
Understanding the Planner Board: Structure and References
1. Calendar and Operating Days
Left Column:
Displays the calendar week (e.g., Week 1, Week 2).
Includes the period ( 20 Jan - 24 Jan) for week, typically Monday to Friday (or other operating days defined by your center).
Non-operating days (like weekends) are excluded from the view.
2. Daily Availability Details
For all grouping settings (e.g., None, Rooms, Age Groups, or Locations), each day displays a flash screen with key occupancy details:
Room Capacity:
The total number of spots available for the specific room, age group, or location.
Occupied:
The number of spots currently filled by children.
Remaining (Spots):
The number of unoccupied spots available for that day.
Helps identify underutilized spaces or if adjustments are needed.
Age Range:
The applicable age range for the group (e.g., 10-76 month in Fairy Gardens).
Confirms that occupancy aligns with age-specific room assignments or plans.
3. Color-Coded Status Indicators
Each day is highlighted with different colors based on the status of availability for that day, along with numeric values to indicate surplus, deficit, or balance:
Green: Lots of spaces available (5+ spaces open).
Shows the number of extra spots available beyond capacity (e.g., "+5")
Orange: Few spaces available (1–4 spaces remaining).
Displays the number of remaining spots (e.g., "3" for three spaces left)
Grey: Full capacity (no spaces left).
Displays a "0" to indicate equilibrium, where no spaces are left, but there’s no surplus.
Red: Over capacity (more children than spots available).
Shows the surplus number of children exceeding capacity (e.g., "-2" for two children over the limit).
Example
Toddler Room (Monday):
Room Capacity: 15 spots.
Occupied: 12 spots filled.
Remaining: 3 spots.
Age Range: 2–3 years.
Day Status: Orange (Few spaces available) with a number "3" indicating the remaining spots.
Preschool Room (Tuesday):
Room Capacity: 10 spots.
Occupied: 12 spots filled.
Remaining: -2 (Over capacity).
Day Status: Red (Over capacity) with a number "-2" indicating the surplus of children.
Why This Structure Matters
Visual Clarity: The color-coded indicators provide a quick snapshot of availability for each day.
Easy Decision-Making: Helps identify overcapacity or underutilized days for adjustments.
Customizable Insights: Works seamlessly with all grouping settings (None, Rooms, Age Groups, or Locations) for tailored views.
4. Numeric or Percentage Indicators
By default, the planner displays numeric indicators that show surplus, deficit, or balance:
Lots of spaces: "+5" for extra spots.
Few spaces: "3" for remaining spots.
Full capacity: "0" for equilibrium.
Over capacity: "-2" for surplus children.
Switching to Percentages:
Users can toggle to percentage indicators instead of numeric values by switching "Use Percentage" at the top right corner of the screen
Displays the percentage of room availability relative to total capacity:
Example for a room with a capacity of 20:
15 children occupied: 25% availability.
20 children occupied: 0% availability (full capacity).
22 children occupied: -10% (over capacity).
Example
Toddler Room (Monday):
Room Capacity: 15 spots.
Occupied: 12 spots filled.
Remaining: 3 spots.
Day Status: Orange
Numeric View: "3" spots available.
Percentage View: 20% availability.
Preschool Room (Tuesday):
Room Capacity: 10 spots.
Occupied: 12 spots filled.
Remaining: -2 (Over capacity).
Day Status: Red
Numeric View: "-2 spots" surplus.
Percentage View: -20% availability.
Why This Feature Matters
Customizable Insights: Users can choose between numeric and percentage indicators to match their analysis needs.
Precise Decision-Making: Both formats provide actionable insights for staffing, planning, and resource adjustments.
Flexibility: Tailors data presentation to the preferences of different users.
Sources of Children Availability and Attendance in the Planner
The Occupancy Planner reads children’s availability and attendance data from two supported sources, ensuring accurate occupancy tracking and room usage insights. Here's an elaboration on each source:
1. All Children Attending During the Center’s Working Hours
Source: Data is based on check-in information and the attendance schedules set up by the center under the Children Attendance Tool.
Details:
The center configures attendance schedules for each child to reflect their expected presence during operating hours.
Check-in data updates availability in real-time, providing an accurate view of who is present.
This setup ensures reliable tracking, aligning with the planner's purpose of monitoring room usage.
Why Use It?
Offers a center-defined, standardized method for managing children’s attendance.
Ensures consistency in planning and avoids discrepancies caused by external inputs.
2. Children Billing Plan
Source: The Billing Plan in the child’s profile, used to schedule billing plans and products.
Details:
Each child’s billing plan indicates their scheduled attendance, based on the center’s expectations for billing purposes.
For example, a child enrolled for full-day care from Monday to Friday, 8:00 AM - 6:00 PM will have this data reflected in the planner.
Why Use It?
Billing plans are inherently linked to operational schedules and accurately represent a child’s planned attendance.
They ensure alignment between attendance tracking and the center’s financial processes.
Note on Parent-Defined Schedules
What Is It?
This is referred to as Children Attendance Schedules among the three attendance configuration settings available in the system.
These schedules are set up by parents to indicate their child’s expected attendance.
Why Excluded?
Potential Conflicts:
Parent-defined schedules may conflict with center-defined attendance or billing plans, leading to discrepancies in occupancy data.
Lack of Oversight:
Parent-created schedules are not directly controlled or verified by the center, which can result in unreliable or inconsistent data.
Planner Alignment:
The Occupancy Planner relies on structured, center-controlled data to ensure accurate tracking and planning.
Parent-defined schedules are not standardized for use across the planner’s tools and features.
Key Takeaway
By excluding parent-defined schedules, the planner ensures that occupancy data is consistent, reliable, and aligned with the center’s operational and financial requirements. This enhances accuracy and prevents planning conflicts.
⚠️ Conflict and Resolution: How to Change the Attendance Source in the Occupancy Planner
The Occupancy Planner requires attendance data from specific sources to function correctly. If your Children Attendance Setup is configured to read from Parent Schedules, this will create a conflict, as Parent Schedules are not a supported data source for the planner.
🚨 Conflict Scenario:
The planner attempts to retrieve attendance data but finds that it is set to pull from Parent Schedules, which is not compatible.
This results in an error message or inaccurate occupancy tracking.
✅ Resolution Steps:
🔹 Prompt to Update Settings
When trying to use the planner, you’ll see a notification message requesting an update to the attendance settings.
Example Message:
"Please update the children attendance setup in the general settings here."
🔹 How to Fix It: Change the Attendance Source
If you receive a notification prompt asking you to update the attendance settings, follow these steps to resolve the conflict:
1️⃣ Click on the "here" link in the notification to automatically navigate to General Settings.
Alternatively, go to the menu on the far left of the system.
Select Finance from the menu.
On the left panel, click on the General tab.
2️⃣ Scroll to the field labeled "Children Attendance (Default)".
3️⃣ Change the attendance source to one of the supported options:
All Children Attending During the Center’s Working Hours
Children Billing Plan
4️⃣ Save Changes: Scroll to the bottom of the settings page and click "Save" to apply the updated attendance source.
This ensures the Occupancy Planner reads data from the correct source, preventing conflicts.
5️⃣ Return to the Planner:
Use your browser’s Back button to navigate back to the Occupancy Planner.
Resume occupancy planning with the updated attendance settings in place.
Why This Matters
Ensures data consistency across all planning tools.
Avoids conflicts and discrepancies in occupancy tracking.
Aligns attendance data with operational and financial processes.
Who Can Access and Use the Occupancy Planner?
The Occupancy Planner is accessible only to authorized users with specific roles or permissions. Here's a breakdown of who can access it:
1. Owner of the Company
Access Level: Full access to all locations
Details: The company owner has unrestricted access to the planner, including viewing, editing, and configuring all aspects of occupancy and resource planning.
2. Location Admins
Access Level: Full access for their assigned location(s).
Details:
Location admins can manage occupancy data for the specific branches or centers they oversee.
They can view, adjust, and report on room usage and availability within their designated locations.
3. Staff with the "Occupancy Planner" Permission
Access Level: Based on granted permissions.
Details:
Staff members must be explicitly assigned the "Occupancy Planner" permission in their user profile to access this tool.
Their access may be limited to certain locations, depending on their attending locations
Note for Staff and Location Admins
Restricted Location Access:
Staff and location admins can only view and manage the Occupancy Planner for the specific locations they are assigned to.
They will not have the ability to set up or access data for all locations using location the search bar.
Search Bar Behavior:
When using the Location Search Bar, staff and location admins will see a dropdown with only the locations they are permitted to access.
They cannot view or select locations outside their designated areas.
Why This Restriction Exists?
Ensures that staff and location admins focus only on the locations they manage.
Prevents unauthorized access or changes to data for other locations.
Maintains data security and operational efficiency by limiting access based on role assignments.
Note: Add articles about setting up age groups and room planning ratios