Introducing Anne Gordon

We would like to introduce Anne Gordon to the Kinderloop family. Anne was trained as a lawyer, first at the public policy school at Princeton, and then at the University of Michigan for her JD.  She spent a few years working in public service, including clerking on the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeal, before coming up with the basic version of Kinderloop - as a mother of two girls under 4, she knew there had to be a better way for preschools to communicate with parents.

After a couple of months, she found the solution: a simple, teacher-friendly mobile communication platform. She was a finalist at AngelHack SF 2013 with the idea, but just as she was about to build it out, she stumbled upon Kinderloop. She was so impressed with both the team and the tech that she knew she wanted to join forces; the Kinderloop team was similarly impressed and felt the same. As the third member of the founding team focusing on business development, she brings an amazing wealth of US market knowledge to the Kinderloop family. Anne is thrilled about joining the team: “Kinderloop is a real passion for me, as I know it can improve the lives of parents, providers, and kids, all with a simple technology - I truly believe it can change the world.

Although Kinderloop and her family take up most of her time, she is also a fellow at UC-Berkeley, enjoys running around Lake Merritt, and singing (increasingly poorly). She has also lived and worked in over 30 countries, and looks forward to more opportunities to travel with the increasingly-international Kinderloop.

Kinderloop + Mamabear = Awesome!

So imagine our delight when we found out that while we were over in San Francisco exploring the US market and demo’ing Kinderloop to many interested parties, 500 Startups was organising Mamabear, one of the biggest family tech conferences in America!

Of course we went and boy what a fabulous day! We met some amazing people showing off their innovative technology solutions aimed at the younger market and got to hear all about the growing economic powerhouses of the Mum blogger from the likes of Sheila Dowd and Beth Blecherman. We also got to chat and compare notes with fellow like minded business startups such as CareLulu and KiteReaders.

Probably the highlight of the day was chatting about Kinderloop to both Robert Scoble and Randi Zuckerberg, the former wearing his Google glass and getting excited about how it could be used within the Kinderloop, child care environment!

The past three weeks we have had some solid feedback into the US market and its trigger points, we have welcomed new centres in California, Canada, New Zealand, Australia and England and we are working with them to understand their needs. We are meeting some awesome people who are going out of their way to help us, we very much appreciate all the help you are giving us as there is a long way
to go…

Interesting fact to finish on… did you know that the Mama Market is $2.1 Trillion Strong... and GROWING! Phew!!

The Kinderloop story...

Thanks to the lovely guys at The Currency Network for giving us an opportunity to tell our story, it was a fun morning.

You can see more here.

Changing the face of childcare...

This lovely post comes from Justine Poidevin an education guru from TAFE, its exciting for us to see Kinderloop being used by these guys to help train early childcare workers.

Hi Dan,

Thanks again for the opportunity to meet. Each time I meet with you and Dan I am inspired by the possibilities. I have the fine fortune of being able to see your Kinderloop app through a number of lenses. Let me explain:

Firstly, I am a parent. I am a consumer of child care and I know exactly what it feels like to be 'out of the loop' when your child is in care. Talk about mother guilt! I am the busy working mother (of 3!) who is rushing from one place to another and yet really wanting to know what is going on in the lives of my children. I do care - a lot. But it has been so difficult to extract that information in the timeframes that I can manage. If I use kinderloop, feeds can come to me through the day - even if I can't digest them properly immediately because I'm busy, at least I know I have it. I can look later; I can share it with my child (and their siblings) at the end of the day; I can share it with their grandparents / aunties & uncles (and / or include them in my feed); it would make me feel connected and I think I would understand my child's world a little better.

Secondly, I am an early childhood professional, a Teacher, Trainer, Facilitator and Assessor. I am trained to influence (and scrutinise) early childhood services and practices. I have a very strong philosophy about early childhood, strong beliefs that govern my professional approaches and drive me to improve the experiences and lives of children in and out of care and for those who work with them. I am a section leader in a large state-funded organisation - (TAFENSW - A Registered Training Organisation) - that qualifies people to work in early childhood. The national and international standards that we adhere to must be upheld at all times. Our focus is quality service provision. Kinderloop gives me new opportunities to explore other methods of program delivery, timely and cost-effective solutions to problems we have grappled with previously including time / cost / benefit analysis of even some of our most basic functions as we move to a new training market under Smart and Skilled. By making the small change of a centre-to-parent communication app to a student-to-facilitator/assessor communication app we can be timely, we can be present, we can be customer-focused. Kinderloop definitely has a place in this realm.

Thirdly, I am an innovator. I am fearless of change and I love technology. I am impressed by the adaptability of the Kinderloop app so far and already my head is spinning with possible uses and scenarios. Already the app developed for use between centres and parents has found its way into my realm of teaching and assessing - I saw it from the start, and you have been nothing but accommodating. We are already discussing using the app to explore new markets including off-shore locations. As the world becomes more global - we can source our information from anywhere, we too can share our information. Imagine connecting two child care services from across the globe? Imagine a student preparing for a work placement (internship) and already knowing about the service before they arrive? Imagine moving beyond child care and using the app in military, immigration, schools, and prisons? Imagine using the app for the (approx.) 39% of children in ‘informal' care arrangements 1 (eg - with grandparents, relatives and nannies). Imagine a child really being able to feel that their parent or guardian cares/understands because they can show they know? Kinderloop is an example of being a fantastic agent of change.

Technology is a funny thing in child care - there is a fear, I suspect brought on by unknowing; fear of litigation (although the stats on who has actually been charged with anything or even fined is really low); by a culture of being encouraged to think and respond to possible worst case scenarios, and not the opposite; a lack of understanding of risk assessment; cautious and voiceless unions; confusing and sometimes conflicting laws and boundaries; misunderstandings about child protection laws; sensational media coverage of Facebook, paedophilia, bullying (all done with the internet); and a general fear of technology for those who are not keeping up with it. If the uptake of the app is slow, I can understand - this is a sector paralysed by fear and fed on misunderstanding. As an industry they are also highly conservative and risk-averse.

I am delighted to be working on an education strategy to assist child care settings in being comfortable with technology and it's appropriate use. Kinderloop helps to pave the way as a fine example of compliant and simple to use technology being put to good use.

The face of child care is changing in Australia. There is a current push to improve the quality of care and education in the early years. The approach thus far has been changes in laws, a focus on compliance and an assessment and rating system which threatens to "name and shame" underperforming child care services on a government owned website. More fear - well done Australia! The current work force has an average lifespan of less than 5 years, which is shameful as it can take up to 4 years to be fully qualified to work in the industry. And they are leaving in droves - currently 180 educators leave the sector every week, purportedly due to the abysmally low wages. We have a skill shortage and labour workforce drain.

Is technology the saviour? No, but maybe. Here's my thought... imagine if child care was more overt, more ‘in your face'? If you got reminders in the work place about what your child was doing, if child care became a work place discussion topic, if fathers were reminded in the day, if bosses were reminded in the day, perhaps the value of the profession would also be on the rise. Like in some comparable European countries, perhaps childcare would be integrated into employment and education policies and would be either free or very affordable. That's a long stretch for one little app, but I like to think big!

Perhaps I am thinking too far ahead. What about now? What difference can Kinderloop make right here, right now? Immediately, I see:

a fresh approach to documentation

> rejuvenating the profession ("my day is fun!")

> reducing the time spent on documenting - less reliance on goodwill to be compliant; more time to actually work with the children

> an environmentally friendlier approach

> ease of use - amazingly simple user interface

real, proper communication with parents / guardians / extended family

> personal, targeted sharing

> the provision of a means to allow two way communication in real time

> utilising the technologies most of us have

> embracing the global spread of our relationships - local, national, international

compliant and auditable systems

> robust reporting that can be produced as required

> authentic record keeping

financial savings

> less need for paper

> productivity savings (based on cost / benefit analysis)

time savings

> a more productive workforce during work hours

> workers' work remaining in work time only (less out of hours catch-up)

transparency

> demystifying child care and a child's day

> a better understanding of child care

> perhaps even the comparison of one to another to help parents choose the best care

an opportunity to create an income stream

> based on using the photos / videos that can be packaged and presented to be sold as gifts, mementos

And that's just a list for the child care services themselves! I could similarly produce a list for RTO's...

We can tick the same boxes for compliance, communication, financial and time savings, streamlining, access, responsiveness, competitiveness and the list goes on! The future uses I am sure will include things I haven't even thought of yet - how exciting!

Want another angle? What about what the Kinderloop app can do for the families who are using it? Words like uniting, sharing, commonality and closer spring to mind - and all because a child went to child care! Who would have thought the child would be the centre of such an amazing interplay between the service, the family and the community and those relationships could be aided by an app! The pivot-point on which conversations are started and a community comes out the winner.

I really would like to commend you both on your approach to the development thus far and the product itself. I wish you both the best for your upcoming pitches and expansion plans. I'd love to continue to be part of the future, so thanks again for the opportunity and insights you are providing.

Cheers for now,

Justine

WOW!!

Child care is evolving

Child care is evolving, and most care providers and parents agree the changes are for the best. What are some of the latest trends in child care and what should parents be looking for when making an all-important child care decision?

1. Child Care Is Catering to Budget-Minded Families

More parents are taking a careful look at child care costs, and decisions to reduce hours or even pull their kids out of organized programs entirely due to job losses or expenses are affecting child care providers as well. As a result, more providers are offering flexible hours, keeping rates the same or even reducing them in some cases, and working out pay arrangements for struggling families to encourage families to stay. Special programs or fees are also being scrutinized as providers scramble to find ways to lessen costs while maintaining a quality care program for kids.

2. Child Care is Now Early Education

No longer is child care for young children simply babysitting. Child care centers have mostly transitioned to centers for early education, where young tots are involved with early learning. The trend to learning centers is partly due to high parent and school expectations; it’s also attributable to research that shows that kids are capable of learning early academics and other skills that previously were not taught until later. Care centers often offer formalized early education curriculum, and staff receives extensive training in instruction geared for preschoolers.

3. Drop-In Child Care is More Common

It’s no surprise that drop-in child care is on the grow. What may come as a surprise to some is that these facilities typically offer high-quality, safe, and affordable care options. The drop-in care facilities focus on fun activities for kids and often include mealtimes and special theme events to provide parents with a worry-free evening or time away from kids. Gyms, recreation centers, churches and even schools are getting into the act of offering Parent Nights Out or similar events. Look for this trend to continue with even greater flexibility in the future.

4. Corporate Child Care is Raising Quality Bar

Corporate child care is raising the bar in terms of quality child care. An increasing number of companies are either offering (or considering) in-house child care centers as a perk for attracting and retaining top employees. In addition, more companies are partnering with child care centers to offer discounted rates or even special hours for employees. Some developers are even focusing on including a child care facility as part of master planning of new areas, knowing that having a quality child care center nearby will make the area more desirable for both employers and employees alike.

5. Technology is Changing Provider/Parent Connection

An increasing number of facilities offer parents the piece of mind of being able to check on their child while at daycare as desired through videostreaming of classroom activities throughout the day. Other providers regularly take photos of children and send to parents, post daily or weekly blogs or e-newsletters online for parents to view, or even exchange emails or text messages throughout the day. The technology provides parents and providers with another tool for staying “in touch” and bonding with activities and events planned for youngsters.

6. Most Child Care is Becoming Safer

While no system is absolutely fail safe, and occasional stories will continue to occur about child pornographers or sex offenders found to be working around children, the truth is that most child care providers are increasing measures to protect children in their charge. Increased security concerning picking up of children, additional background checks and screenings being done on prospective employees, and more surveillance and monitoring (both overt as well as the covert varieties) are helping to increase safety. Training and more thorough checklists is also helping to keep kids safer on field trips and outings.

7. More Child Care Options Exist

Parents today can consider a wider menu of child care choices, and many families are choosing to use a variety of care options based on current needs. Some families may use a nanny for an infant, an in-home provider for a toddler, and then switch to a care center for a preschooler. Some families use one type of care during the school year and then another for summer months. Occasional care service options can include babysitters, drop-in care, specified parent night out nights, and even child care co-ops. Options do abound in most areas, although sometimes you have to really seek them out.

8. The Internet Can Help You Find Child Care

Word of mouth or driving around a neighborhood used to be the most common way to find child care. Today, however, many families, especially those who have moved to a new community, rely on the internet to find quality child care. Many websites offer free listings of child care; most states have a child care site for review as well. Web-based babysitting and child care services are on the increase, and parents can type in a zip code and find providers who meet the specifications designated. Entrepreneurs are increasingly advertising availability for child care as well. Of course, nothing replaces reference checks.

9. Communications Are More Frequent, More Useful

In today’s instantaneous, “tell me now” society, communications between child care provider and parent continue to strengthen. Where once a month newsletters used to suffice in addition to daily greetings and goodbyes, child care providers are using a variety of tools to provide parents with ongoing information about their child’s day. Some providers create websites where they post monthly menus, weekly day-by-day activities, and even behavioral reports. Others provide parents with a daily update that is then emailed (written during naptime). Even with technology, face-to-face communications is still the best.

10. Child Care Caters to Time-Crunched, Working Parents

Have you noticed how more and more child care centers are offering enrichment options for tots to participate in while still at child care? Parents nowadays are busier than ever, yet want their child to participate in an array of activities at the same time. The solution for some is to sign kids up for optional fee-based ballet, karate, soccer and gymnastics classes that kids participate in during the week while still in care. The instructor comes to the facility rather than the other way around. This type of option may not be for everyone, but it works for those who are very busy or have long commutes each day.

11. Vacation Destinations, Kid-Friendly Hotels Offering On-Site Care

In order to entice parents to stay at a particular hotel or area, many resorts and tourist-based communities have added on-site or close proximity child care. While some facilities may have pricey fees for kids to participate, others are free and include crafts, special movie nights, field trips and more. As tempting as it can be, make sure you thoroughly check out the facility and are comfortable with the rules, safety procedures, staff training, health practices, and activities planned for the kids. If everything checks out: have fun!

12. After-School Programs and Care Provide Child Care Flexibility

Choosing a quality after-school care program can have a tremendous impact on your child’s academics, self-esteem and overall happiness. Many daycares transport school-aged children from school back to the center, provide a healthy snack, and then start kids on their homework, so that it is mostly done by the time parents arrive. Some schools have on-site programs as well to avoid kids going home to an empty house until parents get off work.

This is why we are building kinderloop!

It makes our hearts sing when we receive this kind of feedback…

Hey Dan,

Just a little something I forgot to pass on to you.

At Big Fat Smile as an organisation we employ a creative team of educators that are musicians, artists and creative play workers that visit the centres to enhance our programs. Over the last 3 weeks we have had Penny, who is our musician, visiting to do some music sessions with the children. Penny is also is a band, and her band is going on a 2 month tour in WA, cutting here visit here short. But, we are going to be tracking Penny on her trip, keeping in touch with her via email, etc… This morning was her last session with the children here before her tour, so I added her as one of the staff so that she can add to our daily feed, updating the children and families about her trip and her big tour! She is going to take photos and post them regularly during her tour!! Two words… so awesome!! I can’t think of any other way this kind of sharing can occur in a child care centre! How enriching for our children, families and our team! After our talk, I have just called one of my staff members who is on holidays and asked her to start to post photos of her holidays on kinderloop to share with the children! And, in May, I’m going to America for a holiday, so I will be posting photos to share with the children on my holiday too!! Exciting!

Everyday this app just keeps getting better and inspires my team to go above and beyond for families. The possibilities are endless; I can’t wait to see where this app will be in 6 months, 12 months, 2 years time!!! And the opportunities it provides for my team and my families to communicate with one another is like we have never had before! (And were not even using the app to its full potential yet!) I cannot thank you enough for being the creative and innovative individual that you are and creating the app that all preschool teachers had in their head, but didn’t know where to start!!

Thanks Dan, I appreciate your help, with everything!!
I will continue to be in touch!

Nicole, Woronora Heights Preschool

Perfect for parents on the go

We have noticed that parents are more actively participating in our program. This week alone, 5 different families have brought in items from home, based upon what we have been working on at group times.This is all via Kinderloop – some of it we have asked for and others parents have just done themselves.

This would NEVER have happened before, even if I had emailed.

We are now going to start tagging the posts with ‘family input’ when this happens. Fantastic for when the ACO’s need to see how families are contributing to the program!

Kobie, Director Corrimal Community Preschool

Connecting overseas family members

Today, we received this wonderful email from one of our kinderloop parents, thanks to Jan from Nelson Bay preschool for passing it on…

Case Study