Playground alternatives.
Keep the savings.
Procare bought Playground on 14 September 2026. Before your next renewal, see what your center keeps with a flat rate of 49 cents per bank transaction, not a percentage. Move the slider to see your number.
We do the heavy lifting. Our team moves your rosters, billing history, attendance and parent contacts, and most centers are live in 5–10 business days.
Book a free demo →- $227more money kept, every month
- 52 hrsof paperwork done for you, every month
- $39.60a month for your MyKidReports plan
How we worked this out ↓
- Your ACH fee today: 0.8% of a $254 weekly payment, which is $2.03. With us it is $0.49.
- Each family pays weekly, which is 4.33 payments a month.
- Pro plan: $0.99 per child, billed in groups of 10, taken off the money kept.
- Time: daily reports, billing, attendance totals and forms, valued at $20 an hour.
- We don’t count what you pay for software today, so your real saving is likely higher.
Procare bought Playground. Here’s what it means for your center.
The short version
- Procare announced on 14 September 2026 that it bought Playground. The terms were not disclosed.
- Procare says “nothing changes today” and “no action required” for current customers.
- Prices, contracts and Playground’s long-term plan have not been announced (checked 30 Oct 2026).
- You don’t have to wait to find out what changes: try MyKidReports free for 14 days, or book a 1:1 demo and we’ll plan your move.
- MyKidReports shows its price: free up to 5 children, then $0.99 per child per month, with a flat rate of 49 cents per bank transaction. We move your data for free.
What happened
- Procare Solutions announced the deal on 14 September 2026, from Denver, Colorado.
- Procare is a business unit of Roper Technologies (Nasdaq: ROP).
- Playground is based in New York. The announcement says more than 5,000 programs use it.
- The price and other terms were not disclosed.
Sources: Procare press release, PR Newswire, 14 Sep 2026 and Procare–Playground FAQ, 14 Sep 2026. Both read on 30 Oct 2026.
What Procare has told customers
- Procare’s CEO, Joe Gomes, said “nothing changes today” and there is “no action required”.
- Procare’s FAQ says it “will continue to support and invest in its existing platforms”.
- On data, the FAQ says: “There’s no change to how your data is stored, used or protected.”
What is not known yet
As of 30 October 2026, neither the press release nor Procare’s FAQ says anything about Playground’s prices after the deal, contract terms or renewals, whether Playground stays a separate product, or any timeline. Don’t wait for a renewal letter to find out. Start a free trial today and run one classroom side by side, or book a 1:1 demo and we’ll plan your free move.
| Your option | What it means for you | Next step |
|---|---|---|
| Stay on Playground | A new owner, and prices and contracts after the deal have not been announced. | Wait and see. |
| Move to a Procare product | Still a full move: new setup and staff training, and Procare does not publish its prices. | Ask for a quote. |
| Move to MyKidReports | A published price, a flat rate of 49 cents per bank transaction, a free move in 5–10 business days, and Grow my business to help fill your seats. | Start a 14-day free trial or book a 1:1 demo. |
In a 1:1 demo we look at how your center runs today, show you what MyKidReports does better for you, and plan your free move. You don’t need to call Playground first.
What are you actually paying for your childcare software?
Flat rate of 49 cents per bank transaction. The lowest in the industry, and never a percentage. A $250 payment and a $2,500 payment cost the same 49 cents.
| Bank (ACH) tuition payment | $250 | $1,000 | $2,500 |
|---|---|---|---|
| MyKidReports: flat 49 cents | $0.49 | $0.49 | $0.49 |
| A 1% fee | $2.50 | $10.00 | $25.00 |
| A 2.9% fee | $7.25 | $29.00 | $72.50 |
The 1% and 2.9% rows are examples of percentage pricing, not any one company’s rate. Over a year, a center with 60 children paying $1,000 a month by bank makes 720 payments: $352.80 at a flat 49 cents, or $7,200 at 1%. Card payments on MyKidReports are 2.79%, and you can pass fees on to parents.
| First-year cost | MyKidReports (MKR Pro) | Playground | Procare |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 children | $29.70 a month · $356.40 a year | Not published | Not published |
| 60 children | $59.40 a month · $712.80 a year | Not published | Not published |
| 100 children | $99.00 a month · $1,188 a year | Not published | Not published |
| Setup fee | $0 | Not published | Not published |
| Bank payment fee | Flat 49 cents | Not on its pricing page | Not published |
| How to get a price | On the pricing page | Demo request form | Sales quote |
MyKidReports: mykidreports.com/pricing, 30 Oct 2026. MKR Pro is billed in groups of 10 children; over 100 children is a custom Enterprise quote. Playground: Playground’s own pricing page shows no prices and asks for a demo (read 30 Oct 2026).
Three things every owner wants more of.
More money kept. More hours back. More families at the door.
Your ACH fee drops from $2.03 to a flat $0.49 on every payment, however big.
- $0.99 per child a month, billed in groups of 10
- No setup fee and no contract
- Pass ACH fees on to parents, if you choose
- See how our childcare billing software works
The jobs that eat your evenings start running on their own.
- The daily report goes to parents at check-out
- Invoices go out and autopay collects
- Tour reminders and welcome emails send themselves
The US average price of a year of child care in 2025. Every family who finds you is worth that much.
- Show up when parents search for childcare, on Google and in AI assistants
- Inquiries, tours and waitlist in one pipeline
- Posts to Facebook, Instagram and YouTube, with AI captions
The jobs that eat your evenings, done for you.
Real MyKidReports screens, filled with sample data.
Teachers post activities, photos, meals, naps and diapers with one click, and parents see them right away. At check-out the day becomes one report for the family.
Real app screens with sample names and numbers. Enrollment marketing tools and social scheduling are paid add-ons.
We don’t just save you money. We help you grow enrollment.
More families find you, book a tour and enroll, without extra work for your team.
Get found on Google
Your own school website, with a grade and simple fixes so nearby families find you, and a page for every town you serve.
On the maps parents use
List your center on Google Business Profile, Apple Maps and trusted directories.
Turn visits into tours
A chat button, inquiry forms and tour booking on your site, with every family tracked from first question to enrolled.
Stay in front of families
Plan and schedule posts to Facebook, Instagram and YouTube in one place.
From “daycare near me” to enrolled.
When a parent nearby searches “daycare near me”, your center should be there, and saying yes should take one tap.
Inquiry forms, tour booking and enrollment packets are in the Pro plan. Enrollment marketing tools and social scheduling are paid add-ons.
Move off Playground in 5–10 business days.
With a free data migration and our team running the cutover, most centers are live in one to two weeks, with a few days where both systems run side by side.
Free data export
We pull your rosters, billing history, attendance and parent contacts at no charge.
Audit & clean
Our migration team checks the data, flags gaps and fills them with your director.
Staff training
A live session for your director, short training for each teacher, and videos for later.
Parent app rollout
Families install MyKidReports while both systems run side by side.
Cutover
Billing runs on MyKidReports. You cancel your old subscription at month-end.
Not sure switching is worth it for your center?
Book a 30-minute demo. We’ll look at how your center runs and tell you whether switching makes sense, including when it doesn’t.
Try it before you switch.
Run one classroom on the 14-day Pro trial next to what you use now. If it doesn’t hold up, you’ve lost nothing.
- Up to 5 children · 1 staff
- Parent app, daily activities, messaging
- Digital check-in and attendance
- No credit card required
- Everything in Lite
- Unlimited staff and rooms
- Billing, admissions, paperwork, scheduling
- $0.49 per ACH payment
- 14-day free trial, no card
- Everything in Pro
- Multi-center management
- Named specialist
- Priority onboarding
Enrollment marketing tools and social scheduling are paid add-ons. See the full pricing page →
Everything in Pro, from day one.
No module waits for a sales call.
Parent app & messaging
Activity feed, photos, messaging and push notifications for every family, on iOS and Android.
Billing & auto-pay
Autopay by card or bank (ACH), subsidies, split payments and sibling billing.
Attendance & check-in
Digital check-in and check-out, a QR code check-in kiosk, and live room ratios.
Daily reports
Meals, naps and diapers logged in a tap, and one report sent to parents at check-out.
Admissions & enrollment
Inquiry forms, a pipeline from first inquiry to waitlist, enrollment packets and automatic tour reminders.
Paperwork & e-signatures
E-sign PDFs and contracts, web forms, a document library and requests for shot records and IDs.
Staff scheduling
Staff schedules, clock-in and clock-out, and staff hours reports.
CACFP & food program
Food program menus, meal tracking and CACFP reports.
Reports & analytics
Attendance, staff hours, billing, enrollment and waitlist, CACFP and subsidy reports.
Playground alternatives: questions directors ask.
Did Procare buy Playground?
Yes. Procare Solutions announced on 14 September 2026 that it acquired Playground. The price and terms were not disclosed.
Will Playground’s price change after the Procare deal?
Nothing has been announced. Procare’s FAQ from 14 September 2026 does not mention pricing. Ask your representative in writing before you renew.
What is the best Playground alternative for a center with 30 or more children?
Look for three things: a price you can see, low payment fees, and a free data move. MyKidReports costs $29.70 a month at 30 children, charges a flat rate of 49 cents per bank transaction, and moves your data for free.
Is MyKidReports a good Playground software alternative?
Yes. MyKidReports is childcare software for the daily jobs centers use Playground for: billing and auto-pay, check-in with a QR code or 4-digit code, the parent app and messaging, staff scheduling and reports. It costs $0.99 per child per month, with a flat rate of 49 cents per bank transaction, and our team moves your data for free. Comparing Playground with Brightwheel? See the side-by-side →
What does a bank (ACH) payment cost with MyKidReports?
A flat rate of 49 cents per bank transaction, whatever the amount. A $250 payment and a $2,500 payment cost the same 49 cents. Card payments are 2.79%.
Can parents pay the payment fees?
Yes. Once your payment gateway is connected, you can pass transaction fees on to parents from your billing settings.
How long does it take to switch from Playground?
Most centers are live in 5–10 business days, with a few days where both systems run side by side. Our team moves your rosters, billing history, attendance and parent contacts for free.
How much does MyKidReports cost for 60 children?
$59.40 a month ($712.80 a year) on MKR Pro. There is no setup fee and no contract. It is free for up to 5 children.
Can I try MyKidReports before I switch?
Yes. Run one classroom on the 14-day Pro trial next to what you use now. No credit card is needed.
Keep more money. Get hours back. Fill more spots.
At 40 children: about $15,128 a year and 52 hours a month back.
Free up to 5 children. No credit card. No contract. Free data migration when you’re ready to move.