Switching
Moving over without stopping the school
Changing the system a center runs on is the part everyone dreads. We did it for our own center first, so the plan below is the one we actually followed.
The plan
Four stages, in an order that keeps tuition flowing
You can go live with one part and add the rest when you are ready. You are charged only for the parts that are live.
Bring the data across
Our team converts your children, families, contacts, staff and billing history from your current system's reports. You check a sample; we fix what is off.
Records and compliance
Your office starts using Centerly for records. The first nightly check produces your to-do list of gaps, usually an eye-opening morning.
Billing and payments
Billing moves at the start of a month. Families set up payment once. Opening balances carry over so nothing is double-billed or lost.
Kiosk, parents, growth
The attendance kiosk and the Family Journal go live for parents and teachers, then the website chat agent and enrollment tools.
What comes across
- Children: names, dates of birth, classrooms, enrollment dates and status
- Families: parents and guardians, phone and email, authorized pick-ups, emergency contacts
- Allergies, medical notes and special needs
- Staff: names, roles, hire dates, contact details
- Billing history: the family ledger, year by year, reconciled against your old system's totals
- Opening balance for each family on the day you switch
- Tuition rates and discounts for each child
What starts fresh
- Payment authorizations. Bank and card authorizations cannot move between payment processors. Each family sets up payment once in Centerly; we give you the message to send and track who has done it.
- Documents. Scan or upload what you have on paper and the assistant files it. You do not need to do this before going live.
- Sign-in PINs. Parents get a new PIN or QR pass for the kiosk.
- Parent app. Families open the Family Journal from a link; there is nothing to download from an app store.
A typical timeline
| When | What happens | Who does it |
|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | You send reports from your current system. We convert them and show you the result. | Mostly us. About two hours for your office. |
| Week 2 | Your office uses Centerly for records alongside the old system. The compliance to-do list appears. Tuition agreements are loaded. | Your office, with us on call. |
| Week 3 | Families are invited to set up payment and sign any forms that are missing. A practice billing run is compared with your old system's bill. | You send one message; families do the rest. |
| Start of next month | First real billing run in Centerly. Opening balances carried over. The old system stops billing. | You press the button; we watch with you. |
| The month after | Kiosk and Family Journal for parents and teachers. Website chat agent and enrollment tools when you want them. | Your pace. |
Centers with one location and tidy records move faster. Centers with several locations or years of unreconciled ledgers take longer, and that is fine: the stages do not have to be back to back.
Before you leave your current system
- Run and save the reports you may want later: family ledgers by year, year-end tax statements, attendance history, staff hours.
- Check your contract for the notice period and what happens to the price or fees when you cancel.
- Ask how long you can still sign in and export after you cancel.
- Do not cancel until your first Centerly billing run has gone through.
What it asks of your people
Your office learns a new screen for work it already knows. The assistant does much of the entry that used to be typed, so the change tends to feel like less work within the first week, not more.
Your teachers get a tablet screen for attendance, meals, naps and photos. Most are comfortable in a day.
Your families set up payment once, sign any outstanding forms on their phone, and open the Family Journal from a link.
Questions
About switching
What does the data conversion cost?
It is part of your quote. Ask us on the demo.
Our current system will not give us an export. Now what?
That is common. We convert from the standard reports your system can print or save as PDF. It is how we moved our own center.
Can we keep our old system running for a while?
Yes, and for billing we recommend one practice run in parallel before you switch for real.
When is the best time of year to switch?
The start of any month works for billing. Many centers choose a quieter month, or the summer, and avoid the month of a known licensing visit.
Will parents have to do anything?
Set up payment once, and sign any forms that are missing or out of date. Most do both from a phone in a few minutes.
What if we want to leave Centerly later?
You keep read access to your records for a period after you stop, so you can run and save what you need.
Tell us what you run on today
We will tell you what the switch would look like for your center.