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Capture attendance by room
Staff check children in once. The roster stays tied to the room, day, and record you will need later.
Audit-ready records without the end-of-week scramble.
- Plans from $29/month
- Subsidy reconciliation built in
- Audit and ratio records in one place
Our research points to 8%+ revenue loss from subsidy billing errors without automation.
1-month free trial. Credit card required. We email you 3 days before it ends.
What the app prevents
Licensed centers get squeezed by compliance work that never stays still.
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A center can lose real cash when subsidy attendance does not line up with the claim it submits. The rework shows up before the payment does.
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Ratios can change three times in one morning. If staffing slips and nobody catches it, the licensor still writes it down.
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Audit prep gets messy when attendance logs, room coverage, and billing notes live in different places.
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Most childcare software spends its best screen space on the parent app. Directors still end up rebuilding the operational record by hand.
PebbleDesk keeps attendance, ratios, and billing in step before the end-of-week scramble starts.
Plans from $29/month Licensed-center workflow for ratios, subsidy claims, and audit prep Built around ratio checks, subsidy billing, and audit prep No setup fee and no add-on for subsidy reconciliation Exportable records for attendance, ratios, and claim support
How It Works
One place for the numbers your team, your billing, and your licensor all need.
Check children in once. Ratios update as staff move. Subsidy claims stay lined up with attendance. When an audit starts, the record is already there.
02
Watch ratios as staffing changes
The ratio view updates with room movement and staff callouts, so the director sees the gap before the licensor does.
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Reconcile subsidy claims before submission
Attendance records and billing support stay lined up, which cuts down the manual review before you send the claim.
04
Export the record when an audit starts
Pull the attendance, ratio, and claim support record from one place instead of rebuilding it from binders and spreadsheets.
Built for directors who need the same record to hold up for licensing, billing, and payroll.
PebbleDesk is not trying to be the loudest parent app in the category. It is meant to give a director one dependable place to verify what happened, what was billed, and what can be shown when someone asks.
Live ratio tracking by room
Subsidy claims tied to attendance
One record ready for audit prep
Plans
Simple flat pricing. No per-child fees, no setup costs.
Home starts at $29/month. Center Starter fits licensed programs up to 50 active children, and Center Pro covers up to 100. Start your 1-month free trial in the product app with a credit card on file, and PebbleDesk emails you 3 days before the trial ends.
Start your 1-month free trial. Credit card required. We email you 3 days before the trial ends.
Home
$29/mo
In-home programs — up to 15 children at 1 location
- Room-level attendance capture
- Ratio visibility
- Offline check-in/out
- Subsidy attendance reports
- Parent messaging & billing
- State licensing compliance alerts
Center Starter
$99/mo
Licensed centers — up to 50 active children at 1 location
- Everything in Home
- Audit report builder
- Basic subsidy reconciliation
- QuickBooks sync/export
- State workflow pack (1)
- Priority support
Center Pro
$149/mo
Licensed centers — up to 100 active children at 1 location
- Everything in Center Starter
- Automated subsidy reconciliation
- Staff scheduling & hour tracking
- State workflow packs (2)
Group
$299/mo
Multi-site groups — up to 3 locations, 250 children total
- Everything in Center Pro
- Centralized admin roles & reporting
- State workflow packs (3)
- Add locations at $69/mo each
- Add 100 children at $49/mo
Enterprise
Custom
10+ sites or complex requirements
- Everything in Group
- Custom integrations
- Dedicated rollout planning
- SLA support
Guides and comparisons for childcare directors
Research-backed guides for center directors researching software, licensing, and operations.
- Home Daycare License Requirements by State State-by-state guide to getting licensed as a family childcare home.
- Best Childcare Management Software Compared on pricing, subsidy billing, and audit readiness.
- Best Childcare Billing Software Tools that handle tuition, subsidies, and family co-pays.
- Compare Childcare Software Head-to-head comparisons of Brightwheel, Procare, Lillio, and more.
- How to Choose Childcare Software A director's framework for shortlisting and evaluating platforms.
- Best Attendance Tracking Software Offline-ready attendance tools for licensed childcare centers.
Frequently asked
Common questions before you try it
Does PebbleDesk handle my state's subsidy reporting?
PebbleDesk enforces state-mandated staff-to-child ratios for Texas, California, and Florida. Generic ratio and licensing workflows are available for all other states. State-specific licensing report formats are available for TX (HHSC 2936), CA (LIC 9040), and FL (DCF CF-FSP 5337).
How does ratio tracking work?
PebbleDesk tracks staff-to-child ratios from check-ins and room assignments. The goal is to show the gap while the director can still fix the room, not after the licensor writes it down.
Can I import data from Brightwheel or Procare?
Import from CSV, with column mapping presets for Brightwheel and Procare. Works for child rosters, family contacts, and billing records.
What happens if my internet goes down?
PebbleDesk is online-only in V1. If your connection drops, keep a paper fallback for temporary attendance notes and enter them once service returns.
How does PebbleDesk pricing work?
PebbleDesk has tiered flat pricing. Home is $29 per month for in-home programs up to 15 children. Center Starter is $99 per month for licensed centers up to 50 active children. Center Pro is $149 per month for licensed centers up to 100 active children. Group and Enterprise tiers cover multi-site operations and custom requirements.
Is there a contract or commitment?
No. All plans are month to month. Cancel any time.
What happens after I create an account?
You create your account in the PebbleDesk product app, choose the plan that fits your program, add a credit card to start the 1-month free trial, and continue into center setup. PebbleDesk emails you when the trial starts and again 3 days before the trial ends, then billing starts automatically unless you cancel first. If your team wants help aligning subsidy or ratio workflows first, you can also book the optional 15-minute setup walkthrough.
Why are so many childcare providers leaving the subsidy system?
Provider participation in the CCDF subsidy program fell from 475,394 in 2006 to 225,204 in 2022. The main drag is admin burden: attendance tracking, billing reconciliation, portal rules, and documentation retention. PebbleDesk is built to cut that paperwork load, not add another place to manage it.
How much revenue do centers lose without billing automation?
Research estimates providers miss more than 8% of annual revenue from subsidy billing errors without automation. For a center with $200,000 in annual subsidy revenue, that can mean $16,000 lost to missed claims, documentation errors, and reconciliation mistakes.
How long does it take to receive subsidy reimbursements?
Most states pay subsidies after care is delivered, and reimbursement can take up to 60 days. PebbleDesk tracks what was billed, what is still outstanding, and which records support the claim.
What is the national improper payment rate for CCDF subsidies?
The national CCDF improper payment rate was 3.55% in 2023. Missing or incomplete documentation still drives a large share of those errors, which is why PebbleDesk keeps attendance, ratios, and claim support in one record.
Your ratios, roster, and subsidy records — in one place that's ready when the inspector calls.
Start your 1-month free trial. Credit card required. We email you 3 days before the trial ends.
1-month free trial. Credit card required. We email you 3 days before the trial ends.