The Seed Day Care Center - 2007 Dell/NFIB Small Business Excellence Award Finalist
Enhancing the educational experience through the use of security technology.
Finding that an unauthorized person is on school grounds is every kindergarten teacher's worst nightmare. But by employing technology to improve safety, the owners of The Seed Day Care Center (www.TheSeedDayCare.com) have eased this anxiety for teachers and parents alike.
Founded in 1980 by a small group of dedicated women in Yorktown Heights, New York, The Seed serves its community by providing education and all-day care for 3-to 6 year-old children. Since its inception, The Seed has built a strong reputation while burgeoning into a successful business.
"Day care is a unique business because the essential motivation isn't profit," said Patricia Colleran, co-owner and teacher of The Seed. "But in order to fulfill our true motivation, which is to ensure quality child care and provide for the intellectual, social and spiritual needs of children, we found we need to have a well-run business."
Two years ago, The Seed began using cutting edge technology to improve security-a novel approach in a traditional industry. With the purchase of School Leader® software and a brand new suite of Dell products, the staff made a strategic decision to improve safety and efficiency. The Seed implemented a state-of-the-art electronic entry system and initiated electronic communication between teachers and parents.
The School Leader® software electronically tracks each person that enters and leaves the day care facility. Authorized people, such as parents and babysitters, must log onto a security station equipped with Dell computers with a personalized access code in order to gain entry, while the credentials of all unauthorized visitors are screened. Parents can unlock the security door and check their child in for the day through this on-line system.
"I used to constantly be distracted and worried about who was coming in," said Colleran. "But with the new technology, I have been able to focus my energies on the kids."
The software, with its built-in messaging capabilities, facilitates a greater level of communication between parents and teachers. The staff can leave messages for parents throughout the day on the networked system, which automatically appear each time a parent enters the facility to drop off or pick up a child.
The introduction of the software has streamlined The Seed's day-to-day operations and increased overall customer satisfaction. The software has simplified many administrative functions from automatic billing to immunization compliance for the staff.
The innovation has even inspired The Seed parents, who are using technology as a means of staying in-touch.
"Parents can email their children throughout the day, as the class has its own email address," says Colleran. The Seed also sends monthly email newsletters to parents, a popular tool for keeping them informed of what children are learning at school on a regular basis.
The response from the clientele has been remarkably positive as evidenced by a 40% increase in enrollment since installing the security software.
The staff also believes that integrating technology into its business plan has altered people's perceptions of childcare.
"A tremendous amount of work goes into educating a young child-it's not just babysitting," explains Diane Turcin, the administrative director at The Seed. "We are highly qualified professionals who want to improve the way people view childcare. And one way of achieving that is to show critics how we have used technology to improve safety and enhance education."
The Seed's staff admits that the high cost of implementing the new hardware was a major obstacle in executing their technology plan. "Dell offered a solution-a high-quality product at a price that a small business could afford. We are thrilled to see a company like Dell supporting small business."
The Seed's use of security software has inspired other daycare facilities to follow their footsteps, creating a new standard in daycare security and safety.
