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Best Practices: Using Desktop with Parent Engagement

Parent Engagement

Using Desktop with Parent Engagement

What are the best practices for using Procare Desktop with Parent Engagement? What are the do’s / don’ts and considerations for what to do in which system? Since all data does not sync, this is a guide as to where you want to keep certain items.

Best Practice by Topic:

Immunizations

  • Already recording immunizations in Desktop?  If so, keep using Desktop.
  • Use Parent Engagement if teacher’s need the info on the app. Note that support is required to customize or set  immunization due dates.
  • Use Desktop if the center needs greater tracking/reporting.
  • If you are not currently recording any immunizations, lean toward Parent Engagement.

Allergies/Tracking

  • In Desktop they are set up as a Child Tracking items. They do not sync.
  • Parent Engagement uses a general field for allergies on the Child Profile entered as text, not a tracking item). Parent Engagement doesn’t produce a report of all children who have a specific allergy, like all kids w/dairy. Tags could be used, but not ideal because of mistyping the same allergy many ways.
  • If teachers need to know the allergies: Choose either recording them in Parent Engagement and having an allergy icon on Parent Engagement mobile devices, or using Desktop and giving teachers a printed allergy report by classroom.
  • If you want both, you would need to double enter the data in both systems.

Tags in Parent Engagement are used for:

  • Schedule info: M, W, F vs. Full time, part time. These do not provide scheduling for Roll Call and Check-In like Desktop does.
  •  Before, After School, a specific activity.
  • Bus routes. AM Bus, PM Bus, Lincoln School, Westside Elementary, etc.
  • Anything you want to use for filtering, especially for daily activities or room transfers.

Child Check In

  • You may use Parent Engagement QR codes, Geo Fencing, or Check In app.
  • If you use the door controller: Use Web Apps or Receptionist in Desktop.
  • Rounding in Desktop:  Set the minute interval to “none” on Desktop if using Parent Engagement for attendance,
  •  Desktop’s “deny entry” feature is not supported in Parent Engagement.
  • Desktop max hours should be set to default of 16. If it is set lower, say to 8… then auto sign out from Parent Engagement won’t succeed.
  • Timecard edits will not sync. Each will retain the original time recorded for that day.
  • Authorized pickup people must be added as ‘payers’ in Desktop to use the Engagement app. This gives that person more access than desired (account info).
  • Schedule exceptions in Desktop, such as “absent” days, do not sync with Engagement’s absent day notation.

Split Families

  • All emergency contacts are blended together in Parent Engagement.
  • If you are seeing issues with this, contact support.

Staff sign-in

  • Doesn’t sync either direction.
  • Use Desktop If you are issuing paychecks in Desktop.
  • Use Procare Engage if you only need timecard data, or are using Gusto’s integration for payroll.
  • Use Procare Engage if you need the live room ratios (Desktop has live display of numbers in Dashboard).

Employee Data

  • Vacation, sick, PTO are tracked in Desktop. If using Gusto for payroll, this could be tracked in Gusto.
  • Schedules are tracked in Desktop.

Procare users

  • All “active” Procare users in Desktop sync to Parent Engagement. Those that are system supervisors are automatically designated as administrators in Parent Engagement, and automatically invited to download the app.