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.