Bonnie,

We use Parent Pager Plus. Cost varies depending on the number of check-in/out kiosks you utilize. We purchased our system six years ago and have sixteen kiosks, and it ran in the neighborhood of $60,000. That included all the equipment/maintenance. We do have a contact, which I’ll have to get for you from our IT Manager, so let me know if you’re interested. We do like the system very much, given our size and scope. It uses photo ID’s,  proximity cards and text pagers,  and we’re even going to attempt fingerprint readers as a trial for those who want to give it a go. Otherwise, the proximity cards are scanned as parents check kids in, but a family, regardless of size is checked in within a couple of seconds, with slips and nametags generated for each child. It also tracks special needs like allergies, as well as custody issues to help our Welcome Team and volunteers leaders keep current with every situation.

At first blush, it feels a bit fortress-like, but we are able to overcome that feeling with our personal customer service and commitment toward providing a safe environment for each child. When we first installed the system, people were a little taken aback; however, now we never get any negative comments, and it’s proven to be well-received. We have well over 1200 kids who come through here on a weekly basis, and it just became impossible to know everyone.

Hope that helps!

Danise

Lisa B from NC