Procare is the veteran of childcare management — decades old, very strong on the administrative spine: enrolment, billing, agency subsidies, accounting integrations. Many large centres and chains run on it.
Pricing
Quote-based, by size and modules; commonly reported from around $100/month into several hundred for full-featured centre deployments, plus payment processing. Smaller programs often find they're paying for administrative depth they don't use.
Setup
- Sales consultation → quote → guided implementation.
- Data migration and billing configuration are the heavy lifts; plan weeks, not days.
- Staff training matters here — the depth means a real learning curve.
Strengths and trade-offs
Strengths: billing/subsidy administration, reporting, maturity. Trade-offs: dated feel in places, complexity for small teams, and total cost once modules stack up. If your need is parent experience + simple operations rather than enterprise admin, lighter tools fit better.
Procare vs Mitten at a glance
| Procare | Mitten | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Quote-based; commonly reported from ~$100/mo to several hundred for centres (verify with the vendor — pricing changes) | Free ≤5 children, then $20/mo + $2/child (e.g. 20 kids ≈ $48/mo) |
| Setup | Sales call / demo, onboarding sessions | Self-serve — live in minutes, no call required |
| Tuition payments | Often takes a processing cut | 0% platform cut |
| Payroll prep | Varies / add-on | Included — hours → gross pay + stubs |
| AI daily notes & recaps | Varies / premium | Included free |
| Your data | Stored on the vendor's terms | Never sold or shared; full export anytime; Canadian-built |
| App store | Parents download an app | No download — installs to the home screen |
Run your daycare on Mitten — free to start
Switching is free — we migrate your roster from Procare, parents join via a link (no app-store download), and you're live in an afternoon.
Start free — no card needed → See the live demoFrequently asked questions
- How much does Procare cost?
- Quote-based; commonly reported from ~$100/mo to several hundred for centres. Pricing is quote-based and changes — always confirm with the vendor. For comparison, Mitten publishes its pricing: free up to 5 children, then $20/mo + $2 per child.
- Is there a cheaper alternative to Procare?
- Mitten is typically a fraction of the cost — free for your first 5 children, then $20/mo + $2/child, with payroll prep and AI notes included and no payment-processing cut on tuition.