Daycare Connect: Your Hassle-Free Daycare Finder

Product Experience

Problem Space 

Problem Statement  

How might we address the challenge of daycare availability in Canada to alleviate the stress and frustration for families with young children?

In Canada, families with young children often face lengthy waitlists and a lack of clarity about which daycares have available spots at any given time. This situation often results in parents delaying their return to work due to the unavailability of suitable childcare options. as finding suitable childcare becomes a daunting task. The process of repeatedly checking multiple daycares for availability adds to this burden. Therefore, there is a critical need for a streamlined, efficient system that can connect parents with local daycare openings in real-time, simplifying the search for childcare and supporting parents in balancing family and professional responsibilities.

Problem Background  

In Canada, the availability of daycare is a significant issue for families. The demand for childcare far exceeds the supply, leading to long waitlists and uncertainty about securing a spot. This gap between demand and supply poses a challenge for parents, especially those looking to re-enter the workforce, as they often face delays due to the scarcity of available childcare options. The lack of centralised information about daycare availability further complicates the process, making it difficult for families to find timely and suitable childcare solutions.

This shortage of daycare contributes to stress and frustration for parents who must repeatedly check with multiple providers. Addressing this issue is crucial for supporting families and the need for efficient, real-time solutions to connect parents with available daycare services.

Research Insights

User Pain Points

I conducted over 25 user surveys and over 5 user interviews. The following are their pain points

• Difficulty in Finding Conveniently Located Daycare: Users struggle to find daycare facilities that are conveniently located either near their home or workplace. This creates challenges in efficiently managing their daily commute and balancing work and family responsibilities.
• Time-Consuming Waitlist Processes: Users find it cumbersome and time-consuming to join multiple daycare waitlists. The lack of a centralised system for waitlist applications leads to repetitive, labour-intensive processes.
• Challenges in Comparing Daycare Options: Users face difficulties in effectively comparing prices, services, and overall quality of different daycare facilities. This comparison is crucial for making informed decisions within budget constraints and according to their child's specific needs.
• Constant Monitoring for Availability: Users are burdened with the need to continuously check for openings in their preferred daycares. This ongoing vigilance is time-consuming and often leads to missed opportunities due to delayed information.
• Inconvenience in Scheduling Visits: Users find it challenging to schedule visits or virtual tours of daycares without a flexible and convenient system. The lack of an easy scheduling mechanism disrupts their personal and professional schedules.

Supporting Data

100% of people we spoke to mentioned they were unhappy with the current solution. In addition, the issue of long waitlists for daycare spots has been a significant concern in 2023. For instance, in the Niagara Region, it's estimated that around 10,000 children were waiting for daycare spots by the end of the year. 

Specific daycare centres, like the Niagara Nursery School, reported having 242 children on their waitlist. The situation is such that parents are advised to place their children on waitlists even before they are born. Some families have reported waiting about a year and a half to secure a spot.  

Feedback

The Canadian Survey on the Provision of Child Care Services in 2022 that 78% of child care centres had active waitlists, indicating a high demand for daycare services. This suggests that many parents using child care services experienced difficulty finding them, which also happened in 2023. 

From the survey and interviews conducted, 100 % of the participants confirmed their stress in finding a daycare in Canada. Link

Landing on the Solution

Based on our target users’ pain points, we knew we wanted to work on the following features:

• Real-time Availability Tracking: Provides up-to-date information on available spots in local daycares.
• Geolocation Services: Helps parents find the nearest daycare centres with available spaces.
• Waitlist Management: Allows parents to join waitlists and receive notifications when a spot becomes available.
• Direct Communication: Enables parents to directly contact daycare centres for inquiries or to secure a spot.
• Customised Search Filters: Offers options to search by age group, specific needs, location, and other preferences.
• User Reviews and Ratings: Includes feedback from other parents about the daycare centres.
• Booking and Reservation System: Facilitates the reservation of daycare spots through the app.
• Information Hub: Provides details about each daycare, including services offered, staff qualifications, and pricing.

User Flows/Mockups 

Future Steps

This is what we learned from speaking to customers: The primary concern among parents is the uncertainty and time consumed in finding available daycare spots. They expressed a need for a more streamlined, efficient process. Parents also highlighted the importance of transparency regarding daycare quality and safety standards.

Possible additional problems to address include:

• Ensuring Data Privacy and Security: Protecting the personal information of families using the app.
• Diverse Childcare Needs: Catering to children with special needs or specific dietary or cultural requirements.
• Affordability: Assisting parents in finding affordable daycare options.
• Extended Hours and Emergency Care: Addressing the need for daycares that offer extended hours or emergency drop-in services.
• Integration with Government Programs: Aligning the app's features with government subsidies or programs to assist lower-income families.

These insights and potential issues can guide the future development of Daycare Connect, ensuring it meets the evolving needs of its users.

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