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Best childminder booking software to grow your business

Smart scheduling, seamless payments, and automated reminders — built to keep your calendar full and customers coming back.

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Your Childminder Business
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Everything you need to run your childminder business

Packed with powerful tools to grow your revenue, streamline your bookings, and boost client retention.

Session-type booking that matches your day

Set up the care you actually offer: settling-in sessions, half days, full days, wraparound/after-school, inset days, and holiday care. Parents choose the right session and you avoid vague “can you do Tuesday?” messages that lead to mistakes.

Capacity controls for spaces, ages, and pickup slots

Limit bookings based on the spaces you have and the time windows you can realistically manage around school runs. When a slot is full, it’s full — so you’re not manually turning people away or accidentally overcommitting.

Deposits, retainers, and automated late fees

Take deposits for new starters, hold spaces with retainers, and apply late pickup fees consistently when needed. It removes awkward conversations and stops you carrying the financial risk when parents change plans at the last minute.

Parent reminders for drop-off, pickup, and paperwork

Send automatic reminders for start dates, settling-in times, and what to bring. You can also nudge parents about outstanding forms or policy acknowledgements so you’re not chasing during nap time or at the door.

Clear booking notes for allergies, routines, and permissions

Capture the practical details that matter day-to-day: allergies, sleep routines, collection permissions, and emergency contacts. Everything sits with the booking so you’re not scrolling through chat history while supervising children.

Policies and safeguarding-friendly confirmations

Attach your key policies to the booking flow so parents see them at the right time, not after there’s a disagreement. Confirmations create a tidy paper trail for cancellations, late pickups, and session changes.

The challenges every childminder faces

Protecting ratios and ages while parents push for ‘just this once’

It only takes one extra request for an early drop or a sibling add-on to tip you over your numbers. When availability lives in messages, it’s easy to say yes before you’ve checked ages, days, and existing commitments. You need bookings that respect your capacity, not your guilt.

Mixing regular contracts with ad-hoc care (and keeping it fair)

You might have term-time contracts, after-school care, and occasional holiday cover all in the same week. Parents expect flexibility, but you still need consistent income and clear rules. Without a system, you end up negotiating every request and arguing about what was agreed.

Funded hours, split sessions, and confusing fee breakdowns

Funded entitlement, top-ups, meals, late fees, and extras can turn a simple week into a spreadsheet. Parents want a clear figure and a paper trail. When you’re calculating by hand, small mistakes creep in and you spend evenings explaining invoices instead of planning activities.

No-shows, late pickups, and last-minute cancellations

A cancelled day can wipe out your margin, and a late pickup disrupts your own family time. If your cancellation policy is buried in a PDF or “we talked about it”, it’s hard to enforce. You need upfront booking rules, reminders, and fees applied consistently.

✓ We solve this

One platform for everything

  • 24/7 online booking
  • Automated reminders
  • Instant payments
  • No more double-bookings
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Built for real childminder workflows

A typical day starts before the doorbell: you’re checking who’s in, who’s on an early drop, and whether anyone’s asked to swap a day this week. Then it’s arrivals, handovers, breakfast, and settling children who might be teary or overtired. Mid-morning you’re trying to plan activities, log naps and meals, and keep an eye on messages from parents asking about holiday cover or an extra hour after sc...

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What we help with

  • Parents messaging late at night asking for availability “tomorrow”
  • Accidentally holding the same space for two families during September intake
  • Losing track of deposits and start dates for new starters
  • Arguments about cancellations and late pickups because policies weren’t visible
  • Spending Sunday evenings calculating fees around funded hours and extras
Childminder Business Mobile App

Manage Your Childminder Business
From Anywhere

Download the iBookFast Provider app and manage your childminder bookings on the go. Accept appointments, chat with clients, track earnings – all from your phone.

Real-Time Childminder Bookings Accept childminder bookings, confirm or reschedule instantly
Live Chat Message your childminder clients directly
Push Notifications Never miss a childminder booking or enquiry
Business Analytics Track your childminder business earnings
Team Management Manage your childminder team schedules
Review Management Respond to childminder service reviews
Download on the App Store
Get it on Google Play

Free to download. Requires a iBookFast provider account.

Quick Setup

Get started in 3 simple steps

Your childminder business accepting bookings in under 5 minutes

1

List your session types and rules

Add the care you actually provide: settling-in sessions, contracted days, after-school pickup slots, holiday care, and ad-hoc cover. Set minimum session lengths, cancellation notice, and late pickup rules so it’s clear before anyone books.

2

Set capacity around your ratios and school run

Define how many spaces you can offer per session and block out times you can’t take bookings (school run, appointments, personal time). This stops overbooking and keeps your day realistic, not optimistic.

3

Choose how you take money and confirmations

Decide whether to take deposits for new starters, payment upfront for ad-hoc days, or invoices on a schedule for contracted care. Share your booking link and let parents request care with a proper confirmation trail.

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Simple Pricing

Choose the Perfect Plan for Your Business

Start free and scale as you grow. No hidden fees, cancel anytime.

Starter

Perfect for getting started with your first listing

Free
  • 0% platform commission
  • Free Listing
  • Email Notifications
  • Unlimited Services
Get Started Free

Pro

Great for growing businesses with multiple services

£ 14 /month
  • Up to 5 team members
  • 0% platform commission
  • Up to 5 staff members
  • Custom subdomain
  • Embed Widgets
  • Group Bookings
  • 30-day free trial
Start 30-Day Free Trial

30-day free trial, no card required

Premium

Best for established businesses ready to scale

£ 29 /month
  • Up to 15 team members
  • 0% platform commission
  • Up to 15 staff members
  • Custom subdomain
  • Embed Widgets
  • Group Bookings
  • 30-day free trial
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30-day free trial, no card required

Secure Payments
Cancel Anytime
24/7 Support
No Hidden Fees

Save 10+ Hours Weekly

Automate scheduling and spend more time on what you do best

Increase Revenue by 40%

Fill more slots and reduce no-shows with automated reminders

Happier Clients

Provide a modern booking experience your clients will love

FAQ

Questions? Answers.

Everything you need to know about our childminder booking system.

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How do I handle urgent childcare requests like an emergency cover day?

You can keep a limited number of ad-hoc slots available and only show them when you genuinely have capacity. Parents can request an emergency day without you having to answer the phone during school pickup. You can also require payment upfront for short-notice care so you’re not left out of pocket if plans change.

What types of childcare sessions can I offer through the booking system?

Most childminders set up settling-in sessions, half days, full days, term-time only bookings, after-school pickup blocks, and holiday care. You can also add extras like meals, late pickup fees, or additional hours. The key is parents selecting a defined session, not sending a vague message that leads to confusion.

When should I take payment — upfront, deposit, or monthly?

For ad-hoc days and holiday cover, many childminders take payment at the point of booking to protect the space. For new starters, a deposit or retainer can hold the place until the start date. For contracted care, you can invoice on a monthly schedule while still taking deposits for changes and extras.

How does the system help with seasonal demand like September and school holidays?

You can create seasonal session types (holiday care, inset day cover) and control capacity so you don’t get swamped with requests you can’t take. During September intake, bookings and deposits keep start dates and settling-in sessions organised. It also reduces the constant back-and-forth when lots of parents ask the same questions at once.

Can I manage more than one childminder or assistant schedule?

Yes, if you have an assistant or work as a small team, you can organise availability so bookings reflect who’s on duty and when. That helps when one of you is doing the school run while the other is at home with the younger ones. You avoid taking on a session that you can’t staff safely.

How do I turn enquiries into confirmed bookings without endless messaging?

Send parents a booking link for a settling-in session or a first contracted slot, with your fees and policies shown upfront. Once they choose a session and pay the deposit (if required), it’s confirmed rather than “pencilled in”. It cuts down on timewasters who ask for availability across five different weeks and then disappear.

How does customer communication work when I can’t be on my phone?

Automated confirmations and reminders cover the basics: dates, times, what’s booked, and what’s been paid. Parents get clear messages without you typing replies during childcare hours. You can still add notes for important details, but you’re not relying on live chat to keep the day organised.

Can I charge different prices for term-time, siblings, or extended hours?

Yes, you can set different rates for session types and time windows, such as early drops, late pickups, or after-school blocks. You can also add sibling pricing or package-style weekly arrangements if that’s how you work. This keeps pricing consistent and avoids awkward, case-by-case bargaining.

0% Commission

Keep 100% of your earnings

70% Less No-Shows

Automated reminders

24/7 Booking

Accept bookings anytime

Instant Payments

Get paid upfront

Why iBookFast for your childminder business?

Childminding isn’t like other appointment-based work. You’re not fitting in one-hour slots; you’re committing to blocks of care that affect your ratios, your school run, your own family time, and the children already in your setting. That’s why a generic calendar link doesn’t cut it. You need bookings that reflect how you work: regular contracted days, term-time only arrangements, after-school pic...

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Start Taking Childcare Bookings Without Living on Your Phone

Set your sessions, protect your ratios, and take deposits and fees with 0% commission — built for UK childminders.

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