What you'll receive from families using Daycare Discoverer
Daycare Discoverer helps Metro Vancouver parents apply to licensed programs from one family profile. Parents choose which programs to apply to and approve every message before it's sent. Our aim is fewer phone calls and cleaner waitlists for you, not more noise.
A free portal for your program
See who applied
Every family who applied to you through us, with the child's age, start date and days, oldest application first.
Update their place in line
Tell a family they're on the list, where they stand, or that you have a spot. They see it at once, so fewer calls asking.
Post an opening
We email nearby families whose child is the right age and who want your type of care. Fill spaces without a long phone list.
Edit your page
Your description, hours, languages, links and a photo, on the page families find when they search.
You don't need to join for families to apply to you. The portal just makes it easier to keep your list tidy.
Get your free program portal
Find your program, tell us who you are, and we'll send the link. If your email matches the one we have on file, it comes straight away.
The messages you might get
An application
One email per family with the child's name, birth date (or due date), the date they need care from, days and hours, home municipality, and how to reach the parents. If you use your own online form, we can fill that in instead.
An occasional check-in
A short note saying the family is still interested, asking for any update on where they sit. Never more than one every 4 weeks per family, and only as often as you allow.
A reply to an offer, or a withdrawal
When the family accepts or declines a spot, or finds care elsewhere, they tell you so your list stays accurate and the next family can move up.
At least 4 weeks between messages
We never send you more than one unprompted message about the same family within 28 days. By default families check in every 8 weeks (a little more often from May to August, when spots open for September, but never under 4 weeks). You can ask for less, up to every 26 weeks.
Replies go straight to the family
Every message comes from an address made for that family at apply.daycarediscoverer.com and is signed with the parents' names. Just hit reply as you would with any parent. Your answer reaches them, and their tracker updates with your news, such as a waitlist position or an offer. If you'd rather they use your own form or pay a waitlist fee, just say so in your reply.
Change how often you hear from us, or opt out
Every email includes a link at the bottom to your program's own portal. No account needed. From there you can:
- choose how often families may check in, from every 4 to every 26 weeks,
- tell us whether you prefer applications by email or through your online form,
- stop all messages from Daycare Discoverer families. Families already on your list keep their place.
Lost the link? Ask for it again.
Programs never pay
Families get their first 5 applications free and pay us $10 for each one after that. Programs pay nothing, and we never ask for priority, placement fees or referral payments. Your waitlist rules are yours.
Questions?
We'd love to hear from you, especially if there's a way we could make families' applications easier for you to handle. Email centres@daycarediscoverer.com.