TL;DR: Playground's biggest win is consolidation — billing, enrollment/CRM, attendance, your sales pipeline, and payroll all under one roof. The trade-off is that a few of those modules are "good enough" rather than best-in-class. Payroll in particular has real limitations (we couldn't set up Arizona wage garnishments the way we needed), and some of the slick automations — like parent forms that auto-fill everywhere — work most of the time, not all of the time. For us, the consolidation was worth it. But go in with your eyes open.
Learn how better preschool teacher onboarding, childcare LMS tools, and staff training systems can help childcare centers improve consistency, support teachers, and reduce turnover.
But here's the tension every childcare center owner knows too well: your budget is tight. Margins in early childhood education are thin. The idea of spending $200 per teacher per workshop
The average bad hire in childcare costs $3,000-$10,000+. Gatekeeper's 29-question screening tells you who to hire, who to coach, and who to avoid — before the interview. Try the free mini quiz.
Hiring great preschool teachers is only half the battle. Without a structured onboarding system, many new hires leave within their first few months. This guide shows preschool directors how to onboard new teachers using a practical 30-60-90 day framework that builds confidence, strengthens classroom skills, and dramatically improves staff retention.
Losing a great teacher doesn’t just hurt morale—it costs your center money, stability, and family trust. Here’s what the research says about why teachers leave and the practical steps preschool leaders can take to keep their best staff.