What Happens Without an AI Answering Service for Daycare
Your front desk manages enrollment and parent communication, but during drop-off rushes or when handling in-person visitors, calls go unanswered. You lose enrollment opportunities because nobody picked up the phone.
Receptionist Doesn't Know Age-Specific Classroom Availability or Waitlist Positions
A parent calls asking about "toddler care starting in June." Your receptionist checks the general waitlist but doesn't know the difference between your 18-24 month room versus your 2-3 year old classroom—each has different availability. She gives vague information: "we have a waitlist, but I'll have the director call you." The parent needs specific answers today to plan their childcare. They call another daycare whose intake staff immediately confirms which age group has openings.
Tours Get Scheduled During Nap Time or Drop-Off Creating Operational Problems
Your receptionist books a facility tour for 1 PM—right during nap time when classrooms must stay quiet. Or schedules one at 8:30 AM during drop-off chaos when teachers can't give attention to touring families. The director discovers the poorly-timed tour and has to reschedule, frustrating the prospective parent. Another daycare offers well-coordinated tours at appropriate times, making a better first impression and winning the enrollment.
Receptionist Can't Explain Subsidy Programs or Payment Options Parents Need
A parent calls asking "do you accept state childcare vouchers?" or "can I use my employer's childcare benefits here?" Your receptionist isn't trained on which subsidy programs you participate in or how various payment options work. She promises a callback from billing. The parent needs this information now to determine affordability. They enroll with a center whose front desk immediately confirmed subsidy acceptance and explained the enrollment process.
Welco - AI Answering Service for Daycare
Provide Accurate Age-Specific Availability and Waitlist Information
Welco understands your classroom structure by age group—infants, young toddlers, older toddlers, preschool—and communicates availability for each. Parents ask "do you have openings for 18-month-olds?"—Welco checks your configured availability for that specific age classroom and provides accurate waitlist information. Parents get clear answers about the exact age group they need instead of vague "we'll call you back" responses, improving enrollment conversion.
Schedule Tours During Optimal Times That Showcase Your Program
Explain Subsidy Programs and Payment Options Clearly
Answer Curriculum and Daily Schedule Questions Parents Research Before Touring
Get Your AI Receptionist for Daycare Live in 15 Minutes
STEP 01
Create your Welco account and add your Twilio phone number. This becomes the dedicated phone line your AI receptionist will answer. Choose a warm, welcoming voice from the voice library with providers like ElevenLabs, OpenAI TTS, Cartesia, and Hume AI. Preview voices, pick one that matches the friendly tone parents expect from a childcare center, and select your preferred voice model. Then enter basic details like your age groups served, enrollment capacity by classroom, tuition rates, and tour availability windows. Setup is quick and requires no technical skills.
STEP 02: Train Your Daycare Receptionist
Set up how Welco handles the calls your daycare receives every day. Add your classroom age groups and current availability, waitlist status and expected openings, subsidy programs accepted, curriculum approach, daily schedule, meal information, illness policies, and designated tour time slots. Upload your parent handbook, enrollment packet, and fee schedule as documents. Welco uses knowledge training to learn your center's specifics and answer parent questions accurately, all managed through a simple, code-free dashboard.
STEP 03: Start Answering Calls and Booking Tours
Make a quick test call and activate your line. Before going live, select your AI provider and model from options like OpenAI, Groq, Google Gemini, Anthropic Claude, or xAI to match the conversational tone and response quality you want for your daycare center. Once live, Welco instantly begins answering calls, providing age-specific availability, explaining your curriculum, discussing payment options, and scheduling facility tours. Every call gets recorded and transcribed so your director can review conversations about enrollment details, custody arrangements, or medication instructions each morning.
Tours Scheduled at the Right Time Make Better First Impressions
When parents see your classrooms during active learning time instead of nap disruptions, they understand your program's quality. Welco schedules tours when your center looks its best.
How an AI Answering Service for Daycare Solves Call Handling Problems
Current Challenges for Daycare Centers
Parents call asking "what's your sick child policy?" but the receptionist gives inconsistent answers about fever thresholds and return-to-care requirements.
Receptionist forgets to mention registration fees, supply fees, or activity costs beyond tuition, creating surprise charges during enrollment.
Parents ask "what do I need to bring on the first day?" but the receptionist doesn't have the complete list memorized.
Sibling discount inquiries get handled inconsistently, with some parents quoted different rates than others for multiple children.
Parents call asking about potty training support, but the receptionist doesn't know your developmental readiness approach or teacher involvement.
Drop-in or part-time care requests get vague "I'll check and call you back" responses when parents need immediate availability confirmation.
After-hours enrollment inquiries from working parents go to voicemail. By morning, those families have already toured three other centers.
How Welco Fixes It
Welco provides consistent, accurate information about your illness policies, temperature requirements, symptom guidelines, and when children can return after being sick.
Welco explains complete cost breakdown including tuition, registration, supplies, and any additional fees so parents understand total investment upfront.
Welco provides your detailed first-day checklist—diapers, extra clothes, comfort items, immunization records—so parents arrive fully prepared.
Welco explains your sibling discount policy consistently, calculating accurate tuition rates for families enrolling multiple children at your center.
Welco explains your potty training philosophy, readiness signs you look for, and how teachers partner with families during the transition process.
Welco knows whether you offer flexible scheduling options, part-time slots, or drop-in care and communicates availability immediately for non-traditional arrangements.
Welco's after-hours call handling answers every evening and weekend call, captures family details through intake forms, and books tour appointments so your director arrives to a full schedule every morning.
What Daycare Centers Say About Welco
“Parents would call asking about infant care, and my receptionist would say 'we have a toddler waitlist' without realizing we have separate rooms for young infants versus older infants. We'd lose families because they got vague information and moved on. Welco knows our exact classroom structure and gives parents accurate availability for their child's specific age. We're converting more inquiries into tours now.”
Maria Gonzalez
Bright Beginnings Childcare
“My front desk kept scheduling tours at 1 PM during nap time. Parents would show up expecting to see active classrooms, but everything was quiet and dark. It made a terrible first impression. Welco only books tours during our designated windows when kids are engaged in activities. Parents see our program at its best, and our tour-to-enrollment rate has improved significantly.”
Kevin Thompson
Little Explorers Academy
“Working parents would call at 7 PM researching daycare options. We'd miss those calls completely. By the next morning, they'd already scheduled tours with three other centers. Welco answers after hours when parents actually have time to research childcare. We're capturing enrollment inquiries we didn't even know we were losing before.”
Rachel Kim
Sunshine Daycare Center
Parents Choose Daycares That Answer Their Questions Immediately
When parents are comparing five centers in one evening, the ones that provide instant answers about availability, costs, and programs win the enrollment. Welco ensures you're always responsive.
FAQs About AI Answering Service for Daycare
Can Welco communicate with parents who only speak Spanish or other languages?
Yes. Welco supports 40+ languages with automatic language detection. When a Spanish-speaking parent calls, Welco responds in Spanish, explains your programs, answers enrollment questions, and books tours—all in their preferred language. You can serve diverse communities without hiring bilingual reception staff for every language your neighborhood requires. This expands your potential enrollment base significantly.
