01
Childcare comes before answering the phone
A childminder cannot pause active supervision whenever a parent rings to ask about a place.
Capture the parent's enquiry and arrange a suitable callback.
Related case study:Childminder & Nursery
Childcare & Education
AI Receptionist for Childcare & Education
Keep parent enquiries moving without taking attention away from children, visits and safeguarding responsibilities.
THE CHALLENGES
What gets in the way of a good customer experience?
After speaking with childminders and childcare providers, we've identified challenges with answering enquiries while caring for children, arranging parent visits, keeping track of places and following up before families lose interest.
02
Enquiries can go cold before a visit
The childcare reminders study describes the gap between initial parent contact, a booked viewing and a final decision.
Record visit requests and send appropriate confirmations where enabled.
Related case study:SMS Use Case — Childcare
03
Availability changes over time
Childminders and nurseries have fixed places and changing start dates, which makes each new enquiry different.
Collect age, desired start date and requirements for staff review.
Related case study:Childminder & Nursery
04
Trust and safeguarding require a human decision
Parents need reassurance and accurate information; the AI should not make safeguarding or placement decisions.
Provide agreed practical facts and route sensitive or complex questions to the setting.
RELEVANT FEATURES
Features that address these problems
Configured around your business's processes and the systems you use.
Smart Message Management
All your messages organized and accessible instantly. Get voice messages transcribed and delivered via email, SMS, or app notification.
Customer Booking Confirmations
The moment your AI books a job or appointment, the customer receives an instant SMS confirmation with all the details they need.
Callback & Task Management
Every callback request, follow-up task and outstanding action captured and managed in one place. Nothing falls through the cracks.
Custom Flows & Logic
Complex booking rules, multi-step qualification, department routing, emergency escalation — we build whatever logic your business needs into your AI.
CASE STUDIES
Customer Success Stories
See how childcare providers have used Smart Follow Ups to manage parent enquiries, visits and follow-ups.
Childminder & Nursery
How a Registered Childminder Filled Every Space and Built a 14-Child Waitlist Without Answering a Single Phone Call
Julie Nash is an Ofsted-registered childminder in Derby who couldn't answer the phone while looking after children — so she stopped trying. Smart Follow Ups's AI receptionist now handles every parent enquiry, explains her registration, qualifications and fee structure, captures child age and required hours, books visits, and manages a growing waitlist. Parents say the professional first call gave them immediate confidence in Julie's setting.
100% Spaces Filled14 Children on Waitlist
Read the full case study
SMS Use Case — Childcare
SMS Reminders for Childminders: Cut No-Shows and Fill Every Space
A parent who books a visit and forgets is a space that sits empty. Childminders and nurseries use Smart Follow Ups SMS to confirm visits, remind parents the day before, and keep waitlists warm, because a text gets read when an emailed reminder gets missed. Here is how it works.
Read the full case studyResults vary depending on the business and how the system is configured.
COMMON QUESTIONS
Questions worth asking
Can the AI voice agent answer parent enquiries while we're supervising children?
Yes. Your AI voice agent can handle incoming enquiries without requiring a childminder or nursery team member to stop supervising children to answer the telephone.
It can explain your opening hours, general services, age ranges and enquiry process using information you've approved.
When a parent asks about a place, your AI voice agent can collect their contact details and the information required for your team to follow up. This allows childcare staff to maintain their attention on the children while prospective parents receive a professional response.
Can the AI voice agent manage enquiries about available childcare places and waiting lists?
Yes. Your AI voice agent can collect information such as the child's age, the parent's preferred start date, the days required and any practical scheduling needs.
If you maintain an availability diary or waiting list, this information can be recorded and organised for review.
Your team remains responsible for confirming places, assessing suitability and making placement decisions. Your AI voice agent helps ensure enquiries are captured consistently, so families don't miss an opportunity simply because nobody was available to answer their call.
Can the AI voice agent arrange nursery visits and send parents reminders?
Yes. When a parent wants to visit your setting, your AI voice agent can collect their details and check the available viewing appointments.
Where your calendar is connected, it can arrange a suitable visit and send an SMS confirmation with the date, time and agreed practical information.
Reminders can also be sent before the appointment, helping parents remember their visit or notify you if they need to rearrange. This supports a more organised admissions process without adding unnecessary administration for childcare staff.
Can the AI voice agent follow up with parents who have enquired but haven't booked a visit?
Yes. Your AI voice agent can help organise follow-up tasks for parents who have expressed an interest but haven't yet arranged the next step.
For example, it can record that a parent is looking for a place starting in September and would like to be contacted when availability is confirmed.
Follow-up reminders or agreed messages can then help your team maintain contact. This is particularly useful when places are limited and enquiries arrive months before a child is due to start.