Upkid

The US childcare crisis has only worsened during the pandemic, largely driven by staffing shortages. Tuition is rising and childcare spaces are limited, with just one spot available for every four children in need of care. Most daycare centers have space for more children, but don’t have adequate staff to continuously meet caregiver ratios.

Upkid is tackling the staffing shortage head-on by matching daycare centers with qualified substitute caregivers who are looking for flexible work. The company streamlines the process by bringing interviews, background checks, training, certification, and scheduling into its mobile app and can fully train and onboard a candidate in just five days. Daycare centers also use the app to create open shifts, see substitute availability and ratings, and fill staffing gaps in real time. Once a hire is made, paperwork like timecards and payments also occur in the app, taking the administrative burden off centers and caregivers.