Waitlist & Priority System FAQ

Everything you need to know about managing waitlists and priority scoring

How does Priority Score System work?

Each child gets points based on their situation. The child with the highest total score gets position #1, second highest gets #2, and so on.

Example: If "Staff Child" = 15 points and "Local Resident" = 3 points, then a staff member's child who lives locally would get 18 total points.

Tiebreaker: If two children have the same score, whoever applied first gets the better position.

Do children with no priority always end up at the bottom?

Not necessarily! It depends on your priority weights and how much weight you give to application date.

Scenario 1: Application Date Weight = 5

• Child A: No priority, applied Day 1 → 5 points

• Child B: Sibling (7 pts), applied Day 30 → 7 points

Result: Sibling wins despite applying later

Scenario 2: Application Date Weight = 15

• Child A: No priority, applied Day 1 → 15 points

• Child B: Sibling (7 pts), applied Day 30 → 7 points

Result: Early application beats sibling priority

What's the difference between sorting methods?

First Come, First Served

Purely based on application date. Earlier applications always get better positions. Priority weights are completely ignored.

Priority Score System

Uses priority weights to calculate scores. Higher scores get better positions. Application date is used as tiebreaker.

Manual Ordering

You have complete control. Drag and drop children into any order you want. New applications are added to the end.

What are some common priority weight setups?

Community-Focused Daycare

Local Resident: 10

Sibling: 8

Staff: 5

Application Date: 3

Prioritizes local families and siblings. Staff gets some preference but community comes first.

Employee-First Daycare

Staff: 20

Sibling: 10

Special Needs: 8

Application Date: 2

Staff children get strong priority. Siblings and special needs also important. Timing matters less.

Balanced Approach

Application Date: 10

Sibling: 8

Staff: 6

Local Resident: 4

Special Needs: 3

Early applications get the most weight, but various priority factors can still make a difference. Good for daycares that want fairness with some flexibility.

What happens when I change sorting rules?

Automatic Re-sorting: When you change from one sorting method to another, all existing waitlists are automatically re-sorted based on the new rules.

Example: If you switch from "First Come, First Served" to "Priority Score System", all children on your waitlists will be re-ordered based on their priority scores instead of application dates.

Note: This happens immediately when you save the settings, so make sure you're happy with your priority weights before switching to Priority Score System.

How do I set up priority weights for the first time?

Step 1: Decide what factors are most important to your daycare's mission and community.

Step 2: Assign higher numbers to more important factors. For example:

• Most Important: 15-20 points

• Very Important: 10-14 points

• Somewhat Important: 5-9 points

• Nice to Have: 1-4 points

• Don't Care: 0 points

Step 3: Test with a few example scenarios to make sure the results feel fair.

Pro Tip: Start conservative and adjust based on real results. You can always change the weights later!

Still have questions?

Contact our support team at james@gotdaycare.com or use the chat widget in the bottom right corner of your dashboard.