Seedling calculates each classroom's staff-to-child ratio in real time as children and staff check in and out — so you stay compliant without doing the math in your head.
How it's calculated
For each room, Seedling compares:
- the number of children present, to
- the number of staff counted for the room (you choose which staff count — see below),
against the capacity per staff you set on the classroom.
A child who's been temporarily moved to another room counts toward the room they're actually in that day — so each room's count reflects who's really there.
How staff are counted
You choose how staff count toward ratios in Settings → Check-in & Pickup, under "How staff count toward ratios." Pick the option that matches how your center works:
- Automatic — the default. Counts the staff checked in to each room once anyone has checked in that day; before the first check-in of the day it counts the staff assigned to each room, so the number is still meaningful. This is how Seedling has always worked.
- Assigned staff — always counts the staff assigned to each room, whether or not they've checked in. Best if you don't use staff check-in.
- Staff check-in — only counts staff with an open check-in. A room with children but no checked-in teacher shows as understaffed until a teacher checks in — best for real-time, licensing-grade accuracy.
Changing this affects only how the ratio is counted — it doesn't change your staff assignments or anyone's attendance. If you're not sure, leave it on Automatic.
Set it up correctly
- Make sure each classroom has a capacity per staff value (Set up your center).
- Assign staff to their rooms so they're counted.
- Have staff check in (kiosk or the staff app) for the most accurate live count.
Where you'll see it
- Dashboard — a status card per room: in ratio, at capacity, or understaffed, with any violation pinned to the top as an alert.
- Reports → Attendance → Staff-to-Child Ratios — the Ratio Compliance report: a point-in-time history over any date range (when each room was out of ratio, for how long, and how often), exportable as CSV or PDF for licensing.
When a room goes over ratio, it's flagged immediately so you can move a teacher before it becomes a problem.
Open overnight?
If your center runs 24-hour care, ratios keep counting children and staff across midnight until they're actually checked out — so the 2 a.m. ratio is still right. Turn on 24-hour mode in Settings → Check-in & Pickup.