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Guide Daycare Capacity, Ratio & Tuition Planner 5 min read

How to Use the Daycare Capacity, Ratio & Tuition Planner

Model enrollment, staffing requirements, and monthly surplus across infant, toddler, and preschool programs.

Before You Start

  • Confirm licensed spot counts and required ratios by age program.
  • Gather realistic payroll and non-payroll monthly operating costs.

Step-by-Step

  1. Input program rows: Set spots, occupancy, tuition, and ratio per age group.
  2. Add staffing and operating costs: Enter cost per staff member and monthly fixed costs.
  3. Calculate enrollment and staffing load: Review enrolled counts, required staff, and program revenue totals.
  4. Use surplus output for planning: Test occupancy and tuition scenarios before committing hiring or spend.

How to Read the Output

  • Required staff is rounded up to ensure ratio compliance in each program.
  • Monthly surplus is pre-tax and pre-debt; use it as operational planning guidance.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

  • Assuming full occupancy across every program year-round.
  • Ignoring mixed staffing cost levels when using one average payroll input.

Use the Tool Now

Run this guide with your real numbers and save your scenario outputs for follow-up planning.