Frequently Asked Questions

This page contains some of the most Frequently Asked Questions our we receive from providers using our system. We will continue to update this page as we receive more questions.

KinderConnect Tablets

Q: Where are tablets being delivered, to a site’s physical location or to its mailing address?

A. KinderConnect tablets are being delivered to each site’s physical location. Tablets must be registered at the physical location.

Q: How are the KinderConnect tablets being delivered (e.g., by US Mail, Fed Ex, other)?

A. Tablets are being delivered by the U.S. Postal Service, and a signature is required at delivery.

Q: By when will all sites have received their KinderConnect tablets, so that they can begin setting up and using KinderConnect? Whom should I contact if our site has not received our tablets by that timeframe?

A. All sites should have received a tablet. If a site has not received a tablet, please place a ticket in the LDOE ticket system (https://provider.supportsystem.com), select the Help Topic as KinderConnect and please put into the subject line, “I have not received a KC tablet.”

Q: How do I set up my site’s tablet to use KinderConnect?

A. Please see Tablet Registration Video Guide or the Tablet Registration Guide QRC (Quick Reference Card). If a site needs any further assistance, contact KinderConnect at SupportLA@kindersystems.com or 1-888-829-9258.

Q: Once the tablets are received, how soon are sites able to begin using the KinderConnect system?

A. Sites can and should begin to set up and use the tablet and KinderConnect system immediately. Please view KinderConnect webinars, which can provide your site with information about setting up and using the tablet and system, via https://edlinkinfo.com/.

Q: Can a site use its own tablet until the one from KinderConnect arrives?

A. Yes. Below are links to instructions for connecting a provider’s own site tablet to KinderConnect:

For Apple devices:

1. KSign QRC Connect iPad to WiFi
2. KSign QRC Download App to iPad
3. KSign QRC Provider Device Registration

For Android devices:

1. KSign QRC Connect Android Tablet to WiFi
2. KSign QRC Download App to Android Tablet
3. KSign QRC Provider Device Registration

CCAP Rosters

Q: Our site has one or more CCAP children who are not currently appearing on our KinderConnect roster. What should our site do to get this fixed?

1. Providers should create a Private Pay Account for the missing child(ren) by Adding Private Pay Children first and then Adding Private Pay Sponsor. Be sure to refresh the tablet before the sponsor begins to sign in.
2. Please e-mail SupportLA@kindersystems.com or call 1-888-829-9258 to provide the name(s) of the children not found. Accounts are being reviewed case by case.
3. Once the subsidized account is entered in KinderConnect, a provider can Merge Child Records and Merge Parent Records.

Q: Will previous check-ins and check-outs be allowed in KinderConnect?

A. Yes. Sponsors have 6 days from the service date to enter attendance by using the steps on the How to Backdate Transactions QRC.

Q: Will foster children be using KinderConnect as well? Will they be automatically added to the KinderConnect roster as well?

A. Yes, all CCAP-certified families, including foster care children, will be included in KinderConnect.

Q: Can KinderConnect be used for attendance of all children enrolled, including those not on CCAP?

1. Yes, KinderConnect can be used for tracking the attendance of all children, including those on private pay. You will need to create the child and sponsor accounts. You may use the following steps:
2. Create a Private Pay Child Account
3. Create a Private Pay Sponsor Account
4. Refresh KinderSign by closing the app completely or restarting the tablet.

Family Use of KinderConnect

Q: What does “Sponsor” mean in the KinderConnect system?

A. The term “sponsor” references the family’s Head of Household and/or the Household Designee.

Q: Why can't my parents clock in attendance on the tablet at the beginning of the month even though they are in the system?

A. The KinderSign app needs to be refreshed for new information to be uploaded. Providers should regularly close the KinderSign app or turn off the tablet for new authorizations to show up on the tablet. Since authorizations start new on the 1st of the month, providers should refresh their tablet at the beginning of each month for parents to enter attendance. 

Q: Who is responsible for getting parents connected to use KinderSmart?

A. Providers should assist families with using KinderSmart.

B. Sponsors should first download KinderSmart Louisiana on their phone through the Google Play or Apple Store.

C. Providers will need to provide their unique QR code under each sponsor’s account. Please reference the KinderSmart Registration QRC.

D. Families can also log into edlinkinfo.com and select “Parents and Sponsor” in the upper right corner of the screen to obtain information about setting up the app on their cell phones.

Q: If a parent downloads the app for KinderSmart Louisiana, does he/she still have to enter the site and sign in on the tablet?

A. Once families begin using the KinderSmart Louisiana app on their cell phones, they will no longer have to sign in or out on the site’s tablet.

B. Sponsors must be within 150 feet of the center to enter attendance on their cell phones. If this does not reach outside the center facility, a sponsor will still need to enter the site to enter attendance with KinderSmart.

Q. If a parent is locked out of the KinderSign Louisiana app, is it possible to reset the PIN?

A.    Yes. There is an option for the sponsor (i.e., the family’s Head of Household and/or the Household Designee) to reset their PIN by selecting this option on the KinderSign screen (Provider’s tablet).

1. KSign QRC Create Sponsor PIN and Secret Question
2. KSign QRC Expired PIN
3. KSign QRC Resetting PIN

The sponsor will be asked to create a secret question and answer their secret question. The sponsor can answer the secret question and then be guided through changing their PIN on the screen of the tablet.

Q: If a parent’s phone number changes, what process will parents need to complete to update their information?

A.  A provider can update a sponsor’s (i.e., the family’s Head of Household’s and/or the Household Designee’s) phone number in KinderConnect. See instructions at Add or Edit Telephone Number of a Caretaker/Sponsor from the edlinkinfo.com website.

Q: If a parent does not update their phone number in the system, will they be locked out of the KinderConnect system?

A. A family with an out-of-date phone number will not be locked out from accessing the device. However, it is essential that each approved sponsor (i.e., the family’s Head of Household and/or the Household Designee) keep their phone number updated in KinderConnect. The provider can update the sponsor’s phone number. See instructions at Add or Edit Telephone Number of a Caretaker/Sponsor from the edlinkinfo.com website.

Q: If a parent enters the wrong PIN multiple times, will they be locked out of the KinderConnect system?

A. Yes. There is an option for the sponsor (i.e., the family’s Head of Household and/or the Household Designee) to reset their PIN by selecting this option on the screen of the phone. The sponsor will then be asked to answer their secret question. The sponsor can answer the secret question and they will be guided through the change of the PIN on the screen of the phone. Please reference KinderSign Resetting Pin QRC.

B. A sponsor can also set up KinderSign Self-Reset to unlock their own account, should they get locked out again.

Q: Are PIN numbers able to be repetitive amongst family accounts?

A. Each sponsor (i.e., the family’s Head of Household and/or the Household Designee) should have a unique PIN.

Q: What should be done if a parent does not remember her/his PIN?

A. There is an option for the sponsor (i.e., the family’s Head of Household and/or the Household Designee) to reset their PIN by selecting this option on the screen of the phone. The sponsor will then be asked to answer their secret questions. The sponsor can answer the secret question and they will be guided through the change of the PIN on the screen of the phone. Please reference KinderSign Resetting Pin QRC. If assistance is needed, the parent can contact KinderConnect at SupportLA@kindersystems.com or 1-888-829-9258.

EdLink and Other Technical Assistance

Q: Can a site have 2 administrators for KinderConnect?

A. Yes. To set up administrators follow the instructions in the “Accessing KinderConnect User Guide.”

Q: Does each director at a site need to have an EdLink account?

A. Yes. Follow these instructions in the Accessing EdLink User Guide. Additional EdLink training information is also available. Furthermore, assistance can be received by submitting a ticket at https://edlink.supportsystem.com.

Q: How does my site request a KinderConnect role?

A. After registering in EdLink, use the navigation bar on the left of the screen, follow the instructions to Register to KinderConnect via Edlink (page 2 of document).

Q: How do I obtain a “Staff ID” in KinderConnect?

A. Follow these steps in EdLink to obtain a Staff ID in KinderConnect:

1. Click on the “Request Access to an Entity” button
2. Request Access – click on the “EdLink Security” button
3. Request Permissions – click on the “Request Permissions” button
4. Request the EdLink permissions that you need

Q: If a site was previously registered in EdLink, how does the site go back to access KinderConnect?

A.  After a site has registered in EdLink, use the navigation bar on the left of the screen and click on “Entity Manager,” then KinderConnect. KinderConnect should open without additional login information.

Q: After a site logs in to KinderConnect for the first time, what should be done next?

A. Providers should watch the Pre-recorded Webinar to review all features of the CCAP system. The webinar can be found on EdLinkInfo.com, along with Quick Reference Cards for KinderConnect, KinderSign and KinderSmart.

Q: How does a site correct “hours of operation” in KinderConnect?

A. The hours of operation listed in KinderConnect are pulled from information in the Licensing database. If a site’s hours of operation need to be corrected in KinderConnect, please make a change request to edit the entity via EdLink.

Q: Has there been any progress with the “SSO error message” that providers were seeing in KinderConnect?

A. The error message issue has been resolved. If your site still has a problem, contact EdLinkSupport@la.gov or create a ticket at EdLink.SupportSystem.com

Q: If our childcare site has a Child Care Management System (such as Early Learning Ventures-Alliance CORE, ProCare, BrightWheel), do we need KinderConnect?

A. YES. Even if a site has (and wishes to keep) a Child Care Management System at the childcare site, KinderConnect will be the LDOE-required attendance tracking for all CCAP participants. If a site is serving CCAP children, that site and that site’s families must utilize KinderConnect.

All Child Care Management Software (CCMS) vendors in the CCMSi Guidebook have Application Programming Interface (API) capability which will allow them to be used in conjunction with KinderConnect:

● If a site is using ChildWatch, ProCare (Cloud and some desktop versions), SmartCare, Early Learning Ventures-Alliance CORE, or BrightWheel and wishes to continue using that CCMS in addition to KinderConnect, the site should do the following:

1. Register in Edlink as an entity manager (page 1 of document)
2. Register to KinderConnect via Edlink (page 2 of document)
3. Contact KinderSystems to check the site’s CCMS integration capabilities and to turn the integration functionality on by e-mailing SupportLA@kindersystems.com or by calling 888-829-9258.

Q: Is KinderConnect a Child Care Management System (CCMS)?

A. KinderConnect is not a CCMS: KinderConnect is an attendance tracking system. KinderConnect alone does not support business operations, outside of being a tool to collect children’s time and attendance. A CCMS is a software system that is designed specifically to support business operations by helping not only with attendance tracking but with additional processes such as enrollment support, fee collection and billing, simplifying communication with parents, and many report functionalities to help with various regulatory requirements such as licensing, CACFP, and much more. Examples of a CCMS can be found in the CCMSi Guidebook.

For KinderConnect - please dial 1-888-829-9258 or email us at supportLA@kindersystems.com for further assistance. Support staff at KinderSystems are available Monday through Friday from 7:00 AM - 9:00 PM Central Time.

For EdLink Support issues -  please input an Edlink Ticket at https://edlink.supportsystem.com/open.php and one of our Edlink team members will gladly assist you. Support staff are available Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM Central Time.
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