How to Import Your Centre's Fees
Instead of entering programs manually, you can import them from a spreadsheet exported from your childcare management platform.
Supported File Formats
- CSV (.csv)
- Excel (.xlsx, .xls)
- Maximum file size: 5 MB
The uploader auto-detects exports from Xplor, QikKids, OWNA, SmartCentral, Kidsoft, and Storypark. Any spreadsheet with columns for room name, session type and fee amount will also work.
How to Export from Your Platform
| Platform | Where to find it |
|---|---|
| Xplor | Settings > Fee Schedule > Export |
| QikKids | Fees > Fee List > Export to Excel |
| OWNA | Admin > Fee Configuration > Download |
| SmartCentral | Setup > Fees > Export |
| Kidsoft | Manage > Fees > Export |
If your platform isn't listed, export any report that contains room names and daily fees as a CSV or Excel file. The columns don't need exact names — the parser looks for common variations like "Room", "Fee", "Session", "Hours", "Price", "Rate", etc.
What Your File Should Contain
At a minimum, the file needs:
- A fee/price column — daily fee for each session (required)
- A room or program name column — used to group sessions into programs (optional, defaults to "Room")
- A session type column — label like "Full day", "Short day" (optional, defaults to "Session")
- A hours column — session hours charged per day (optional, estimated from session labels if missing)
Optional columns for age group and kindergarten funding
You can include these extra columns to import age group and kindy funding automatically. Download the template from your Centre Dashboard to get a pre-filled example.
Age group
| Column | What to enter |
|---|---|
age_group |
0_2 (0–2 yrs) · 3_5 (3–5 yrs, pre-school) · 5_12 (school age) · range (custom) |
age_min_years |
Minimum age in years — only needed when age_group = range |
age_max_years |
Maximum age in years — only needed when age_group = range |
Setting age_group explicitly is recommended. If the column is absent or blank, the parser falls back to guessing from room name keywords (e.g. "Nursery" → 0–2, "Kindy" → 3–5). Getting the age group right matters because it determines which CCS hourly rate cap applies.
Kindergarten funding
| Column | What to enter |
|---|---|
kindy_funding |
TRUE if this room receives kindergarten funding, otherwise FALSE |
kindy_model |
funded_hours or fixed_weekly |
kindy_funded_hours_per_week |
Government-funded hours per week — only for kindy_model = funded_hours |
kindy_value_per_hour |
Dollar rate per funded hour — only for kindy_model = funded_hours |
kindy_weekly_reduction |
Fixed weekly dollar reduction — only for kindy_model = fixed_weekly |
Leave all kindy_* columns blank (or set kindy_funding = FALSE) for rooms that don't receive kindergarten funding. Kindy funding is applied after CCS — it reduces the out-of-pocket gap fee shown to families.
What Happens When You Upload
- Each row is grouped by room name into a program
- Age group is read from the
age_groupcolumn when present; otherwise inferred from room name keywords:- "Nursery", "Infant", "Baby", "Toddler" → 0–2 years
- "Preschool", "Kindy", "Kindergarten" → 3–5 years (not yet in school)
- "Before school", "After school", "OSHC", "Vacation" → 5–12 years (school age)
- Kindergarten funding is read from the
kindy_*columns when present - Session hours are estimated from labels when no hours column is found:
- "Full day" / "Long day" → 10 hours
- "Half day" → 5 hours
- "Short day" → 6 hours
- "Before school" → 2.5 hours
- "After school" → 3 hours
- A preview table shows the detected programs — review it before confirming
After Importing
- Always review the imported programs before saving — check that age groups, session hours and prices are correct
- If session hours couldn't be detected, they default to 10 hours — update these to match your actual charged hours
- You can rename, add or remove programs and sessions after importing
- Kindergarten funding imported from the
kindy_*columns can also be adjusted in the quick-edit table or full program editor after import - Importing replaces all current programs in the editor, so import before making manual edits
- Nothing is saved until you click Save (or Publish during initial setup)
Troubleshooting
"Could not find a fee/price column" Your file doesn't have a column the parser recognises as a fee. Make sure there's a column headed "Fee", "Daily Fee", "Price", "Rate" or similar.
"No valid fee rows found" The fee column was found but every row had a zero, negative or missing value. Check the file has actual fee amounts.
Rows were skipped Rows with blank or zero fees are skipped automatically. This is normal if your export includes header rows, subtotals or inactive fee types.
Session hours seem wrong Hours are estimated from session labels. If your labels don't match common patterns, the parser defaults to 10 hours. Edit the hours in the program editor after import.
Kindy funding was disabled for a room
The parser shows a warning when kindy_funding = TRUE but the required amount fields are missing. For funded_hours, both kindy_funded_hours_per_week and kindy_value_per_hour must be filled in. For fixed_weekly, kindy_weekly_reduction must be filled in. Correct the spreadsheet and re-upload.
Age group defaulted to 3–5
When the age_group column is blank and the room name doesn't match any keywords, the parser defaults to 3–5 (pre-school). Add an age_group column with the correct value (0_2, 3_5, or 5_12) and re-upload.