Booking & Scheduling | Poppins On-Demand Childcare

Let's talk logistics.

Booking care at Poppins is designed to fit real life. Families can reserve visits in advance or check for same-day openings, all through our online booking system.

Below you’ll find everything you need to know about reserving care and managing your bookings.

How Booking Works

Booking through the Poppins App

Booking childcare is now easier than ever through the Poppins app!

📱 Download the Poppins app from your phone's app store (available on iOS or Android), or access the web app anytime at app.poppinschildcare.com.

When creating your account, please use the same email address and phone number that you used for your original Poppins account. This allows the system to sync your existing family profile and prevents an additional registration fee from being charged.

Once your account is connected, you'll be able to:

Book childcare appointments
Complete required child information
Manage family members
View upcoming bookings
Access your account from your phone or computer

The information required in the app is the same information previously collected through our website, including emergency contacts, medical information, authorized pickups, and other details needed to safely care for your child.

If you're having trouble syncing your account or notice an unexpected registration fee, please reach out to us and we'll be happy to help.

Advance Booking

Booking Availability

At Poppins, we believe childcare should fit real life - not the other way around. That’s why our booking calendar is designed to be flexible, forward-looking, and easy to use.

Our calendar operates on a rolling two-month window, meaning you can always view and book care up to two months in advance. As each day passes, new availability is released - so there’s always a fresh set of dates opening up ahead.

This approach gives families the freedom to plan ahead for appointments, workdays, and well-deserved nights out, while also allowing our team to thoughtfully staff each day and maintain safe, attentive caregiver-to-child ratios.

Once a time is available on the calendar, it’s yours to book - no waiting, no guesswork.

If you have specific days or times in mind, we recommend booking early, as availability can fill quickly based on staffing and ratios.

Tip:

Popular times may fill more quickly once booking is available. Booking early helps secure the times that work best for your family.

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Same-Day Care

When You Need Care TODAY

Sometimes plans change, schedules shift, or you simply need support sooner than expected. When space allows, Poppins offers same-day childcare reservations through our online booking system.

Because we maintain specific caregiver-to-child ratios based on age, same-day availability depends on the number and ages of children already scheduled for that day.

How to Check Availability

If same-day care is available, it will appear directly in the online booking system when you search for care on the current date.

Simply enter:

• The number of children needing care
• Their ages
• The date you’re looking for

Available start times will appear based on current capacity.

A Few Things to Keep in Mind

Same-day reservations are offered whenever space allows, but availability can change quickly as visits are booked throughout the day.

If you're hoping to book care on short notice, we recommend checking the booking system earlier in the day for the best chance of securing a spot.

While we do our best to accommodate last-minute needs, same-day care cannot always be guaranteed due to staffing and capacity limits.

Reservations made with less than 24 hours notice will be charged a $5 last-minute booking fee.

When space allows, we’re always happy to welcome children for a spontaneous visit at Poppins.

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Visit Length

Planning Your Child's Visit

Visits at Poppins are booked in set time blocks to help create a smooth experience for both children and caregivers. Having a clear start and end time allows our team to plan staffing, maintain caregiver-to-child ratios, and keep the play space running comfortably for everyone.

When booking care, you’ll choose both a start time and the length of your visit.

Minimum Visit Length

Visits at Poppins have a minimum booking length of 1.5 hours.

This allows children enough time to settle in, become comfortable in the space, and enjoy the play environment before transitioning home. Shorter visits can sometimes feel rushed for young children, so this minimum helps ensure each child has time to adjust and engage with activities.

Maximum Visit Length

The maximum visit length depends on the day’s availability and our operating hours.

When booking online, the system will automatically show the longest visit available based on:

• The time your visit begins
• Remaining availability that day
• Our closing time

If you’re hoping to stay longer than the available window allows, you may want to check alternative start times earlier in the day.

Choosing the Right Visit Length

Every family’s needs are different. Some visits may be a short midday break, while others may cover an evening out.

When choosing your visit length, you may want to consider:

• Your child’s age and comfort level
• Your planned schedule

Our team works to help every child feel comfortable and make the most of their time at Poppins.

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Changes & Cancellations

Changes to your booking?

We know schedules shift, kids get sick, and plans evolve. Our booking system is designed to give families as much flexibility as possible while still allowing us to safely staff the play space and maintain appropriate caregiver-to-child ratios.

Rescheduling Your Visit

Plans changed? No problem.

Reservations may be rescheduled up to 24 hours before the scheduled start time directly through the Poppins app.

Rescheduling allows you to move your existing booking to a new date or time without canceling your reservation.

Once a booking is within 24 hours of its scheduled start time, it can no longer be rescheduled.

Canceling More Than 24 Hours Before Your Visit

If a reservation is canceled more than 24 hours before the scheduled start time, a full refund will be issued to the original form of payment.

Canceling Within 24 Hours of Your Visit

If a reservation is canceled within 24 hours of the scheduled start time, the full value of the booking will be returned as Poppins Loyalty Credit on your account.

This credit can be applied toward any future childcare booking at Poppins.

Because staffing and space have already been reserved for your child, refunds within 24 hours are issued as account credit rather than returned to the original payment method.

No-Show Policy

If a reservation is not canceled before the scheduled start time and a child does not arrive for the visit, the booking will be considered a no-show.

Because staffing and space have already been reserved for your child, no refunds or loyalty credits can be issued for no-show visits.

If your plans change, we encourage you to cancel your reservation before the scheduled start time so that any eligible loyalty credit can still be issued.

Our goal is to provide flexibility for families while keeping the play space well staffed and ready for every child who walks through our doors.