How it runs for daycares, private schools and education providers
The controller prepares lender, board or grant reports, models a new room or a second site, and manages the year-end handoff to your CPA or auditor. We give no audit opinions and no tax advice; you get reviewed numbers and a clear recommendation, and the decision stays with you.
What are outsourced controller services?
Outsourced controller services provide the review layer that sits between bookkeeping and the owner: a senior accountant who checks the close, owns the accounting policies, tests the controls around cash and spending, and explains the financial statements. The controller does not do daily posting. They make sure what was posted is right and documented before anyone relies on it.
What we handle for daycares, private schools and education providers
- Monthly review of deferrals, accruals and payroll by room before statements are released
- Tuition and rate review by age group against ratio staffing, rent and overhead
- New room or new site model with breakeven enrollment and staffing
- Lender, board and grant reporting prepared in the required format
- Year-end package and judgment calls handed to your CPA or auditor with preparation support
The KPI that matters here
A written controller review with recommendations accompanies every monthly close.
Childcare & education compliance notes
State subsidy programs
Child-care assistance, state pre-K and Head Start funding each come with their own attendance or enrollment reporting, authorized rates and copay rules. We post each remittance by child and period, reconcile it to the attendance or enrollment report you submitted, and keep the authorization on file with the family record. Program reporting stays with your director; we give her reconciled numbers to report from.
Tuition deferred revenue
Tuition and fees paid before the service is delivered are a liability until the month of care or instruction. We defer annual and installment tuition, registration and supply fees, and release them on a schedule that matches the school calendar. Withdrawals and refunds are posted against the deferred balance, so the P&L is not distorted by a single family leaving.
Ratios and licensing fees
Staff-to-child ratios set the minimum payroll for each room, and licensing renewals, background checks and inspection fees come due on the state's calendar. We code payroll by classroom, track licensing and training costs by site, and keep the renewal dates on the close calendar so the fee is accrued rather than a surprise.
Food program claims
CACFP reimbursement depends on meal counts, eligibility tiers and a monthly claim. We accrue the claim from your meal-count report, match it to the reimbursement when it lands, and keep food purchases in the same month as the meals. Claim submission stays with your food-program contact.
Childcare & education software we work in
- QuickBooks Online
- Gusto
- Brightwheel
- Procare
- All 50 platforms
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Frequently asked questions
What does a controller do that a bookkeeper does not?
A bookkeeper records and reconciles; a controller reviews, questions and recommends. For a center or school that means checking that deferrals and accruals are right, testing whether tuition by age group covers ratio staffing, preparing what banks and boards ask for, and modeling rooms and sites. The controller works from closed books, so bookkeeping and month-end close usually come first.
Can the controller help us set tuition rates?
Yes, with a model built from your own numbers: payroll per room at required ratios, rent and overhead allocated by square footage, realistic enrollment and subsidy rates. The controller shows the tuition each age group needs at various enrollment levels and the effect of a rate change on families. The pricing decision stays with you.
Do you work with our auditor, board or bank directly?
With your permission, yes. Nonprofit centers often have an annual audit, and the controller prepares the schedules and answers the auditor's questions about the books. Boards receive budget-versus-actual by program. Banks receive their package in the required format. Your CPA or auditor reviews and signs; we provide preparation support.
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