Childcare and Daycare Bookkeeping Spreadsheet

About this template

This daycare bookkeeping spreadsheet is for nurseries, childminders and small childcare settings that want to see where the money comes from and where it goes. It splits fees from families and funded hours into separate lines, so the late money and the on-time money never blur together.

Please read: This is a tracker tool only, not financial, tax, legal, medical or any other professional advice or advisory service. It records and calculates what you enter; you are solely responsible for checking all figures, rates, dates and results and for every decision you make. By purchasing, downloading or using it, you accept these terms (your statutory consumer rights are not affected).

Income and costs named for a childcare business

Instead of the shop-style accounts most ledgers start with, this one is set up with the lines a childcare business really uses.

• Income lines: Full-time places, Part-time places, Funded hours and Wraparound care
• Expense lines: Staff wages, Food and catering, Rent and utilities, and Toys and resources, and more
• Mileage reasons: outing, supplier, training and bank, picked from a drop-down

Funded hours often arrive late from the council while childcare fees from parents arrive on the first of the month. When the two sit on separate lines, you can plan the staff wages bill around the money you can count on.

Twelve connected tabs

Start Here, Setup, Clients, Invoices, Income, Expenses, Mileage, Monthly, Quarterly, Profit and Loss, Balances and Dashboard.

• 500 income rows and 500 expense rows
• Invoices tracked as raised, sent, paid and overdue
• Monthly and quarterly totals, which is how tax gets filed
• A profit and loss drawn from the same two lists
• 10 client records showing what each family has been worth
• Account balances, so the file knows what the business holds
• A dashboard that reads all of it

A worked year and a blank copy

The filled copy shows a full year for a busy setting: 300 income entries and 442 expense entries at a 14.6% margin. The blank copy is ready for your own families and costs. The Start Here tab walks you through setup in a few minutes.

This is a bookkeeping spreadsheet, not an accountant. Tax rates and what you can claim are yours to set and yours to check.

Works with

• Microsoft Excel 2016, 2019, 2021 and Microsoft 365, on Windows and Mac, and LibreOffice
• Google Sheets with a free Google account. The Google Sheets version is a real workbook you take a copy of, not a PDF with a link in it.
• No dynamic arrays, no macros, no add-ins and no subscription

What you download

• Two Excel workbooks: the filled example and a blank one
• The instruction guide, which has one-click links to the Google Sheets versions (filled and blank)
• The terms of use as a PDF

The download is available the moment payment clears. Use the files for personal and business use on your own devices, and please do not share or resell them. Questions? Reach us through our contact page.

Frequently asked questions

Does it work in Excel and Google Sheets?

Yes. You get Excel workbooks for Excel 2016 or later on Windows and Mac, and the instruction guide has one-click links to copy the Google Sheets versions with a free Google account.

Can I keep funded hours separate from parent fees?

Yes. Full-time places, Part-time places, Funded hours and Wraparound care are separate income lines, so each shows in the monthly, quarterly and profit and loss totals.

Can I track invoices to families?

Yes. The Invoices tab shows each invoice as raised, sent, paid or overdue, and the Clients tab holds 10 client records.

Does it run payroll?

No. Staff wages are an expense line you record, but the file does not calculate payroll or tax. Tax rates and claims are yours to set and check.

How many entries can I log?

500 income rows and 500 expense rows.