Daycare Capacity Management: Sessions, Resources, and Overbooking
Managing capacity is critical for daycare safety, staff wellbeing, and customer satisfaction. Too many dogs and things get chaotic. Too few and you're leaving money on the table.
The goal is finding the sweet spot: maximum safe occupancy, filled consistently, with buffer for the unexpected.
This guide covers everything you need to know about daycare capacity management.
Understanding Capacity Types
Capacity in a daycare isn't just "how many dogs can fit." It's multi-dimensional:
Session capacity: How many dogs per time slot (morning/afternoon/full day)
Resource capacity: How many dogs per physical space (play areas, kennels)
Staff capacity: How many dogs per staff member
Service capacity: How many of each service type you can deliver
All of these need to work together. You might have space for 30 dogs, but only staff for 20. Your resource capacity is 30, but your operational capacity is 20.
Setting Up Sessions
Sessions are the foundation of daycare booking. They define when dogs can be dropped off and picked up.
Common session structures:
| Session Type | Hours | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Half Day AM | 7am-1pm | Working pet parents (morning energy) |
| Half Day PM | 12pm-6pm | Flexible schedules |
| Full Day | 7am-6pm | Full workday coverage |
Session overlap considerations:
- Staggered sessions (12pm crossover) allow flexible drop-off/pick-up
- Clean breaks (no overlap) are simpler to manage
- Full day bookings often get priority (higher revenue, simpler logistics)
How Petboost helps
Define your sessions with specific start/end times. Set capacity per session. The system prevents overbooking automatically.
Play Area Capacity
Play areas need size-appropriate limits.
Typical play area setup:
| Area | Size Limit | Capacity | Staff Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small Dog Zone | Under 10kg | 6-8 dogs | 1:8 |
| Medium Dog Zone | 10-25kg | 8-12 dogs | 1:10 |
| Large Dog Zone | 25kg+ | 6-10 dogs | 1:8 |
| Quiet Zone | Any | 4-6 dogs | 1:10 |
Factors affecting capacity:
- Physical space (sqm per dog)
- Energy levels (puppy groups need more space)
- Temperament (reactive dogs need careful grouping)
- Supervision sightlines
How Petboost helps
Create resources for each play area with capacity limits. Track which dogs are assigned where. See real-time occupancy at a glance.
Preventing Overbooking
Overbooking happens when:
- Manual booking processes don't check availability
- Phone bookings bypass system checks
- Double-counting full day vs half day
- Not accounting for staff absences
Prevention strategies:
- Single source of truth: All bookings in one system
- Real-time availability: Show what's actually available
- Automatic enforcement: System blocks overbooked slots
- Staff visibility: Everyone sees the same information
How Petboost helps
Petboost enforces capacity limits automatically. When a session is full, customers can't book it. Staff can see availability before confirming phone bookings.
Managing the Drop-Off Rush
Morning drop-off is the most chaotic time. Multiple dogs arriving at once creates stress for staff, dogs, and pet parents.
Staggered arrival strategies:
- Time slots for drop-off (7:00-7:15, 7:15-7:30, etc.)
- Premium early drop-off slots (6:30am for an extra fee)
- Appointment-style drop-off (specific 10-minute windows)
Check-in efficiency:
- Quick intake process (customer portal pre-confirms details)
- One-click check-in from calendar
- Visual confirmation (photo of dog at arrival)
- Automatic parent notification
How Petboost helps
Check-in with one click from the daily calendar. Customer receives automatic "arrived safely" notification. Drop-off time is logged for the record.
Capacity Reporting
Good capacity management requires visibility into patterns.
Key reports to review:
| Report | What It Shows | Action |
|---|---|---|
| Session utilisation | % of capacity filled per session | Adjust pricing or marketing for quiet periods |
| Peak day analysis | Busiest days of week | Staff accordingly |
| Seasonal trends | Busy/quiet periods year-round | Plan holidays, promotions |
| Revenue per session | Which sessions are most profitable | Optimise session structure |
Review frequency:
- Weekly: Session utilisation, no-shows
- Monthly: Trends, capacity adjustments
- Quarterly: Pricing, session structure
The Bottom Line
Capacity management is the backbone of a successful daycare. Get it right, and operations run smoothly, staff aren't overwhelmed, and you're maximising revenue. Get it wrong, and you're either turning away customers or dealing with chaos.
The key is having systems that track everything automatically. You shouldn't be counting dogs in your head or juggling spreadsheets. The technology exists to make this easy.
Ready to master your capacity?
Petboost manages sessions, resources, and capacity limits automatically. Real-time visibility, automatic overbooking prevention, and reports that show you exactly what's happening. Start your free trial.
