The Age Forecast tool helps you plan ahead by showing how entries will move between groups as children age. This is especially useful for childcare organizations that need to understand future waitlist composition.
How It Works
The forecast calculates where each entry will be at a future date based on:
- The child’s date of birth
- Your group age ranges
- Auto-progression settings on each group
Tip: Only groups with auto-progression enabled will show movement in the forecast. Groups without auto-progression will display their current counts unchanged.
Accessing Age Forecast
- Go to the Dashboard and find the Waitlist Overview section
- Click the Age Forecast button in the card header (managers and admins only)
- Select a Location from the dropdown
- Select a Forecast Date using the date picker
- View projected group counts for that location
Understanding the Forecast Table
The forecast table shows:
| Column | Description |
|---|---|
| Group | Group name with an “Auto” badge if auto-progression is enabled |
| Current | Number of entries currently in this group |
| Forecasted | Projected count on the selected date (with change indicator) |
Forecast for March 15, 2026:
Viewing Movement Details
Click the expand arrow on any group row to see which specific entries are:
- Moving In — Entries aging into this group from a younger group
- Moving Out — Entries aging out of this group to an older group
Each entry shows their name and age progression (e.g., “11 → 13 months”).
Setting Up for Forecasting
To see accurate forecasts, you need:
1. Groups with Age Ranges
Set minimum and maximum ages (in months) for each group:
- Infants: 0-12 months
- Toddlers: 12-24 months
- Preschool: 24-48 months
2. Auto-Progression Enabled
For each group (except the oldest), enable auto-progression:
- Go to Configure → Groups
- Edit a group
- Enable progression to next group
- Select the next group from the dropdown
3. Entries with Birth Dates
Entries need a date of birth to calculate their future age. Entries without birth dates will remain in their current group in the forecast.
Note: The forecast only shows entries with active statuses. Entries marked as completed or removed are excluded.
Use Cases
Planning Staffing Needs
See which groups will grow or shrink to adjust staffing ratios.
Understanding Future Composition
Know how your waitlist will be distributed across groups at any future date.
Enrollment Planning
Understand which age groups will have more or fewer waitlist entries.
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