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CASE STUDY · CHILDCARE

A front-desk video intercom that reaches the right teacher

At drop-off and pickup, a daycare’s front door was a bottleneck: staff left classrooms to answer it and parents waited. Peace Builders built a tablet intercom. A parent taps their child’s classroom, only that room’s tablet rings, and the teacher sees and talks to the parent on video before coming to the door.

iPad and Android tablets · Admin dashboard

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Reception tablet at a daycare: five classroom cards with the room name, age group and teacher, a reminder to check in first, and a Need help button.

1 tap

from the front desk to the right classroom

6

tablets: one at reception, one in each of five rooms

2 rings

a live listener plus a push-notification backup

30 sec

ring window before a call shows as missed

At a glance

Who

A five-classroom daycare

Industry

Childcare and early learning

Platform

Tablet app for iPad and Android, plus a web admin dashboard

Timeline

Built July–September 2026 with hands-on testing rounds at the daycare

Engagement

Custom app, device setup and ongoing support

Built with

Flutter, WebRTC, Firebase (Firestore, Cloud Functions, Cloud Messaging, App Check)

Last updated October 1, 2026

Why the front door was a problem

Every drop-off and pickup started at a locked front door. Someone had to leave a classroom to see who was there, and parents waited while they did.

A general doorbell or a shared intercom would ring everywhere. The daycare wanted a parent to reach their own child’s teacher, and only that teacher, without pulling anyone else away from the kids.

It also had to be dead simple. Parents are juggling car seats and diaper bags, and some teachers aren’t tech people. No codes, no logins, big friendly buttons.

How we approached it

  1. Route, don’t broadcast. Each tablet is set up once as the reception desk or a specific classroom, so a call rings exactly one room.
  2. See before you open. The teacher answers on two-way video and recognizes the parent face to face before going to the door.
  3. Fit the daycare’s routine. The reception screen reminds parents to check in on Brightwheel first, then call the teacher.

We built it in short rounds and tested on the daycare’s real tablets, tuning the ring volume, the layout and the video quality each time.

Inside the intercom

Real screens from the app, shown with a sample daycare, rooms and teachers.

Demo of a call: the reception tablet shows Calling the Ladybugs while the classroom tablet shows A parent is calling, with Answer and Decline buttons.
A call from both sides: reception rings the Ladybugs room, and only that classroom’s tablet lights up with Answer and Decline.
Classroom tablet at rest: the time, the room and teacher name, and a Ready for calls status.
Classroom tablets wait quietly, showing the room, the teacher and that they’re ready for calls.
One-time tablet setup: choose Reception desk or one of five classrooms, plus a Try a demo call option.
Each tablet is set up once, by staff, as the reception desk or a classroom. A built-in demo shows the whole flow on one device.

How the intercom works

The tablets stay plugged in and on, each dedicated to its spot. A call is a small record in the cloud that only the target room is listening for.

How a parent reaches the right classroomA parent taps a classroom on the reception tablet. A call record is created and only that classroom’s tablet rings, with a push notification as a backup if the app is in the background. The teacher answers, sees the parent on live video, and comes to let them in.Parent taps a roomreception tablet at the front deskCall routed to one classroomlive listener · push backup ringThat classroom’s tablet ringsother rooms aren’t disturbedTeacher answers on videotwo-way, over the building Wi-FiTeacher comes to let them inin person, every time

What’s inside

  • Directed calling: reception to any classroom, and classroom to classroom or back to reception.
  • Two-way video built on WebRTC, with quality that adapts to weak Wi-Fi.
  • A loud, reliable ring for the whole ring window, plus a push notification backup if a tablet’s app is in the background.
  • Clear outcomes for parents: busy, missed and declined calls each show a friendly next step, like “please see the front desk.”
  • Text the daycare can edit: every message and room name can be changed remotely, and the tablets update within seconds.
  • An admin dashboard to add rooms, see and remove registered tablets, edit on-screen text, and hand out install links.
  • Locked down: a staff PIN checked on the server, passwordless email-code sign-in for the dashboard, and App Check.

Built with

  • Flutter: one app for iPad and Android tablets.
  • WebRTC: the live video, with no per-minute video service.
  • Firebase: Firestore for calls and settings, Cloud Functions for the backup ring, admin actions and cleanup, Cloud Messaging and App Check.
  • Private distribution: an App Store Custom App for the iPads and a direct download for Android, both handed out from the dashboard.

What changed for the daycare

  • Teachers stay with the kids. Only the right room is interrupted, and only for the parent who’s there for them.
  • Every entry is face to face. Teachers see who’s at the door before they go to it.
  • Parents know what to do. Check in, tap your child’s room, wait for the teacher. There’s a help button if they need it.
  • The daycare runs it. Staff change rooms and wording and manage tablets from the dashboard, without waiting on an app update.

Automatic door unlocking isn’t part of this version. Teachers still let parents in themselves, which keeps a person in the loop.

Have a front-desk problem of your own?

Check-ins, call-boxes, kiosks and visitor flows are often a tablet and a little software away from running themselves.

Your Software Department™ builds tools like this on a flat monthly subscription: unlimited software requests, daily progress updates, and most requests shipped in 3–7 days. See how Your Software Department works →

Questions about video intercoms for daycares

How does a daycare video intercom work?

A tablet at the front desk lists each classroom. A parent taps their child’s room, that classroom’s tablet rings, and the teacher answers on two-way video before coming to the door.

Does every classroom ring when a parent calls?

No. Each tablet is set up for one room, so only the classroom the parent taps rings. The others aren’t disturbed.

Does it unlock the door?

Not in this version. The teacher sees the parent on video and lets them in. Automatic unlocking could be added later.

Does it work on iPad and Android tablets?

Yes. It’s built with Flutter, so the same app runs on both, and it’s distributed privately to the daycare’s own tablets.

Can Peace Builders build a custom tablet app for our business?

Yes. Peace Builders, an Indiana software studio, builds custom apps for check-ins, kiosks and front-desk workflows, and keeps them running.

Want a front door that runs itself?

Tell us how people check in today. We’ll tell you honestly what it would take.

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