Procare Solutions has acquired Playground, the child care management platform known for its AI assistant, Camber, and its marketing and enrollment automation tools. The deal, announced on September 14 from Procare's headquarters in Denver, brings two of the more recognizable names in child care software under one roof, and it follows Procare's own acquisition by Roper Technologies (Nasdaq: ROP), a Nasdaq 100, S&P 500, and Fortune 500 constituent, back in January 2024.
Procare serves more than 40,000 child care centers nationwide. Playground serves more than 5,000 programs and was founded by Daniel Andrews, Josh Andrews, and Sasha Reiss, headquartered in New York City. Financial terms of the acquisition have not been disclosed.
Joe Gomes, President and CEO of Procare Solutions, said the acquisition reflects continued investment in AI-driven child care technology as the industry evolves, building on Procare's recent launch of RoomRunner, an AI-powered enrollment planning tool. Daniel Andrews, Playground's co-founder and CEO, framed the deal as a way to bring Playground's tools to more centers nationwide, backed by what he called Procare's 30-year track record in the industry. Gomes reiterated that nothing changes for either company's existing customers today.
For directors currently using either platform, or anyone tracking this corner of the child care software market, here is what is confirmed so far and what is still an open question.
Questions Directors Are Asking
Is Playground shutting down?
No. Both companies have said Playground will continue to operate as its own product for now. There is no announced timeline for combining the two platforms or discontinuing either one.
Will my Procare or Playground account change?
Not immediately. Both companies say current customers will keep using the same product, working with the same teams, with no action required on their end.
Who owns Procare now?
Procare has been a business unit of Roper Technologies since Roper acquired it in January 2024 for roughly $1.75 billion. This new deal adds Playground to that same portfolio.
How did Procare and Playground get started?
Procare has a longer history than most child care software companies. It was founded in 1992 by Jeffrey Blum, a chemical engineer who built the original program to manage his son's daycare, and has grown into one of the largest platforms in the category over more than three decades. Playground is more recent, founded by Daniel Andrews, Josh Andrews, and Sasha Reiss in New York City.
Is this a merger or an acquisition?
It is an acquisition. Procare is absorbing Playground into its portfolio of products rather than the two companies combining as equals, though it may get referred to informally as a merger in some coverage.
How much did Procare pay for Playground?
Neither company has disclosed the financial terms of the acquisition.
Will Procare and Playground pricing change?
This has not been addressed publicly by either company. In most software acquisitions, pricing holds through the current contract term and gets revisited at renewal. If you are on either platform, it is worth confirming directly with your account representative rather than assuming your rate is locked in indefinitely.
Will Camber or Playground's other features still get updates?
Procare says it will continue supporting and investing in both platforms for now. Longer term, acquisitions like this one often lead to a single roadmap eventually, even if both products keep running in parallel for a while. If there is a specific feature you rely on, that is a fair thing to ask about directly.
Will my data be shared between the two platforms?
According to Procare, there is no change to how data is stored, used, or protected right now. Data continues to be handled under each customer's existing agreement.
Where can I read Procare's own FAQ on the acquisition?
Procare has published its own FAQ on the acquisition with more detail from its side.
If you are comparing child care management software regardless of this news, here is how illumine stacks up against Procare, along with a look at other Procare alternatives worth knowing about.
For a full side-by-side on features, pricing, and reviews now that the two are under one roof, see our Procare vs Playground comparison.
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