About Kinderspot
  -  Learn more about where the idea for Kinderspot originated and how it has grown

Parent App Help Center
  - Our Help Center provides a preview into the Kinderspot app and its supported functions

Download Kinderspot
  - When you're ready to start making your child care plans, we've made it easy for you to get started by downloading the Kinderspot mobile app, which is available on both Android and iOS devices as a mobile app -

Questions?
  Please feel free to reach out to kspot-help@oddball.io with questions, concerns, or feedback about Kinderspot or visit our FAQ page!

Spot Holder:
If you have offered a spot but your plans change and you need to cancel it, you must do so within 3 business days of the offered week. If you attempt to cancel once within that timeframe, a message will populate informing you that the week cannot be cancelled. Cancellation within the app must be accompanied by an explanation, sent in writing/email to the CDC/SAC administrative staff.

Renter:
You may cancel your rental at any time, however if your cancellation is within 3 business days of the reserved week, you will still be responsible for the payment of the week unless the spot is rented by another renter. Cancellation within the app must be accompanied by an explanation, sent in writing/email to the CDC/SAC administrative staff. Please note that Spot Holders are able to cancel their offered week up until 3 business days before the start date of the offered week. If the spot you have rented is cancelled, Kinderspot will attempt to automatically rebook you into an available spot in the same timeframe. If there is not an available spot, you will receive an email informing you of the cancellation and impacted dates.  

*Holidays do not count as business days when considering all policies that uphold a 3 business day rule

1. Navigate to Kinderspot mobile app
2. Select “Forgot Password?”
3. Enter the email address associated with your account - please confirm the accurate spelling to ensure email is sent correctly
4. Use the link within the email to set your new password
5. Please note that passwords must meet the requirements:
   at least 8 characters in length, contain an uppercase letter, a number, and one of the following special characters: @$!%*?&.
6. For any further issues, please contact kspot-help@oddball.io

You are not required to use a .mil email address for your Kinderspot account. Currently, you will need to contact tech support to change information associated with your user account (email address, name, further password issues). Please send us an email at: kspot-help@oddball.io along with your request and we are happy to assist.

Account
By selecting "Account" from the landing page, you will have access to the following functions:

• Review name and email associated with Kinderspot parent account*
• Phone number to help CDCs get in touch with you
• Manage email notifications for rental and spot holder actions
• Navigate to the Help Website
• Contact Kinderspot Support
• Log out of account
• Delete account
  
  *If the name and/or email associated with your Kinderspot parent account need to be updated, please email kspot-help@oddball.io with the correct information and we are happy to make the necessary changes

Manage Notifications

This function allows you to opt in and out of confirmation email notifications for rental and spot offering actions completed in Kinderspot.

How does Kinderspot work?

Kinderspot's intent is to help facilitate short-term care for eligible families by giving visibility to available weeks that have been offered by verified spot holders at participating CDCs.

Spot holders, who create a Kinderspot account, will be able to offer week-long blocks of time per child, at participating CDCs, to make their spot temporarily available when gone on leave or TDY.

Prospective spot renters can create a Kinderspot account, even if they do not hold a spot at a CDC. Available weeks will be visible at participating CDCs, and renters can inform the CDC Admin of their desire to rent. Once they have completed paperwork at a CDC, and become a verified renter, they can book any available week(s) through the app.

By selecting the "Schedule" option from the bottom navigation bar, you are able to review all upcoming, past, and canceled spots for both rentals and offered spots.

Upcoming will show you upcoming activity starting the following business week.

Past will show rental and offer history, including any rentals or offerings for the current calendar week, as they are start date has past.

Cancelled will show a history of previously cancelled rentals and offers. By selecting ⓘ, you will be able to review who processed the cancellation, the date of the cancellation, and who is responsible for the cost of that week.

Renters should note that they are still responsible for the cost of a rental week if a cancellation is within 3 business days of the rental timeframe. Additionally, cancellation notice must be provided in writing/email to the CDC/SAC administrative staff.

Offered spots can be cancelled, whether rented or unrented, until 3 business days before the start date.

Before offering a spot, renting a spot, or creating a watchlist, you will want to ensure that you have selected “Manage Family" and added all children whose spots will be managed through Kinderspot. Once all children have been added, you will be asked to indicate their age range(s) during the offer, rental, or watchlist process - please note that the age range must reflect the child's age during the offering or rental timeframe. It is the responsibility of the parents to ensure the correct age range is indicated during this process to prevent verification delays or cancelled bookings.

By selecting a child from your family list, you have the option to adjust the child’s name, remove the child from Kinderspot, and view a comprehensive list of spot holder and renter verifications.

Selecting "View" beside your spot holder and renter verification locations will allow you view all upcoming, past, and cancelled offerings/bookings for that specific child. To view a comprehensive list of all offerings and rentals for all children in the family, navigate back to the home screen and select the "Schedule" option.

Rental Cost
The cost of the rental, per week, will be paid directly to the CDC at the renter’s rate, based on the family’s total family income. The renting family is financially responsible for all weeks rented unless cancelled within 3 business days of the upcoming week. In the case of inclement weather or last-minute illness, the renting family remains financially responsible for their week.

Spot Offering Reimbursement
If a week you have offered is booked and rented by another family then you will receive credit to your account, directly from your CDC. Expect this credit to be equivalent to the amount you are charged for this week to offset the balance.

Spot Offer Limit (per Fee Year)
Per the Services Center policy, families are allowed to offer their children's designated spot up 12 times per fee year. To request an extension to this limit, you will need to contact the leadership at the CDC where you hold your spot(s). Please note that the Fee Year is determined by the Services Center policy; for more information on this policy, please reach out to your home CDC.

Questions?
While Kinderspot Support is happy to help with inquiries regarding the mobile app and its functionality, your home CDC is who you will contact should you have any questions or concerns regarding your payments. If you are unsure how to get in touch with your CDC directly, please use the “View CDCs and Availability” section of the Kinderspot app for contact information.

1. First, reach out to your previous CDC staff and ask them to unenroll you as a spot holder there
2. The staff should sign into the Kinderspot administrator app and unenroll you on their end
3. Once this is complete, you'll be able to apply for a spot at a new CDC within the Kinderspot smartphone app

If you are unsure of how to get in touch with your previous CDC, you can use "View Participating CDCs" to find contact information.

Please feel free to reach out to kspot-help@oddball.io with any questions, concerns, or feedback.

1. Log into Kinderspot
2. Navigate to “Account”
3. Select “Delete Account” at bottom of screen
4. Confirm account deletion
5. Sign-in attempts following this action will be met with a message confirming your account deletion
6. For any further assistance, please contact kspot-help@oddball.io

Manage Family
 Before offering a spot, renting a spot, or creating a watchlist, you will want to ensure that you have selected “Manage Family" and added all children whose spots will be managed through Kinderspot. Once all children have been added, you will be asked to indicate their age range(s) during your offer, rental, or watchlist process.

View Participating CDCs
 You can click “View Participating CDCs” for a comprehensive list of which CDCs currently utilize Kinderspot, to navigate to a CDC’s website, or to contact a participating CDC. A comprehensive list can also be found in our Frequently Asked Questions.

Offer My Spot
 In order to finalize any spot offerings, you will first have to complete Spot-Holder verification by selecting “Offer (Child)’s Spot,” selecting your CDC, and clicking “Request To Be Verified”. If you have more than one child, this process needs to be completed for each child. This process is completed by all spot-holders to validate eligibility and ensure that information provided within the app is accurate and trustworthy.

Rent A Spot
 In order to rent a spot at a participating CDC, a renter verification must be completed. Each CDC requires its own renter verification to be complete prior to confirming a rental booking. There is no limit to the amount of CDCs you can be a verified renter with. Renter verification requests are initiated during the Rent A Spot process for the first time. Paperwork provided by the CDC will need to be completed prior to renter verification being approved.

Manage Watchlist
 This function allows parents to sign up for and receive email notifications for open rental spots for their child/children's age(s) at their desired CDC during specific time frames. Please note that all offered spots are first come, first served - the first person to book a new offer will reserve it.

Schedule
 This will allow you to review all upcoming, past, and canceled spots for both rentals and offered spots. Any rentals or offerings for the current calendar week will populate in the ‘Past’ column, as they are not eligible for cancellation after their start date.

Manage Notifications
 In the Account section, you will find the option to adjust your email notification preferences for spot holder and spot renter actions.

First-time Renters

1. Log into Kinderspot, select "Rent a Spot”
2. If you are renting at a CDC for the first time, select “Find Care at a New CDC”, select your desired CDC and your child's age during the rental time frame
3. Select the desired week(s) for your rental at the desired CDC
   - If you're renting at the CDC for the first time, you will click “Request to Rent Here."  After submitting, a renter verification request will be sent to your chosen CDC.
   Additional paperwork will be required and provided by the specific CDC during this verification process. If your child has allergies, you should flag this to the CDC as additional paperwork beyond the standard paperwork may be required.
   Verification will not be finalized until all steps are complete. If you are awaiting communication from the CDC for continuing steps in this process, we empower you to reach out to the CDC via email or phone for further instructions.
   
   - Please note that all offered spots are first come, first served - the first person to book a new offer will reserve it. The week may become booked before you complete your paperwork process.

Verified Renters

1. Log into Kinderspot, select "Rent a Spot"
   - Only CDCs where renter verification is already complete will populate with "Rent" or “View” beside your child's name. If you do not see this option, you will need to follow the steps for first-time renters as this applies to each new CDC you are attempting to rent with.
2. Select the desired week(s) for your rental at the desired CDC
   - If you're already a verified renter, you will complete your rental bookings by clicking “Rent Selected Weeks”

Canceling A Rental Spot

1. Log into Kinderspot, select "Rent a Spot"
2. Select "View" next to your child's name
3. All upcoming confirmed rentals will display -  select the red “x” beside the week(s) you would like to remove from your verified rentals
   - Please note that you are still responsible for the cost of a rental week if your cancellation is within 3 business days of your rental time and cancellation notice must be provided in writing/email to the CDC/SAC administrative staff

How do I know my verification status?

When you select "Rent a Spot," you will see either see "Pending Verification" or "Verified Renter" below the name of the CDC. If you do not see any of these indicators, you will select "Find Care at a New CDC" to begin the verification process (screenshots below).

Please feel free to reach out to kspot-help@oddball.io with any questions, concerns, or feedback.

Submitting Request for Spot-Holder Verification

1. Select “Offer A Spot”
2. Select “Offer (Child)’s Spot”
3. Select CDC where spot is currently held
4. Click “Request To Be Verified”
5. A notification of your verification request will be sent to the CDC to approve
6. Once the CDC approves this spot, you will receive a confirmation email and you are ready to start offering your spot
   

Offering A Spot

1. Once logged into Kinderspot, select “Offer My Spot”
2. Select “Offer” next to your child's name
3. Select your child's age during the offering time frame
4. Select the weeks you'd like to offer
   - Please note if your child's age range changes during this time, you must finalize your offering under their initial age range then repeat this process for their new age range.
   - If you attempt to adjust the age range during the offering process with weeks already selected, you will receive a prompt advising that your previous selections will not be saved if you continue with the new age range.
5. Once all desired weeks have been selected, click “Offer Selected Weeks” to finalize the offering. As soon as this is done, your weeks will be viewable for renters.
   

Canceling an Offered Spot

1. Once logged into Kinderspot Spot, select “Offer My Spot”
2. Select “View” next to your child's name
3. A list of all offered weeks will be displayed - select the red “x” beside the week(s) you would like to remove from your offerings
   - Please note that you may cancel an offer whether it is reserved or not, as long as it is not within 3 business days of the offered week.
4. Select “Agree” when prompted to confirm your cancellation of that week's offering
   - Please note cancellation notice must be provided in writing/email to the CDC/SAC administrative staff.

If you are trying to offer your spot and Kinderspot is displaying your previous CDC, please follow this article on updating your home CDC before continuing with your Spot Offering.

Please feel free to reach out to kspot-help@oddball.io with any questions, concerns, or feedback.

Creating Watchlist Email Notifications

1. Select "Manage Watchlist"
2. Fill out watchlist information as necessary
3. Select "Save Watchlist" to finalize adjustments

Adjusting Watchlist Email Notifications

1. Select "Manage Watchlist"
2. Adjust existing watchlist information as necessary
3. Select "Save Watchlist" to finalize adjustments

Deleting Watchlist Email Notifications

1. Select "Manage Watchlist"
2. Select "Delete Watchlist"
3. Select "Delete" on prompt to confirm watchlist removal