The short answer
An AI receptionist for daycares built on HighLevel Voice AI costs about $0.32 per answered call, or $48 a month for 150 calls averaging 4 minutes, phone line included. Roughly 38 of those calls (25%) would come outside office hours, which is where an AI answering service earns its keep. Emergencies, complaints and anything needing judgment should go to a person.
What the AI should handle
Check openings by age group
Explain which age groups have openings or a waitlist, based on information staff update in the knowledge base each week, and offer a tour.
Book tours
Offer tour times on the director's calendar, collect the child's age and desired start date, and text a confirmation with parking and entry details.
Take absence calls
Record the child's name and the reason for the absence, note it for the classroom teacher, and confirm to the parent by text.
Answer program questions
Share hours, tuition, meals, nap routines, curriculum basics and holiday closures from the parent handbook, and offer a tour when a parent wants to see it.
What to send to a person
- Any report of injury, illness outbreak or abuse concern
- Custody questions or changes to authorized pickup
- Children with allergies, medical plans or special needs
- Licensing or inspection inquiries
HighLevel's voice agents can transfer a live call, create a task, or trigger a workflow that texts the owner. Set the handoff rules before the agent goes live.
Cost per call and per month
Assumptions for a typical daycare center: 150 calls a month answered by the AI, averaging 4 minutes. Phone minutes are billed per call and rounded up, so each call bills 4 phone minutes at $0.01165.
| Setup | AI cost | Phone line | Per month | Per call |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pay per use, Standard voice, GPT-4.1 Mini | $40.80 | $6.99 | $48 | $0.32 |
| Pay per use, ElevenLabs voice, GPT-4.1 Mini | $52.80 | $6.99 | $60 | $0.40 |
| Pay per use, speech-to-speech (OpenAI) | $120.00 | $6.99 | $127 | $0.85 |
| AI Employee Unlimited, $97 flat | $97.00 | $6.99 | $104 | $0.69 |
The breakdown of every Voice AI charge is in our Voice AI pricing guide. Agencies can price this as a monthly service with the calculator's Price a client tab, preloaded for a daycare center.
Compared with staff time
Those 150 calls take about 10 hours of talk time a month. At the US median receptionist wage of $18.27 an hour (May 2025, Bureau of Labor Statistics), that talk time alone is worth about $183, before hold time, breaks, benefits and the calls that come in after hours. An AI receptionist does not replace a good front desk; it catches the overflow and the evenings, and frees staff for the people in front of them.
Sample call
AI AGENTThanks for calling. I'm the center's virtual assistant. Are you looking for care, or is this about a child already enrolled?
CALLERLooking for care. My son will be ten months old in January and I go back to work then.
AI AGENTCongratulations. As of this week our infant room has a waitlist for January, but a tour is the first step either way. Would you like to see the center?
CALLERYes, please.
AI AGENTI have Tuesday at 9:30 or Thursday at 2 with the director. Which works for you?
CALLERThursday at 2.
AI AGENTYou're booked. I'll text you a confirmation with parking details and add your son to the January waitlist. What's his first name?
CALLERNoah.
Prompt tips
- Tip 1Update openings by age group in the knowledge base every week, and tell the agent to say 'as of this week' when it describes availability.
- Tip 2Write a rule that the agent never confirms who may pick up a child and never discusses another family.
- Tip 3Copy the sick policy (fever rules, when a child may return) exactly from your handbook, so absence calls get consistent answers.
Rules to watch
State child care licensing. States and territories set minimum health and safety requirements that child care programs must meet to operate legally, and licensed programs are monitored against them. The AI should repeat only what your license and parent handbook say about ratios, hours and policies, and route licensing questions to the director.
Authorized pickup. Pickup authorization is a safety decision, so the AI must never add or approve an authorized adult by phone. It should take the request and alert the director, who follows your written verification procedure. Keep medical and custody details out of the knowledge base.
Children's data online. COPPA applies to online services directed to children under 13 that collect personal information from them. A daycare's forms are normally completed by parents, but if you use an app or portal that children interact with, check how it handles COPPA.
General information, not legal advice.
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Questions
Is it appropriate for a daycare to answer calls with AI?
How does the AI handle a parent reporting a sick child?
Can the AI give tuition prices?
What does AI answering cost a daycare?
Sources
- HighLevel pricing page
- HighLevel Phone System (LC Phone) pricing and billing guide
- HighLevel LC Email pricing
- HighLevel Voice AI agents overview
- HighLevel AI product pricing
- Childcare.gov: Regulated child care
- FTC: Complying with COPPA, frequently asked questions
- HighLevel AI product pricing (help center)
- AI Voice Agents overview
- HighLevel Phone System pricing and billing guide
- BLS Occupational Outlook: Receptionists (May 2025 pay)