Daxko Adds Childcare Management for Gyms With Alaris Acquisition
Krissy Vann | Host, All Things Fitness and Wellness
Daxko has acquired childcare management software company Alaris, expanding its technology offering for health clubs, YMCAs, JCCs, Boys & Girls Clubs and other fitness and community organizations that operate childcare programs.
Financial terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.
Alaris provides software for managing childcare programs including camps, after-school programs, Kids Clubs, Child Watch, group exercise childcare and preschool programs. Its technology addresses operational and regulatory requirements including staff-to-child ratios, attendance, meal tracking, medications and state licensing requirements.
The acquisition gives Daxko another operational component within its broader software portfolio at a time when fitness and community operators are looking to consolidate functions that have traditionally been managed through separate systems.
"Childcare is one of the most trusted responsibilities a health club, YMCA, JCC, or Boys & Girls Club can take on, and staff deserve tools that match that responsibility," said Jeff VanDixhorn, CEO, Daxko. "Bringing the Alaris team into Daxko means our customers can spend less time on manual compliance and more time focusing on their most important priority: the safety, health, and happiness of the kids in their care."
Alaris will continue operating as a standalone product for organizations using third-party member management systems. Those existing integrations will remain in place, with Alaris now supported by Daxko's product, engineering and support teams.
For organizations already using Daxko technology, the company plans to integrate childcare management into Daxko Operations, Daxko Core, Daxko Club Automation and Daxko FitnessForce. The integration is intended to connect childcare information with existing program, operational, member and donor records rather than requiring operators to maintain a separate childcare management system.
The software includes tools for monitoring staff-to-child ratios, tracking meals and snacks under the Child and Adult Care Food Program, recording diaper changes and lesson plans, submitting attendance information to state agencies and printing child security stickers. It also supports multilingual use and real-time notifications for parents.
Members and families will be able to use the system to check children in and out and receive information about meals, diaper changes, lessons, medications and other activities.
"We built Alaris because childcare staff needed software that understood the weight and complexity of what they do every day: keeping kids safe and accounted for, balancing staff-to-child ratios, and tracking meals. This enables staff to spend more time with the kids and less time in software," said Jeremy Kelstrom, CEO, Alaris. "Joining Daxko lets us focus on what we do best — childcare management — while gaining a partner who can accelerate our product growth. Together, we can bring stronger childcare tools to more nonprofits and health businesses working hard every day to care for their members."
For fitness operators, childcare can be both a member amenity and a significant operational responsibility, particularly when programs fall under state licensing or federal food-program requirements. Bringing those functions into the same technology environment used for membership and facility operations could reduce the number of separate systems staff need to manage.
Daxko and Alaris are scheduled to present the combined childcare offering at YMCA of the USA's General Assembly in New Orleans from September 17 to 19, 2026.
