Getting Started with Custom Objects

Custom Objects let you track anything your childcare business manages that doesn't fit into Parents, Families, or Enrollment Opportunities. They're perfect when your platform needs to reflect real-world entities, relationships, or processes unique to your center.

As an admin, you can define Custom Objects from Object Settings, add custom fields, set up associations, and use them across automations, forms, and reporting.

This guide helps you understand what Custom Objects are and decide whether they're right for your childcare center.

Why Use Custom Objects?

Custom Objects help you move beyond a people-only platform and build a data model that mirrors how your childcare business actually works.

Using Custom Objects allows you to:

Keep your platform organized at scale

Avoid cramming unrelated data into Parent or Enrollment Opportunity records, which leads to cluttered information and poor usability.

Model real-world entities as independent records

Treat things like children, classrooms, programs, or care plans as their own records with unique lifecycles, fields, and automation.

[SCREENSHOT: Enrollio dashboard showing the Object Settings page with examples of custom objects like "Children" and "Classrooms" listed]

Unlock cleaner automation and reporting

When data is structured correctly, automations, filters, and dashboards become simpler, more accurate, and easier to maintain.

Support complex relationships naturally

One-to-many and many-to-many relationships (like one parent with multiple children or one classroom with multiple programs) are easier to manage and track.

In short: Custom Objects help you keep your platform clean, scalable, and aligned with how your childcare center actually operates.

What Are Custom Objects?

Think of Custom Objects as independent platform records for things like:

  • Children
  • Classrooms
  • Programs
  • Care Plans
  • Staff Assignments

Each custom object has:

  • Its own records and fields
  • Associations with other platform objects
  • Support across automations and reporting
[SCREENSHOT: Example of a "Children" custom object record showing fields like Date of Birth, Allergies, Classroom Assignment, and Emergency Contacts]

When Should You Use Custom Objects?

Custom Objects are a good fit when:

Your data doesn't belong to a parent or family record

If you're tracking "things" (children, classrooms, programs, care plans), not just parent contact information, a custom object is usually the right choice.

You need structured, repeatable records

When the same type of entity exists many times and needs consistent fields, views, and automation.

You want deeper relationships in your platform

Custom Objects can be linked to Parents, Families, Enrollment Opportunities, and even other Custom Objects—unlocking advanced automation.

Examples:

  • Children linked to their parents and assigned classrooms
  • Multiple programs linked to enrollment opportunities
  • Care plans linked to specific children and staff members

When to Stick With Standard Platform Objects

Custom Objects are powerful, but not always the right answer. Avoid Custom Objects if:

A standard object already works

Parents, Families, and Enrollment Opportunities come with built-in features that custom objects don't always support.

You need parent-specific features

Bulk text messages, email campaigns, and certain communication tools work only with Parent records.

You're duplicating the same data

Creating a custom object that mirrors an existing object can cause confusion and inconsistent data. Instead, try using Smart Lists to create different segments within standard objects.

[SCREENSHOT: Smart Lists dropdown menu showing different parent segments like "Active Families," "Waitlist Families," and "Tour Scheduled"]

Common Examples

Good Use Cases

Children

Create a "Children" object to track child-specific details (age, allergies, classroom, emergency contacts) and associate them with their parents and current enrollment status.

Classrooms

Use a "Classrooms" object to store capacity, age range, staff assignments, and current enrollment numbers, linked back to children and programs.

Programs

Track different care programs (full-time, part-time, after-school) with their own pricing, schedules, and availability.

Pro Tip: Most childcare centers benefit from a "Children" custom object. It keeps child-specific information separate from parent contact details, making your records cleaner and your automations more targeted.

Not Recommended

Tour Attendees

If your primary goal is sending reminders, follow-ups, and marketing messages, Parent records already do this better.

Internal Notes or Tasks

Custom Objects shouldn't replace notes, tasks, or activities—this adds unnecessary complexity to your platform.

What's Next?

Once you create a Custom Object, you can:

  • Add custom fields specific to your needs
  • Define associations and labels
  • Build automations to streamline your processes
  • Build forms to collect data in custom objects
  • Visualize the data on dashboards

Next: Learn how to create your first Custom Object