QikKids turns 30: from a home office to a core part of Australian childcare

Three decades on, the software that began as one OSHC director’s solution to her own paperwork continues to support childcare services across Australia as part of Xplor Education.

QikKids has reached an incredible milestone: 30 years supporting Australia’s early childhood education and care sector.

What began as a simple solution to everyday administration has grown into technology used by childcare services to manage bookings, invoicing, government subsidies, reporting and communication with families.

Today, QikKids is part of Xplor Education, alongside products including Office, Playground, Home and Xplor Payments, with a shared purpose of helping services spend less time on administration and more time supporting children and families.

QikKids fully integrates with Playground, Home and Payments to provide a connected experience across service management, family communication, digital sign-in, payments and reporting. Together, these solutions help early childhood services manage their operations more efficiently while creating a better experience for educators, administrators and families.

Where it began

The QikKids story began in Brisbane.

Samantha Lennon was running Shorncliffe Outside School Hours Care and preparing invoices and parent accounts by hand. Seeing how much time the administration was taking, her then-husband, software developer Paul Seymour, created a program to make the process easier.

They quickly realised other services were facing the same challenges. QikKids was born under their business, Palm Technologies, and for its first six years was run from their home.

“Sometimes the greatest things start with simply recognising a problem and having the courage to do something about it,” Samantha says.

It was a simple idea built around a real problem, and one that would go on to become part of the day-to-day operations of childcare services across Australia.

Celebrating 30 years

On 30 October, customers, team members and friends of QikKids came together to celebrate QikKids – 30 Years On: Where It All Began. It was an evening filled with memories, stories and reflections on the people and relationships that have shaped QikKids over the past three decades.

A special acknowledgement was made to Wendy O’Keefe, who has been part of QikKids for 20 of its 30 years. One of the most memorable moments of the evening was seeing Wendy reconnect with long-time customers she had supported for many years, often only through phone calls and emails. There were hugs, laughter and shared memories as relationships built over decades were finally celebrated face-to-face. It was a powerful reminder that while QikKids is known for its software, it has always been the people behind it who have made the greatest difference.

The evening also celebrated the customers, partners and team members who have grown alongside QikKids and helped shape what it has become today.

30 years and counting

While 30 years is an opportunity to reflect on the past, it is also a chance to look ahead.

As part of Xplor Education, QikKids continues to evolve alongside the changing needs of the early childhood education and care sector. For decades, the platform has been trusted by services across Australia for its comprehensive reporting capabilities, government subsidy management, bookings, invoicing and operational tools.

Today, ongoing investment in platform modernisation is helping ensure QikKids remains a reliable and future-ready solution while preserving the deep functionality customers rely on every day. Through continued enhancements and closer integration with Xplor’s broader product ecosystem, customers can benefit from a more connected and streamlined experience across every stage of service management.

From one service in Brisbane to three decades supporting thousands of educators, administrators and families, QikKids has always been grounded in solving real problems for the people at the heart of early childhood education and care. Thirty years on, that commitment to customers, innovation and long-term partnerships remains at the centre of what comes next.