Nobody forgets a pickup when someone has already said “I’ve got it.”
Post the pickup once. Your circle sees it and one person claims it. If nobody has, you’ll hear about it the day before, more urgently three hours out, and again at two.
Posted. Claimed. Done.
Three steps, and a name on every pickup.
- This weekSwim pickupThu 4:30 PM · Riverside PoolOPEN🦖School drop-offFri 8:15 AM · Maple ElementaryClaimed🦄
Posted
Add the pickup: which kid, when, where. Everyone in your circle gets a notification and sees it on the calendar, marked open.
- 2:14nowCoveredGrandma Joan is doing the pickup for Leo on Thu, Oct 2 at 4:30 PM.1h agoNew pickupDad added a pickup for Leo on Thu, Oct 2 at 4:30 PM.
Claimed
Grandma opens it and taps I’ll do it. You and the other parents get a notification that she’s got it.
- 4:00nowPickup in 30 minutesLeo at 4:30 PM, Riverside Pool.ThuNeeds someoneNobody has the drop-off for Mia on Fri, Oct 3 at 8:15 AM yet.
Reminded and done
Grandma gets a reminder before she leaves. And if nobody had claimed it, you’d have heard the day before, three hours out and two hours out.
Knowing about Thursday isn’t the same as someone having it.
A calendar
shows the pickup.
A school app
checks who’s allowed at the gate.
Kid Pickup
gets one person to say “I’m going,” and tells you when nobody has.
If more than one person gets your kids, it’s for you.
Two-parent households
“Wait. I thought you had pickup.”
See how it works
Separated and blended families
Works with one parent and your own people.
See how it works
Families who lean on grandparents
Grandma says “I’ll do it,” and you know it’s handled.
See how it works
Daycare families
They check kids in. We make sure someone’s coming.
See how it works
Families whose school uses a dismissal app
No tracking. Not your school’s system. Yours.
See how it worksEverything a busy week needs, and nothing it doesn’t
- One tap to claimAnyone in your circle takes an open pickup with one tap, and you hear who’s doing it.
- Heads-up if nobody has itParents hear 24 hours, 3 hours and 2 hours before an open pickup.
- Reminders before you go15 minutes to an hour ahead, to whoever is doing it. Add a second if you like.
- Request HelpStuck at work? Everyone who could go gets a “Can you help?” with your note.
- Repeating pickupsSet the school run or Tuesday soccer up once, daily, weekly or monthly.
- Double-booking warningIf a child already has a pickup within an hour, you’ll hear before you save.
- Avatars for your kidsA dragon, a unicorn, a soccer ball or their initials, on every pickup.
- A role for everyoneGrandparents, nannies and sitters see only the pickups they can help with.
- Saved placesSchool, the rink, Grandma’s. Pick them from a list instead of typing.
- Emergency contactsThe numbers the person at the gate might need, in one place.
- Activity tabScroll back through what was added, taken on and dropped.
- AI assistant (Premium)Ask “Which pickups still need someone?” and get a straight answer.
Your kids’ schedule is nobody’s business but your circle’s.
Plain English, no fine print. Read the full policy.
No location tracking, ever
The app never asks for your location. Saved places are just addresses you type in.
Only the people you invite
Nobody sees your family unless you invite them. Helpers like grandparents and sitters only see open pickups and their own, not the rest of your week. Remove anyone, any time.
Delete your account in the app
Settings, then delete your account. No email, no waiting.
No ads, no selling
We don’t sell your data or use it for ads. It’s stored with our hosting provider, and the full list of who handles what is in our privacy policy.
One price for the whole circle.
Grandparents, sitters and the other parent never pay. Try it free for two weeks.
Free trial
No payment to start
- Up to 2 children
- You and 1 other parent or guardian
- 3 helpers
- Not included: AI assistant
- Everything below
Family
or $5.99 month to month
- Up to 2 children
- You and 1 other parent or guardian
- 3 helpers, like grandparents or a sitter
- Not included: AI assistant
- Everything below
Premium
or $11.99 month to month
- Unlimited children
- Up to 8 parents, guardians and helpers
- AI assistant
- Everything below
On every plan, trial included
- Shared pickup calendar, one-time or repeating
- Claiming, with notifications to the family
- Reminders, and a heads-up when nobody has a pickup
- Request Help
- Child profiles, avatars and emergency contacts
- Saved locations
- Activity history
- A warning when a child is double-booked
- One price covers everyone in your circle. Grandparents and sitters don’t pay.
- Prices don’t change without 60 days’ notice.
- Cancel any time from your App Store subscriptions. No emails, no retention calls.
Prices in US dollars. The App Store shows your price in your own currency, so Canadian prices look different.
Questions parents ask
What happens if nobody claims a pickup?
It stays marked OPEN on everyone’s calendar, and turns orange with “NEEDS HELPER” inside 24 hours. Parents and guardians get a notification 24 hours before, a more urgent one 3 hours before, and another at 2 hours, so there’s time to sort it out.
Will it warn me if I double-book a child?
Yes. If the same child already has a pickup or drop-off within an hour, the app warns you before you save it. You can still save it if that’s what you meant.
Does everyone in my circle have to pay?
No. One subscription covers your whole family circle. Grandparents, sitters and the other parent join free, up to your plan’s limits.
Does the other parent have to use it?
No. Kid Pickup works with one parent and the people you invite. Your co-parent can join if you both want that.
Does Kid Pickup track my location?
No. The app never asks for location permission. Saved places are just addresses you type in.
Is Kid Pickup a school dismissal system?
No. Kid Pickup is not a school dismissal system. Your school’s app runs the car line. Kid Pickup is for your family: who’s going, at every school, rink and studio.
What can the people I invite see?
Parents and guardians you invite see the whole family schedule and can change it. Helpers, like grandparents and sitters, see only open pickups and the ones they’ve taken, plus the kids on those and your emergency contacts. You can remove anyone at any time.
What happens when the free trial ends?
Nothing is charged, because the trial doesn’t ask for payment. The app asks you to choose a plan to keep going, and your family’s schedule is still there when you do.
Is Kid Pickup on Android?
Not yet. It’s on iPhone now, and Android is on the way.
What does the AI assistant do?
On Premium, you can ask about your family’s pickups in plain words, like “Which pickups still need someone?” It answers from your calendar. It doesn’t make changes for you.
How do I cancel?
In your App Store subscriptions on your iPhone, any time. You keep access until the end of the period you paid for.
I’m Joel. I’m a parent on Vancouver Island, and I built Kid Pickup because the group chat kept failing us. Someone would ask who was getting the kids, a few people would reply, and it still wasn’t clear who had actually said yes.
Most weeks it worked out. I wanted something for the weeks it didn’t: one place where every pickup has a name on it, and where I hear about it when one doesn’t.
It’s a small app made by one family’s worth of frustration. I read every message. If something’s broken or missing, tell me through the contact form.
Life Saver App!
This app makes coordinating my kids pickups and drop-offs a breeze with my parents and friends. Between school, soccer and two work schedules ‘wait, who’s getting the kids today?’ was a weekly panic. Now it’s just…in the app. I can see who’s picking up, grandma gets looped in without a 14 message text thread. It’s simple enough my mom figured it out on her phone, which was the real test. I use this app everyday.
Using Kid Pickup? We’d love to hear how.
Who’s in your circle, which day always used to go wrong, what you’d change. We’ll only share a story here if you say we can, and only the way you want it told.
Tell us your storyNotes on getting the kids where they need to be
TipsHow to Stop Being the Only Parent Who Remembers School Pickup (4 Easy Fixes)
Tired of being the one who always remembers school pickup? Four simple fixes to share the load with your partner, grandparents and the rest of your village.
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Stories“We Forgot to Pick Up Our Daughter”: How a Missed Pickup Happens, and the One Question That Stops It
Most missed pickups aren’t careless parents. Everyone knew about it and nobody owned it. One question closes that gap.
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Co-parentingWhat to Do When Your Co-Parent Won’t Use the Co-Parenting App
You can’t make the other parent download anything. Here’s how to run your own side of the schedule well and keep handoffs clear and predictable.
5 min readGrandparentsHow to Give Grandparents a Role in the School Run (Without Handing Them Your Whole Calendar)
Give grandparents one regular job they own, like “Wednesdays are yours,” and an easy way to say yes or no. How to set it up, even if they hate apps.
5 min readSchool pickupWhy Your School’s Pickup App Tracks Your Location, and What It Can’t Tell You
School dismissal apps use your location to run the car line and release your child safely. Here’s why, and the one question they can’t answer.
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