An alternative to Parachute for the Time-Space percentage
Parachute by KidKare lists $15.50 a month or $125 a year for family child care. If you only need the 2026 Time-Space % and meal allowance, Naptally works it out with no account.
| Naptally | Parachute | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it runs | In your browser tab. No install, no account. Your records are never uploaded. | Web and mobile app with an account |
| Price | Free: the Time-Space percentage, meal allowance, totals, every check and 15 expense rows. Pro: $19 for 7 days, $9/month or $49/year. | $15.50 a month or $125 a year for family child care |
| What it does | Works out the 2026 Time-Space percentage, the standard meal allowance and each expense's business part from an attendance log and an expense list. No invoicing, parent payments or filing. | Invoicing, parent payments, income and expenses, calendar, attendance and Time-Space tools |
Honest take: Parachute runs the whole business — invoices, payments and attendance. Naptally is for a provider who already keeps a sign-in sheet somewhere and wants the year-end percentage and meal numbers without moving everything into a new app.
Competitor details checked on 2026-10-28 from their public pages: Parachute by KidKare (Homes). Prices change — check their site for the current offer. Product names are trademarks of their owners; we are not affiliated with them.
FAQ
Can Naptally read a KidKare export?
Yes, if it has a date, child, time in and time out column. Otherwise copy the columns into the template.
What does Naptally do?
It reads your 2026 attendance log and expense list and works out the Time-Space percentage for a home day care (Form 8829 and Pub. 587), the standard meal and snack allowance, and the business part of each expense. It doesn't file anything.
Is my data uploaded?
No. Your files are read by JavaScript in your browser tab and never sent to us or anyone else. The children's names and your expenses aren't stored, so closing the tab clears them. Settings can be saved in this browser.
How is the time percentage worked out?
Hours the home is used for day care — children present plus time spent on business with no children there, such as cleaning, planning and paperwork — divided by the 8,760 hours in 2026. When two children are there at once, that hour counts once. Your own children's hours don't count.
Which meal rates apply for 2026?
Rev. Proc. 2003-22 uses the CACFP Tier I day care home rates in effect on December 31 of the prior year. For 2026 that is $1.70 for breakfast, $3.22 for lunch or supper and $0.96 for a snack in the 48 states, DC and territories; $2.72, $5.22 and $1.55 in Alaska; and $2.19, $4.18 and $1.24 in Hawaii. At most 1 breakfast, 1 lunch, 1 supper and 3 snacks per child per day count.
Does it matter if I'm on the Food Program?
You can use the standard rates either way. Food Program reimbursements are income, and a meal reimbursed by the Program is only deductible above what was reimbursed — Naptally notes this but doesn't subtract it, so check with your preparer.
What's free?
Importing any size of log, the Time-Space percentage, the meal allowance, the totals, every check and the first 15 expense rows on screen and in print (with a footer). Pro shows and prints every row and exports the Excel workbook, the expenses CSV and the daily hours and meals CSV.
What isn't covered?
Home depreciation, the Form 8829 income limit and carryovers, actual food costs, mortgage interest and taxes split between Schedule A and Form 8829, cars, state forms, and child care centers outside your home. Federal only. The percentage is only as good as the log.
Is this tax advice?
No. Naptally applies the rules it describes to the data you provide. Ask your tax adviser what applies to you.