Welcome to Famly, FirstSteps

We have big news. Really big news. 

After decades in the childcare sector, FirstSteps are handing the torch over to Famly. 

Kirit and Kokila, the owners of FirstSteps, have decided the time is right to start their retirement and want Famly to be the ones to take things forward. That means bringing 7 wonderful new teammates, and hundreds of customers over to the Famly platform. And we couldn’t be happier about honouring their 30 years of hard work to the sector. 

FirstSteps started in the 90s in exactly the same way as Famly - a father dissatisfied with the tools his child’s nursery was using. The only difference is that FirstSteps started on a good old floppy disk! They’ve come a long way since, and have been unwavering in their dedication to the Early Years. 

So why are we taking FirstSteps under the Famly umbrella, and what does that mean for FirstSteps and Famly customers?

We always pride ourselves in being as open and transparent as possible, so let’s have a look at why this change is happening, why it’s happening now, and what it means for you. 

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What does this mean for FirstSteps customers?‍

If you’re a FirstSteps customer - welcome! We’re so excited to have you join the journey and can’t wait to show you what Famly can do for you, your team, and your parents.

And don’t worry - you’re in the driving seat. We’ll do all of the heavy lifting with your data, and stay in touch with you every step of the way. There will be special webinars to get introduced to Famly, loads of time and space to ask your questions to our team, and 1-1 onboarding calls and support as you get started. All, of course, completely free.

You’ll be hearing a lot from us in the coming weeks and months, but know that you can always reach out to us at support@famly.co.uk if you’ve got any questions we’re not answering. We’d love to hear from you.

The staff at FirstSteps you already know and love are coming along on the adventure, too. They’re a skilled bunch, and we’re looking forward to calling them our colleagues. It’s not every day you find talented employees who are just as passionate about the Early Years as we are. 

For us, our customers always come first - and we count ourselves lucky that Kirit and Kokila feel exactly the same way. You’ll be joining a slightly bigger family on this move, but our values are just the same. And you’ll be getting a whole host of new, easy-to-use features in the process too. 

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What does this mean for Famly customers?

If you’re one of our customers already, you don’t have to worry about anything changing for you. 

You’ll still have the dedicated customer team there to help and support you, and we’re not leaving you behind. Quite the opposite. This move shows just how seriously we take our commitment to growing in the UK, and to all of you who dedicate your time to nurturing our youngest chldren..

Now we just have even more colleagues to connect, help and support you with the Famly platform. And they’ll be bringing a whole new set of expertise and skills along with them. 

This is a perfect time for us to keep on growing, and to continue working on making our platform the best it can be - for thousands of you across the UK. It’s been an incredible journey since we started in 2013, and we’re not even remotely finished yet.

It goes without saying that we’re incredibly grateful to be in a position to make this deal with FirstSteps. None of this would be possible without your wonderful support and feedback as we grow the Famly platform - so a huge thank you goes out to you for choosing and sticking with us. 

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Why are we doing this? 

I’ve told you everything that’s going to happen, but I want you to know exactly why we’re taking over for FirstSteps, and why they chose us.

It’s really important for us at Famly to keep you in the loop on these decisions, so here are the 5 big reasons why FirstSteps are passing the torch over to us: 

1. Time for retirement: Handing FirstSteps over to us lets two visionary founders enjoy their retirement after nearly 30 years of service to the sector. They were pioneers, and we’re so happy to take that work to the next level.
   
2. It’s a great fit: FirstSteps chose Famly based on our reputation, vision, and first-class product. We both began exactly the same way - with a new father unhappy with the tools his child’s nursery was using - and our company goal to put the children at the heart of everything is very much the same.
   
3. Staff: We’re gaining a vibrant and talented team, who will be helping to bring FirstSteps customers over to Famly and beyond. That same young boy, Darshan, whose time in nursery inspired the FirstSteps database in 1994 now leads the FirstSteps development team!
   
4. Customer-first: FirstSteps have always put the customer first - an approach that has given them loyal customers that have been with them for decades. At Famly, the first thing new employees learn is that ‘we work for the customer’ - so our ethos is very aligned.
   
5. Modern software needs: The sector needs and wants ever more sophisticated software to meet the many challenges they face, especially after the pandemic revealed how vital digital family partnerships are. FirstSteps customers will find new features and functionality in the sector’s easiest-to-pick-up product. 
   

So there you have it. We’re thrilled to announce this move, and we’ll be welcoming the first FirstSteps customers to Famly very, very soon.