---
title: "Add a center"
description: "Create the first center in your organization, or add an additional location if you operate multiple sites."
type: setup
updated: 2026-09-14
canonical_url: https://help.nestlicare.com/owners/centers/add-a-center
roles: ["super_admin", "center_admin"]
platforms: [web]
---
A **center** is a physical daycare location. Most organizations have one. Multi-site organizations have several — each with its own rooms, staff, and attendance.

## Add a center

1. Go to **Organization → Centers** in the sidebar.
2. Click **Add Center** in the top right.
3. Fill in the form.

<ScreenshotWithPointers
  src="/screenshots/owners/centers/new-center-form.png"
  alt="The New Center form: name, license number and expiry, licensed capacity, timezone, and address"
  caption="Name the center, add its license number and expiry, the licensed capacity, timezone, and address. Room capacities roll up under this center total."
/>

Click **Create center**. You land on the center's detail page, ready to add rooms.

## Required vs optional

Required: **Name**, **Capacity**.

Everything else (phone, email, license, timezone, full address) is technically optional. In practice you'll want **license number + expiry** filled in for state compliance, and **timezone** set so scheduling and attendance times are right.

## Timezone

The timezone list is grouped, with the common US zones (Eastern, Central, Mountain, Pacific, Alaska, Hawaii, Arizona) at the top and the rest, including the Indiana, Kentucky, and North Dakota split zones, US territories, and international zones, grouped below.

Leave it blank and the center inherits your organization's timezone, which is what you want when every site is in the same region.

<Callout kind="warning" title="Timezone matters more than you think">
Check-ins, clock-ins, attendance reports, invoice periods — everything renders in the center's timezone. A center in Arizona that's set to `America/Denver` will show clock-ins an hour off from reality during daylight savings. Set it right up front.
</Callout>

## Next steps

With the center created:

1. **Add rooms** — see [Add a room](/owners/centers/add-a-room). Rooms control the roster teachers see and the ratios you report to licensing.
2. **Invite staff** — see [Invite your team](/getting-started/invite-your-team) — assign them to this center.
3. **Set up the kiosk** — see [Set up kiosk mode](/owners/centers/set-up-kiosk-mode) for drop-off and pickup.

## Troubleshooting

**"Capacity must be an integer."** Don't include "kids" or anything else in the capacity field. Just a number.

**Address fields look optional but the form won't save.** The form validates the full address as a group — if you type part of an address, you need all four fields (street, city, state, ZIP). Either fill them all or clear them all.

**I can't see the "Add Center" button.** You're not a super admin. Only super admins can create centers; center admins manage existing ones. Ask your super admin.

**License expiry sits in the past.** That's allowed (you may be entering historical data) but we'll show a red pill next to the center saying "License expired" until you update it. Renewal reminders won't fire.