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Not compatible: cloud-locked

Can you use a Google Nest camera for daycare parent viewing?

No. Google Nest cameras can't be used for daycare parent viewing. Nest video is locked to Google's cloud and the Google Home app, with no local RTSP/ONVIF stream.

Google Nest cameras stream exclusively to Google's cloud and are viewed through the Google Home app. Google does not provide an RTSP or ONVIF output, and its developer APIs are limited to select partners, not usable for a daycare parent-viewing platform.

Sharing your Google Home access with daycare families would expose your whole home setup with no per-family scoping, no viewing hours, and no enrollment gating, the opposite of what a daycare camera policy needs.

Nest remains a good consumer home camera; it just can't serve as the classroom camera parents watch.

What we recommend

Keep your Nest cameras exactly as they are for your own monitoring. For parent viewing, add one small camera in each room parents will watch. We recommend wired: a $40–90 Anpviz or Reolink PoE camera. Only reach for a $25–50 WiFi TP-Link Tapo if running a cable to that room genuinely isn't an option. We set up the parent side remotely: individual parent logins, each family limited to their child's room and your care hours.

Here's what that costs, all in

One room parents watch

$374–$399 to start

then $49/month

  • 1 plug-in camera you buy on Amazon
  • CareCam appliance, arrives pre-configured
  • Unlimited parent accounts, free for parents
  • You set the hours parents can watch

Two rooms parents watch

$399–$449 to start

then $49/month

  • 2 plug-in cameras you buy on Amazon
  • CareCam appliance, arrives pre-configured
  • Unlimited parent accounts, free for parents
  • You set the hours parents can watch

Starting cost is the $349 CareCam appliance (one-time) plus $25–$50 per plug-in camera, bought from Amazon so the hardware stays yours. Your Nest cameras keep working exactly as they do now. Month-to-month after that, cancel anytime.

Get my exact setup & totalSee the shopping list

Get your exact setup and total cost

Tell us your rooms, we'll send the exact setup

Keep your Nest cameras. Tell us how many rooms parents need to see and we'll email the exact cameras to buy and your all-in total. No call, usually within one business day.

Free for parents · No spam · We reply by email

Google Nest daycare camera FAQ

Can daycare parents watch my Nest camera?
No. Nest has no local RTSP/ONVIF stream for a parent-viewing system to pull, and sharing Google Home access would show families your entire home camera setup with no per-family limits.
Does Google Nest support RTSP or ONVIF?
No. Nest cameras are cloud-only. Older discontinued Dropcam/Nest models never offered RTSP either, and Google's current APIs are restricted to select partners rather than open local streaming.
What's the cheapest way to add parent viewing alongside Nest?
One wired RTSP/ONVIF camera per daycare room (roughly $40–90 each from Anpviz or Reolink) plus CareCam's pre-configured appliance. A WiFi TP-Link Tapo (~$25–50) works too if a room can't be wired. Your Nest cameras stay exactly as they are.

Check another camera brand

Setting up from scratch? See the 2-camera home daycare kit or the home daycare camera system guide.