Step-by-Step Check-In System Manual

1. Find a parent by key tag, name, or phone

1. Look at the top of the main screen for the box labeled SCAN KEY TAG, NAME OR PHONE.
2. Ask the parent for their key tag and scan it. If the scanner does not work, click the box, type the key tag number, and press Enter.
3. If there is no key tag, type the parent’s name or phone number and press Enter. If several matches appear, compare the name and last four digits shown, then click the correct person. Searching by itself does not create a parent record.
4. Wait for the parent information screen to open. Do not scan a second time while it says it is loading.
5. Read the parent’s name on the left. Make sure it is the correct family before doing anything else.
6. The parent’s contact information is on the left. Their linked children are on the right.

If no parent opensRead the message under the scan box. Check the key tag number and try once more. If the member is not found or is not eligible to be added, ask a manager. Do not make a duplicate record to get around the message.

2. Check a child in

First visit photo checkBefore check-in, look for a clear photo of this child, not the generic placeholder. If it is missing, click the small pencil on the child tile, open Edit child profile, use Take photo, and Save changes before continuing when possible. Tell a manager if you cannot get the photo so it can be completed promptly.

1. First, find the parent using the key tag steps above.
2. On the right side of the parent screen, find the child who is physically arriving. Read the child’s name.
3. Look at the tile color. Gray means the child is not checked in. If the tile is already green, yellow, or red, do not check the child in again.
4. Click the child’s photo/name tile. Do not click the small pencil; that opens the profile instead.
5. Read the confirmation window. Make sure it says Check in and shows the correct child’s name.
6. Read any Food / medical allergy alert and Important care notes. If an allergy is shown, check the box saying I reviewed the allergy alert. Care notes alone do not require a checkbox.
7. Click Check in once. Wait for the window to close and the tile/list to update.
8. Verify the child now appears on the main CHECKED IN screen, or that their tile on the parent screen is green. If you cannot verify it, do not assume the check-in worked.

Leaving the parent screenClick the × near the upper-right corner of the parent information panel. Closing that panel does not check a child out.

3. When check-in is blocked

The system may refuse a check-in even when the child has a tile. Read the exact message on the screen.

• Parent access on hold or not eligible: parent has either an expired or cancelled membership, or was intentionally restricted from utilizing the daycare. The check-in window shows the reason in a red notice. There is no Check in button. Close the window and ask a manager to review the parent’s status.
• Care suspended for this child: child has been suspended and is not allowed to be in the daycare. The window shows the reason and, when applicable, the suspension end date. Do not check the child in. Ask a manager if the record needs review.
• Too many children already checked in: parent has reached their Max Concurrent Children limit, meaning they can not have any more of their children checked in at this time. The system shows a maximum check-in message. A child must actually leave and be checked out correctly before there is space for another. Do not check out a child who is still in the room.
• Membership or key tag problem: read the scan-screen message and ask a manager. Staff should not use another key tag to bypass a rejection.

Stop ruleIf the system says the child cannot be checked in, do not treat the child as checked in until a manager resolves the issue and the screen confirms a successful check-in.

4. Read the child tiles

Children under one year old when checked in have a one-hour visit limit. All other children have a two-hour limit. The check-in box reminds you when the one-hour limit applies.

A yellow triangle on a tile means an allergy is on file. A red note icon means important care notes are on file. Hover over an icon to read its text, or open the child profile. The tile colors refresh about every 10 seconds.

5. Check a child out to a parent or authorized pickup

1. On the main CHECKED IN screen, find the child who is leaving. You can also use the child’s tile on the parent information screen.
2. Click the child’s tile once. The window should say Confirm check-out and show the child’s name and picture.
3. Ask who is picking up the child. Under Who is picking up?, click the matching parent/guardian or authorized pickup card.
4. Verify the person. Check their photo ID or personally recognize them. Match the person to the selected card. A saved photo helps, but a photo is not required.
5. If the person does not match a parent or authorized pickup card, stop. Do not pick a different card just to enable checkout. See the emergency-release steps below.
6. Click the Your name or initials box and enter your own name or initials. By doing this, you are stating that you checked photo ID or personally knew the person and matched them to the selected profile.
7. Only when the child is ready to leave with the verified person, click Check out once.
8. Wait for the window to close. Confirm the child is no longer in the main CHECKED IN list.

Identity ruleNever release a child based only on a name someone says. If you cannot verify identity and permission, do not click Check out. Get a manager.

After checkout, the system may offer to add a photo for an authorized pickup who has no photo on file. Choose Take photo now or Not now. The photo is optional and does not replace identity verification.

6. Emergency or unlisted pickup

An emergency contact on the parent profile is not automatically an authorized pickup. Use this procedure only when the person collecting the child is not on the pickup list.

1. Do not release the child yet. Keep the child in care while permission is checked.
2. Call the parent/guardian using a phone number already stored in the parent profile. Do not rely only on a number given by the person at the desk.
3. Ask the parent/guardian to confirm the exact person who may pick up the child. Obtain manager approval for this one-time exception.
4. Open the child’s check-out window. Click Someone else? Use emergency release.
5. Enter the recipient’s Name. Enter their Relationship if known.
6. In Reason for emergency release, write why this exception is needed.
7. In Guardian callback confirmation, record who confirmed permission, the number on file that was called, and the time.
8. In Manager approval, enter the approving manager’s name.
9. Verify the person’s identity. Enter your own name or initials in Your name or initials.
10. Review every field. Click Check out only after the manager’s approval and identity verification are complete.

If approval is missingDo not release the child. The emergency release is for one checkout; it does not add the person to the authorized-pickup list for future visits.

7. Edit a child’s information

When you have the parent’s key tag

1. Scan the parent’s key tag and find the correct child on the right side of the parent information screen.
2. Click the small pencil at the top-left of that child’s tile. The child profile replaces the child list on the right. Parent contact details stay visible on the left.
3. Read the child’s name at the top of the profile to confirm you opened the right record.
4. Click Edit child profile. The edit window opens.
5. Click the field you need to change. Put allergy information in Allergies; put important care information in Notes. Confirm new medical information with the parent or guardian before saving it.
6. Click Save changes. Wait for the edit window to close.
7. Read the updated information on the child profile. If it did not change, stop and ask a manager rather than assuming it saved.
8. Click ← Back to children to return to the family’s child tiles.

When the child is already on the main Checked In screen

1. Click the child’s tile on the main CHECKED IN screen. A check-out window opens; do not click Check out.
2. Click View child profile near the child’s name in that window.
3. The parent profile appears on the left and the child profile on the right. Follow steps 3–7 above to edit and verify the record.

Care notes versus suspensionUse Notes when staff need to know something while caring for a child. Use Suspend care only when future check-ins must be blocked.

8. Add a child to a parent

1. Scan the parent’s key tag and read the parent’s name. Make sure this is the correct parent before adding a child.
2. On the right side, click + Add child.
3. Type the child’s First name and Last name.
4. Enter the child’s Birthdate and select a Gender option. These fields are required by the form.
5. Enter any confirmed Allergies and Notes.
6. Take the child’s photo now: click Take photo, capture a clear view of the child’s face, and click Use this photo. If the camera is unavailable, use Choose file. If neither works, tell a manager and arrange to complete the photo promptly.
7. Click Save child. Wait for the form to close.
8. Confirm the new child tile appears under the correct parent and shows the right photo if one was taken. The tile should be gray until the child is actually checked in.

Do not create duplicatesIf the child is already listed, edit the existing profile instead of adding them again.

9. Suspend or reinstate care for a child

To suspend care

1. Make sure the child is checked out. If they are still checked in, complete the verified checkout first. The system will not let you change a child’s care suspension while they are checked in.
2. Scan the parent’s key tag. Find the child and click the small pencil on their tile.
3. Read the child’s name on the profile. Click Suspend care.
4. In the Reason box, type a clear explanation. A reason is required.
5. To set a temporary suspension, choose an End date. Care remains suspended through the end of that date. To keep it suspended until someone manually changes it, leave End date blank.
6. Click Suspend care to save. Check the child profile again; its Care status should show the suspension.
7. While the suspension is active, staff cannot check this child in.

To reinstate care

1. Scan the parent’s key tag and open the child profile with the small pencil.
2. Make sure the child is checked out. Click Reinstate care.
3. Read the confirmation window and click Reinstate care again.
4. Check that the profile now says Care status: Active. A parent hold, parent not-eligible status, or full check-in capacity can still prevent check-in.

Not sure whether to suspend?Ask a manager before changing the restriction. A care note does not block check-in; a suspension does.

10. Update parent contacts or authorized pickups

Parent contact details

1. Scan the parent’s key tag and confirm their name.
2. On the left side, click Edit contact details.
3. Change the phone, email, or emergency contact fields that need updating.
4. Click Save contact details. Verify the new information appears on the parent panel.

Check the parent photoIf the parent profile has no real photo, use Change picture while the parent is there. This is important even though the child photo is the highest priority.

Add an authorized pickup

1. Confirm that the parent or guardian has approved this person to collect the child. An emergency contact is not automatically an authorized pickup.
2. On the parent information screen, click + Add authorized pickup.
3. Type the person’s first and last name. Add their relationship and contact information when available. A picture is optional and can be added later.
4. Click Save authorized pickup. Confirm the name now appears under Authorized pickups on the parent side.

To update an existing pickup person, click Edit or Add photo / edit next to their name, make the correction, and save it. The parent/guardian is already a pickup choice during checkout.

11. Add or change photos

Child photo — highest priority

1. Scan the parent’s key tag. On the right, find the child and click the small pencil on their tile.
2. Check the child’s name. Click Edit child profile, then Take photo.
3. Frame the child’s face and click Capture photo. If the image is unclear, click Retake. When it is clear, click Use this photo.
4. Click Save changes. Check the child’s profile or tile to make sure the new photo appears. A photo selected in the camera is not saved until you save the child form.

Parent photo — important

1. On the parent information screen, confirm the parent’s name on the left. Click Change picture below their image.
2. Frame the parent’s face, click Capture photo, then Use this photo. Retake an unclear image.
3. Check that the new photo appears on the parent panel. The parent photo saves when you click Use this photo.

If the camera cannot open, use Choose file instead in the camera window. Tell a manager if you cannot complete a child or parent photo so staff can follow up. A generic placeholder is not a completed photo.

Authorized-pickup photo

When adding a new authorized pickup on the check-in screen, take or choose their photo before saving. If they are not present, ask a manager to add them through the admin portal, where a photo is optional; collect one when practical. Editing an existing pickup does not require a new photo. Do not delay a verified pickup solely because an existing record lacks a photo, and never use a photo alone as proof of permission.

12. If something goes wrong

• Wrong parent or child opened: close the pop-up or parent panel. Start again with the correct key tag. Do not save changes to the wrong record.
• The button is gray or unavailable: read the message and check which required step is missing. For check-in, an allergy may need acknowledgement. For checkout, a recipient and your name/initials are required.
• An error message appears after saving or checking in/out: do not assume the action completed. Reopen the parent or review the main Checked In list to see the current status. Ask a manager if it is unclear.
• The screen seems stuck: wait briefly. If no form is being filled out, refresh the page and verify the current attendance state before clicking again. Unsaved text may be lost on refresh.
• Pickup identity or permission is uncertain: keep the child in care and get a manager. Do not click Check out to clear the screen.

Final safety checkBefore a child leaves, verify the child, the person receiving them, and the recorded checkout. The computer record does not replace your judgment at the desk.