Before you start

• •Sign-in/sign-out sheet (paper or app)
• •Daily health screening checklist
• •Authorized pickup list per child
• •Allergy and medication list per child

The procedure

Step-by-step, in order. Each step has the action and the reason it matters.

1. 1

   Greet parent and child at the door

   Lead teacher or assistant at the door. Greet the parent by name, the child by name. Crouch to the child's eye level.

2. 2

   Verify the parent or authorized adult

   If you don't recognize the adult dropping off, ask for ID and check against the authorized pickup list. Never let an unknown adult drop off without verification.

   Why: Custody disputes and unauthorized pickups are real liability events. Verification is non-negotiable.

3. 3

   Conduct a brief health screen

   Look at the child: any visible illness signs (fever flush, runny nose, rash, lethargy)? Ask the parent: 'Anything I should know about how they're feeling today?' Document on the daily log.

4. 4

   Sign the child in with the exact arrival time

   Time-stamped sign-in. Parent's signature or initial. This is your liability log for the day.

5. 5

   Note any medications, allergies, special instructions

   If the child needs medication during the day, the parent fills out the medication form. Allergies and special instructions go on the daily log.

6. 6

   Confirm pickup time and authorized pickup person

   'Sarah, you're picking up at 4:30 today, right? Anything different?' If a different person is picking up, that person must be on the authorized list AND have ID at pickup.

7. 7

   Walk the child to their classroom

   Don't just point them in. Walk them to the classroom door, hand them off to the assigned teacher, who acknowledges. The parent sees the handoff happen.

8. 8

   Update the room headcount immediately

   Lead teacher updates the room headcount on the wall chart or tablet. Ratios must be checked every time a child enters or leaves.

Verify when done

• ☐Sign-in time logged for every child
• ☐Health screen documented for every child
• ☐Authorized pickup verified
• ☐Room headcount updated after each entry

Common mistakes

• ✕Skipping the visual health screen because the parent says 'they're fine'
• ✕Letting an unfamiliar adult drop off without ID check
• ✕Forgetting to update the room headcount
• ✕Sign-in time written as 'morning' instead of an actual timestamp

Trainer notes

The headcount update is the single most-violated childcare licensing requirement. Drill it. Make it habitual: door, sign-in, headcount, every single time.

Common questions