Rolling out KidCheck children’s check-in software is a straightforward process, and with a little planning you can ensure roll out goes smoothly. After you sign-up for KidCheck’s children’s check-in system, here are some suggested roll out steps and timeline, the Quick Start Guide, and the 10 most common mistakes to avoid during roll out.

Create a Plan

Set Up Your KidCheck Stations

10 Common Mistakes to Avoid

Create a Plan

Whether you're providing care for 30 or 3,000 a successful roll out of any new system starts with a plan. We've designed KidCheck to be as simple as possible for you to get started. We recommend you sit down and plan out a few simple elements in the roll out plan below.

3-4 Weeks out

Select a start date and create a communication plan

Select a date that gives you time to adequately communicate with your parents and staff. We recommend picking a start date that is 4 weeks out. A roll out can be done in a shorter timeframe, but rushing the start date for a new children's check-in can lead to frustration for your parents if it’s not handled well. Make sure you consider the following when picking your start date.

  • Size of your parent base
  • Type of communication typically used with your parents (phone, email, conventional mail, handouts)
  • Historical response time from your parent base. (In the past, have they been quick or slow to respond to communication?)
  • Frequency of contact (do you see them every day or once a week?)

We recommend picking a start date in the middle of the week so that you have a couple days to work with it and then the weekend to make any adjustments if necessary.

Order Check-In Hardware

  • Label printers
  • Labels
  • Scanners
  • Check-in Stations
  • Check-in Computers

We have everything you'll need available in the KidCheck Store.

Set up Internet connection

Order broadband Internet service if you don't already have it (Minimum 1.5mb connection speed recommended). Here's a helpful article on Wired vs Wireless for Children's Check-In

2-3 Weeks out

  • Communicate with your staff and get them comfortable using KidCheck children's check-in solution.
  • Have each of your staff create login accounts and provide time for them to explore the product. Utilize the Volunteer/Employee Guide (found on the Roll Out Documents page).
  • Schedule time for each of your staff to go through the online training information.
  • Send reminder notifications to parents with KidCheck announcement and notification feature.
  • Give every household an account setup instructions sheet or parent letter and show them the brief Parent Intro Video (found on the Roll Out Documents page)
  • Remind them every time they come in to go online and create a login.
  • Select a small group of parents for the test run week.

Set Up Your KidCheck Stations

Your KidCheck subscription always includes free training and support. For new customers, we recommend setting up a time with a trainer to help you get your stations and settings established. To set up a time, contact us.

Our Quick Start Guide can also help answer questions about getting started with setting up your KidCheck secure children's check-in system:

Quick Start Guide

Have your check-in stations up and running two to three weeks prior to your launch date. Instruct your staff or volunteers to ask parents if they've set up accounts. If they have not set up an account, ask them to create one right there at the check in station. KidCheck's iPad/Tablet Check-In Utilities can help. Make sure to capture their email address and KidCheck will send them an email with a link to go back into their account from home to upload pictures and allergy information.

10 Common Mistakes to Avoid

Mistake #1: Creating accounts for your parents ahead of time

You might think you're helping your parents (and yourself), but you'll end up creating more unnecessary work for yourself and potentially creating some very angry parents. Top 3 reasons why not to create accounts for parents:

  • Some parents will not be motivated to create a login account if you create an account for them. Without a login account, administrators are the only people who can update and make changes to people's accounts (which creates more work for you in the long run).
  • Parents can become (very) frustrated or confused when they get a "Welcome" email (which they will get from us when you create their account) to something they didn't know about and didn't sign up for. When you create accounts for parents, they miss the opportunity to go to our website and learn about what KidCheck is and how it works.
  • Increased liability. We NEVER advise that organizations enter in guardian, medical, or other sensitive information on behalf of a parent without written consent.

Mistake #2: Assigning keytags to parents ahead of time

Keytags are very quick and easy to assign during check-in. Assigning them ahead to time takes more time, and increases the risk of someone taking the wrong tag.

Mistake #3: Not having enough check-in stations

This is especially critical for churches, who have a lot of parents checking-in at the same time. We recommend having one station per 50 children (during your busiest time).

Mistake #4: Not keeping the same printer with the same check-in station

Even if you are using the same model of printer, different printers will cause your computer to create multiple print queues (which result in labels not actually being printed). If you have multiple stations, label your printers and keep the same printer with the same station every time.

Mistake #5: Rolling out too quickly

Don't rush it! Make sure your parents and volunteers/employees have time to understand KidCheck. At a minimum, small organizations should allow two full weeks for parents to create accounts. Large organizations should allow at least 3-4 weeks.

Mistake #6: Not testing your check-in station

Make sure you and your workers are comfortable starting up the check-in station(s). Test each of your stations on the internet connection you will be using for check-in. Make sure your network's speed and latency can handle check-in reliably.

Mistake #7: Creating joint parent accounts

Rather than creating one account for "Steve & Sally Smith", instruct parents to create one account for each guardian. Only one of the guardians should list the family's children, and then add the other spouse as an authorized guardian. This allows for greater account control, and for each guardian to have their own keytag.

Mistake #8: Running a check-in station in "Staff-Attended" mode (if it isn't actually staff attended)

"Staff-Attended" mode stations show additional guardian information, and allow for changes to be made to guardian accounts on the check-in screen. For security reasons, this should only be enabled if the station is in fact attended to by an authorized staff member.

Mistake #9: NOT calling us if you have issues

We are here to help! Our support staff is friendly, US-based, and available on Monday through Friday from 8 am to 5 pm, and on Sunday's from 6 am to noon (MST). Most issues can be resolved very quickly right over the phone. Call us at (208) 538-2000.

Mistake #10: Not creating or following an internal security policy

KidCheck is a great security product, but is still just a tool. Make sure you have a comprehensive security processes in place in place, and that your volunteers & employees are trained on it!