Enroll a child
Creating the family record, the details that matter for safety, and what enrollment status actually controls.
Family first, then child
Children belong to a family record, and tuition and billing attach to the family rather than to each child. That's what makes siblings straightforward — one balance, one card, one conversation.
If a sibling starts later, add them to the existing family rather than creating a second one. Two family records for one household is tedious to unpick once billing has run against both.
Guardians
Add each parent or guardian with their own email address. Each gets their own sign-in and sees the same child — which matters for separated parents who both need access without sharing a password.
Emergency contacts
Add emergency contacts with a relationship and a phone number. These are the numbers a teacher reaches for on the worst day, so a stale contact is worse than none — review them at least annually.
Emergency contact and authorized pickup are different lists. Someone you'd phone in an emergency is not automatically someone who may collect the child. See Attendance and check-in.
Allergies and medical notes
Record allergies and medical notes on the child's record, where teachers see them rather than having to remember. Be specific and be blunt: "Severe peanut allergy — EpiPen in room cupboard" is a useful note, "nut allergy" leaves a supply teacher guessing.
If there's a court order affecting who may collect or receive information about a child, get the document on file and make sure the authorized pickup list reflects it. An app note is not a substitute for the paperwork.
Enrollment status
Status controls whether a child appears on rosters and counts toward ratios and billing. A withdrawn child stops appearing in the room and stops being billed; their history stays.
Update status on the day it changes. A child still enrolled a month after leaving skews attendance reporting and, if you bill through RoundUp, keeps generating charges.
Waitlist and offers
Families who want a space but aren't enrolled yet are tracked as leads in the enrollment pipeline. Add them to the waitlist, move them to Offered when a space opens, and approve them onto your roster once they accept. Who has an offer outstanding sits on one board, which beats a spreadsheet and a memory of who you promised what in September.
RoundUp only emails a family about an offer when their lead has an email address on file, and families don't accept in the app — you record their answer. Once they say yes, Send application emails them a form for their child's details, so you aren't taking a date of birth and emergency contacts down over the phone. See Enrollment pipeline and waitlist.
More: All director guides