THERE YOU ARE!

Volunteer:  Kid City Check In

Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart. I Peter 1:22

Steps that will help you in your role as a Kid City Check-In Volunteer
The Win
  • Kids and families feel welcomed, safe, cared for, and ready to engage in Kid City

What You Do
  • Show up with energy and be ready to smile and welcome families as you check them in.
  • Go the extra mile as often as possible, so every kid feels like a VIP.
  • Understand and clearly communicate directions around the church, next steps for new families, and the basic structure of Kid City
  • Make sure every family goes through the complete check in process
  • Send kids off with the same energy you welcomed them with

Who You Are
  • You love Jesus
  • You enjoy engaging kids and their families
  • You are thrilled to help others
  • You are detail oriented enough to input data correctly
  • You are not afraid of running a basic computer program
  • You are friendly and able to smile while you work

The Specifics
  • Scheduling is done by Laurie Reeves via email through Planning Center Services
  • If for some reason you cannot make it on your scheduled Sunday, please text Laurie Reeves or Toni Smith ASAP
  • When serving, arrive to Kid City Check In 20 minutes before the service begins
  • Check In for kids opens 15 minutes prior to the start of the service
  • Always wear your lanyard and a smile
  • Wait at least 15 minutes after the service starts to leave the check-in area, so we don't miss anyone arriving late
  • Put in the Kid City numbers in the Kid City Headcount area of Planning Center
  • Print a class roster and deliver to each room for emergency use
  • Once finished, turn off all iPads, printers, and computers, and return all iPads to the chargers
  • Before leaving, place any new guest forms in Tracey's slot in the print room
Why We Need You
  • You set the tone for Kid City (you welcome families, add energy, set expectations, communicate information, answer questions, and ease fears)
  • You equip the Kid City team with necessary best-care info (parent names, cell numbers, allergies, and medical notes)
  • You help make Kid City a safe place (security codes, photos, name tags, parent info, class rosters for emergency use, etc.)
  • You gather and input information necessary for follow -up and continued conversation (email address, cell numbers, first visit info, addresses, etc.)

Before Families Arrive
  • Turn on the iPads, printers, and computer
  • Confirm all of the iPads are charged, and if not, quickly put them on the charger
  • Pull up Planning Center "check-ins" on iPads and computer
  • Confirm iPads are set up to print to the correct printer (printer settings in the check in app)
  • Confirm printers have paper and that you have a back up roll ready if needed
  • Confirm you have plenty of guest forms, pens, and VIP stickers for first-time guests
  • Confirm your backup system is in place in case WiFi crashes (list of kids, tags, pens)
  • Do a visual scan to make sure kiosks are clutter free and clean

How to Check In a RETURNING Family on Planning Center Check In
  • First greet and welcome each family before asking, "Who are we checking in today?"
  • Using the iPad and the check-in app, confirm you have selected the proper service
  • Type in the child's name in order to select the proper household
  • Scan the household to confirm everyone has a photo/correct info
  • If it's been a while, ask if their contact info is still the same
  • Select all kids checking in from the family
  • Select the proper guardian in the "checked in by" selection
  • Once you hit confirm, name tags will print automatically (one for each child, one for any diaper bags, and a security tag for the guardian)
  • When handing families their name tags, do a visual scan to confirm that the security codes and parent cell numbers printed on name tags
  • Be sure to send families off with energy!
Checking in NEW Families on Planning Center Check-Ins
  • Greet and welcome each family before asking, "Who are we checking in today?"
  • Provide one of the parents/guardian a guest form and pen explaining they can fit up to 3 kids per sheet
  • Explain the labels as they fill out the form and why photos are taken of first-time guests, and then walk them through the rooms that their kids will be in based on ages/grades
  • Be courteous and patiently answer any questions with parents and children checking in
  • Be curious -- ask about the family (Do you live around here, how did you hear about us ...)
  • Take a photo of every parent, guardian, and child
  • When guests hand you their completed form, visually check to confirm it is complete and legible--this is our one shot to get this important info
  • Create new profiles in Planning Center and link them into the same household
  • Kids' allergies, birthdays, and grades are very important and should be entered as well as parent names and cell numbers so tags print correctly (you can go back and add all that after the family leaves)
  • Once the info is in Planning Center, you can check them in like returning families
  • Add the green VIP sticker to guest name tags
  • Once checked in, hand them over to a hospitality volunteer who will escort them to their rooms
  • If a hospitality volunteer isn't available, escort the family to the proper classroom area and explain the drop-off and pick-up routine ("Your toddler will be in here the whole time [they even have a toddler toilet]. They'll do music, teaching, and crafts all right here until you pick them up with your pick-up code at the end of the service.")
  • Introduce them to the teacher if possible ("This is Miss Hannah; she's awesome, and your little one is in great hands.")
  • If a kid cries, assure parents ("Don't worry, our toddler team is used to a few tears, and that's why we got your cell number. It's printed right on their name tag, so the team can text you if for some reason s/he doesn't stop. That's pretty rare, though. Normally, it just takes a few minutes for the little ones to adjust.)
  • Lead parents to the cafe or worship center, encourage them to relax and enjoy the service, and assure them that their kid(s) are in great hands.)
  • Send them off with energy ("It was so nice to meet you--hope to see you again next week!")
  • Finish adding any information into Planning Center that you may have missed
  • Add any helpful notes you can remember to the guest form (like friend of, came to event, etc.)


You are bound to have questions, so don't worry that this seems like a lot. Once you start using the information, it all clicks together, and you'll have no problems.

Reach out to Rebekah Hoerger or Toni Smith if you have any questions.
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