Daycare Sign In and Out Sheet

What this sheet is for

Record who actually took each child home, which is the question a time column on its own never answers.

Who it is for

Nurseries, preschools, childminders, after-school clubs and holiday schemes.

How to use it

1. One sheet per room per day.
2. The adult signs for themselves, at the door, at the time.
3. Tick the authorised column against your own collection list.
4. Note at the foot anyone collected by somebody unexpected, and who approved it.
5. File the sheet; do not reuse it.

What is on the sheet

The layout is fixed at a size that fits both A4 and US Letter, so the A4 and Letter files are visually identical and print at full size on either. Rows are set at a height that an adult can actually write a date and a few words into with a pen — most printable tables are built in a word processor and never tested with one.

Questions

Is it safe to keep this on paper?

It records information about children and about the adults collecting them, which is about as sensitive as records get. Keep it where only staff can read it, do not leave it on a counter facing the door, and destroy it once you no longer have a reason to hold it. Data protection law applies to a sheet of paper exactly as it does to a database, and settings are usually subject to record-keeping rules on top of that.

What if somebody not on the list arrives?

That is a matter for your own collection policy and, in most places, for regulation as well — this sheet does not set one. What it does is give you a line to record the decision and who made it, which is what you will be asked for afterwards.