Kids Check-In Changes

Starting 16 August

Throughout August we'll be introducing new Kids Ministry check-in processes as we transition to Planning Center Check-Ins. 

These changes are all about one thing: strengthening child safety. 

Planning Center Check-Ins gives us a much more secure and reliable way to: 

  • know exactly which children are in our care at any time; 

  • maintain safe volunteer-to-child ratios; 

  • ensure every child is checked in and released to the correct authorised adult. 

While many of the changes are simple, together they represent a new way of welcoming, receiving and dismissing children each Sunday. 

We know this is a significant change for families, volunteers and children, so thank you in advance for your patience as we learn these new processes together.

What will change?

Before the service

When you arrive at church: 

  • Existing families can check their children in with our Family Check-in Team.

    • We can find you in our system using your surname, phone number or your family's mobile pass (for example, stored in your Apple Wallet). See more in ‘how to speed up the process’ in the FAQs below.

  • Walkie-Talkie children will receive a sticker label to wear, and you will be given a matching security sticker to show at collection.

  • Primary-aged children will receive a wristband to indicate they’ve been checked in. 

Drop-off during the service

When it's time for Kids to begin:

  • You will be asked to queue at the entrance to The Square — there will be a separate queue for each age group.

  • As you enter, we'll confirm your child has arrived at drop off and is now in our care. 

The door to Kids is locked during the service for child protection. You may ring the doorbell or wave at the window if you need access at any time.

Child collection

At the end of the service:

  • Adults will be asked to queue at the entrance to The Square. 

  • For Walkie-Talkies, please supply your security label. 

  • For primary-aged children, please supply your name. 

  • A volunteer will confirm you are authorised to collect the child before checking them out of the system.

  • Once checked out, you'll be able to collect your child from their room.

  • The fastest way to check in or out is via a household barcode. You can download this to your device/s in two ways: 

    • Request a barcode using our form or ask the team to generate one for you when you next check-in – it will be emailed to the address we have for you in our database. 

    • Download the ‘Church Center’ app, and log in using an email address we have for your household. You will also be able to pre-check-in ahead of time, view your active check-ins, and access your security codes without needing to print a label.

  • Your warmth and patience as we manage this transition is so appreciated. Here are some things that would really help our team:

    1. Downloading your family barcode (see ‘How to speed up the check-in process’) will help to prevent bottlenecks on arrival.

    2. Arriving a little early for church, particularly while we roll out these changes, will give everyone some extra breathing room.

    3. Telling your children about the changes relevant to them, and what to expect — such as helping them to form an orderly queue during drop off in the service.

    4. We’re grateful for parents who help in Kids — volunteering your time for one Sunday service once per month is so helpful for the health of our team. Apply here

  • If you wish to authorise trusted adults outside of your household (e.g. friends, extended family) to collect your child, please let our team know at check-in.

  • We’re committed to maintaining appropriate ratios of adults to children in our care:

    • 1:6 for preschool-aged children

    • 1:10 for primary-aged children

    • a minimum of two volunteers in each room

    If we have more children than volunteers available, we may be unable to check-in your child.

    We’re grateful for parents who help in Kids — volunteering your time for one Sunday service once per month is so helpful for the health of our team. Apply here

  • These new processes help us to: 

    • know exactly which children are in our care throughout the service; 

    • ensure every child is safely accounted for; 

    • provide a more secure collection process by releasing children only to authorised adults; 

    • strengthen our child safety practices as our church continues to grow. 

    In addition to the child safety benefits, we also see this as a simplified and streamlined experience for parents and carers who are checking-in children.

  • Planning Center is our new church management system to help us manage our people database, organise events, schedule volunteers, process online donations, and handle secure child check-ins.

  • Planning Center Check-Ins is a secure system connected to our church database. It allows us to safely check children into their programs, keep accurate attendance records, and manage child collection at the end of the service.

Frequently asked questions