Add a family manually
Create a family record directly, with parents and children in one step. For walk-ins, transfers, or anyone who didn't come through the lead pipeline.
Most new families come through leads or enrollment packets. Sometimes you just need to add one manually: a transfer from another daycare, a walk-in, or someone who signed up offline.
Add the family
- Go to Families & Children → Families.
- Click Add Family in the top right.
- Fill in the New family form.
The form creates the whole household in one step:
- Family is the household name (like "Martins"). If you leave a parent's or child's last name blank, this is used as their surname.
- Parents & Guardians takes the primary parent's name, email, phone, and relationship to the child. Click Add another parent for a second parent or guardian.
- Send invitation emails now is off by default. Leave it off and nothing is emailed; you can invite parents later from the family card when you're ready. Turn it on and each parent with an email gets an app invitation immediately.
- Children takes each child's name and date of birth. You can place a child in a room right away or pick No room (enroll later), and optionally attach a tuition plan.
Click Add family to save. The new family appears in the Families list with a card showing its members and children.
After the family exists
Everything else about a household happens on its family card in the Families list:
- Add more members or children with the add buttons under each section of the card.
- Invite a parent to the app from their row on the card. Parents can't create their own accounts; the invitation is how they get access.
- Enroll a child in a room if you chose "enroll later". See Add a child to a family.
- Attach billing so invoices can be generated. See Create a billing plan.
Troubleshooting
Created a family I didn't mean to. Use the archive control on the family card. You'll be asked to confirm, and archiving removes the family from active lists without destroying the record.
"Family name is required." The household name is the one field you can't skip. A last name alone is fine.
Two siblings from the same household showed up as separate families. There is no merge button. Archive the newer or smaller record and add its children to the family you're keeping.