---
title: "Add a pickup contact"
description: "Add a grandparent, babysitter, or other helper as a family member. They get their own pickup code, and it works at the kiosk right away."
type: guide
updated: 2026-09-15
canonical_url: https://help.nestlicare.com/parents/account/add-a-pickup-contact
roles: ["parent"]
platforms: [ios, android, web]
---
When someone else helps with drop-offs and pickups, add them as a **limited-access family member**. They get their own personal 4-digit **pickup code**, and it works at the kiosk immediately. There is nothing to authorize and nothing to approve: adding them is the whole setup.

<Callout kind="info" title="Picking up your own child? You're already set.">
Your own pickup code always works. Find it on the **Your Pickup Code** banner at the top of your **Dashboard** tab.
</Callout>

## Add a family member

You do this once per person. They get a limited-access account: they can see the activity feed and message teachers, but can't see billing or manage your account.

1. Open the app → **Me** tab.
2. Scroll to the **Family** section → tap **Add Family Member**.

<ScreenshotWithPointers
  src="/screenshots/parents/account/invite-family-member.png"
  alt="Add Family Member form in the parent app"
  pointers={[
    { x: 1, y: 15.4, caption: "'Limited access only' banner — everything this person can and can't see, summarized" },
    { x: 1, y: 28, caption: "'For pickups' banner — they get their own pickup code, and it works right away" },
    { x: 1, y: 46.2, caption: "First Name + Last Name fields" },
    { x: 1, y: 55, caption: "Email — they receive an invite link here" },
    { x: 1, y: 63.8, caption: "Relationship (optional) — Mother, Father, Guardian, Grandparent, Aunt, Uncle, Other" },
    { x: 1, y: 74.6, caption: "Add & Invite — enabled once name + email are filled" },
  ]}
/>

Tap **Add & Invite**. A confirmation screen appears:

<ScreenshotWithPointers
  src="/screenshots/parents/account/invite-family-member-success.png"
  alt="Invitation Sent confirmation screen"
  pointers={[
    { x: 36.8, y: 35.8, caption: "Green checkmark — the invite is out the door" },
    { x: 8.2, y: 46.3, caption: "'Invitation Sent!' with the person's name — they'll receive an email to set up their account" },
    { x: 1, y: 55.8, caption: "A reminder of what they'll be able to do once they join — activity feed + message teachers" },
    { x: 35.6, y: 85.7, caption: "Done — closes the sheet" },
  ]}
/>

Your daycare is notified that you added a pickup contact, and the person appears on your family's card in their dashboard. That's how the front desk knows who to expect.

## Their code works right away

- **If they have the app:** their code is under the **CODE** button on their Home tab. Send them [Use your pickup code](/parents/account/use-your-pickup-code).
- **If they don't have the app:** they never need it. Read their code to them from **Me tab → Family Pickup Codes**. See [Share a pickup code with a family member](/parents/account/share-a-pickup-code-with-family).

At the daycare, they type their code at the kiosk (or tell it to the teacher at the door), the kiosk shows your children, and they check in or out. Same flow in the morning and the afternoon.

## What "limited access" means

Access level controls what someone sees **in the app**, not whether they can pick up. Limited-access members can view the activity feed and message teachers. They can't see billing or invoices, manage payments, or add more people. Every family member's pickup code works at the kiosk regardless of access level.

## Remove a family member

1. **Me** → **Family** → tap the family member.
2. Tap **Remove from family**.
3. Confirm.

Their app access is revoked immediately, and their pickup code stops working at the kiosk.

## Troubleshooting

**Their code didn't work at the kiosk.** Almost always a mistype — codes don't rotate, so the code you gave them should still work. If it keeps failing, it was probably reset since they learned it: check the current one under **Me → Family Pickup Codes**.

**"You don't have permission to invite family members."** You're a limited-access family member yourself. Only a full-access family member can add people. Ask them to do it.

**A code got into the wrong hands.** Reset it from **Me → Family Pickup Codes** (tap **⋯** → **Reset code**). The old code stops working at the kiosk immediately. Then send them the new one.

**Lost phone — worried about the pickup codes.** In the app on another device, you can reset your own code (Dashboard banner → **Get a new code**) and any family member's code (Family Pickup Codes). The daycare can also force-reset any code.