Security Codes, Labels, and Child Safety

Child safety is the foundation of the TimelyChurch Check-In system. This article explains how security codes work, how labels are printed, and how allergy and medical information is surfaced throughout the check-in process.

Security Codes

How They Work

Every time a person is checked in, the system generates a 6-character security code (for example, AB2CDE or 7KN3PR). The code uses uppercase letters and digits, leaving out characters that are easily confused (O and 0, I and 1).

The security code serves as a matching token:

• It appears on the child's name tag label.
• It appears on the parent's security receipt label.
• It is displayed on the Check-In Station roster next to the checked-in person.
• It is required to check out the child.

Note: Security codes are generated for kiosk (self-service) check-ins. People added directly through a class or event session don't have a pickup ceremony, so they may not carry a code.

Verifying a Code

At pickup time:

1. The parent presents their security receipt.
2. A volunteer enters the 6-character code in the Verify & Check Out panel and clicks Verify Code.
3. The system looks up the active check-in matching that code.
4. If found, the person's name, check-in time, and any allergy alerts are displayed.
5. For a child: a "Who is picking up?" list of the family's authorized pickup adults appears. The admin selects who is collecting the child. The Confirm Check Out button stays disabled until a pickup person is chosen.
6. The admin clicks Confirm Check Out to complete the checkout.

If the code does not match any active check-in, the system returns "No active check-in found with this code."

Admin override: If none of the listed pickups apply (or the family has no authorized pickups on file), an administrator can tick Override pickup authorization (admin only) to release the child without selecting a name. This option only appears for admin users.

Family Check-Ins

When a family of visitors is checked in through the visitor registration flow (the Add Visitor button on the kiosk), security codes are assigned with child safety in mind:

• Adults in the same visitor group share a single family code, so they can check themselves out conveniently with one receipt. This is the Family Security Code the kiosk shows after a visitor check-in.
• Each child receives their own unique security code, printed on that child's labels.

Giving every child a separate code is deliberate: it guarantees that each minor's release is a separate, code-verified action. For example, if one child is being picked up by grandma and another by dad, each child's pickup is independently verified rather than a single leaked code releasing all the children at once.

For existing families using the standard phone lookup, each person also receives their own individual code (one code per check-in record).

Label Printing

Printing a Single Label

1. In the list of checked-in people on the Check-In Station, click the printer icon next to a person's name.
2. A print page opens in a new tab showing the child tag and (optionally) the parent security tag.
3. Click Print Labels (on a computer) or Print on iPad / Tablet (on a tablet -- see Printing Check-In Labels on an iPad or Tablet).

Printing All Labels at Once

1. On the Check-In Station, click Print All above the list of checked-in people.
2. A print preview opens with labels for everyone currently checked in.
3. Print them all in one batch.

Printing After Family Check-In

After a family check-in completes, the confirmation shows all security codes. Click Print Labels to open a print preview for all the people who were just checked in. This print preview opens the browser's print dialog automatically so labels can be sent to the printer right away.

What Appears on Labels

Child Name Tag (Default Template)

• Church logo (top-left)
• Child's first name (large, centered, bold)
• Class/group name (e.g., "Kindergarten")
• Room name (if the class has an assigned room)
• Security code (bottom-right, in a bordered box)

Parent Security Tag (Default Template)

• "SECURITY TAG" header with a shield icon (red text for visibility)
• Child's first name
• Security code (large, prominent, with a red border)
• Class name
• Check-in date
• Church name

Medical Alert Template

For children with allergies or medical conditions, a dedicated Medical Alert template is available in the Label Designer:

• A prominent "MEDICAL ALERT" header in red
• Full name
• Class name
• Allergies displayed in a highlighted red box
• Special notes
• Security code

Allergy and Medical Information

Where Allergy Data Comes From

Allergy and medical information comes from custom fields on the person's profile -- the fields your church started with in the Medical category:

• Allergies (e.g., "Peanuts, Tree Nuts"). If you add a custom field named Dietary Restrictions, its value is combined into the allergies too.
• Medical Conditions (e.g., "Has asthma -- inhaler in bag"), shown as the medical notes.

You can rename these fields and check-in keeps using them. If one has been deleted, create a new custom field with exactly the original name to bring it back -- see Custom Fields.

Where Allergy Info Appears

1. When a person is selected for check-in -- After a phone or name lookup, allergy and medical badges appear as soon as the volunteer (or family) selects that person. They are not shown in the lookup results themselves, so a lookup never lists every family member's medical details at once.
2. On the checked-in roster -- Both list view and room view display allergy information in red text.
3. On printed labels -- If "Show allergies on labels" is enabled in settings, allergy information is printed on the name tag.
4. During code verification at checkout -- Allergies appear when the security code is looked up.
5. On the kiosk family selection screen -- Once a family member is tapped, their allergies are highlighted in red below their name.

Keeping Allergy Data Current

Allergy information is stored on the Person record and copied to the check-in record at the moment of check-in. To update a person's allergy information:

1. Go to People and open the person's profile.
2. Click Edit Profile and open Additional Information (Custom Fields).
3. Update Allergies and Medical Conditions, then click Save Changes.
4. The updated information will be used on the next check-in.

For a child, these fields can be saved only once a parent or guardian has given consent in the family portal -- see Person Profile Overview.

Important: Changes to allergy information do not retroactively update check-in records from previous sessions. The information is captured at the time of check-in.

Authorized Pickups and Emergency Contacts

Family records in TimelyChurch can designate which adults are authorized to pick up children and who should be contacted in an emergency.

At Check-In

When children are checked in, the confirmation includes, for their families:

• Authorized pickups -- Adults in the family with Authorized Pickup turned on. Their names, phone numbers, and photos are shown on the kiosk confirmation (Authorized for Pickup:).
• Emergency contacts -- Family members marked as emergency contacts, sorted by priority (Emergency Contacts:).

A phone lookup on its own no longer returns this information -- it appears only for the families of the children who were just checked in.

At Checkout

When you verify a child's security code at checkout, the family's authorized pickups appear in the Verify & Check Out panel as the "Who is picking up?" list, and one must be selected before the checkout can be confirmed (unless an admin uses the override). This is the safeguard that ties every child's release to a recognized adult.

At Check-In via QR/Pre-Check

When a pre-check-in QR code is scanned, the confirmation also shows the family's authorized pickups and emergency contacts, giving volunteers quick access to this critical information.

Tip: Keep each family's pickup and emergency settings up to date in People → Families (open the family and click Edit next to each adult). See Family Management.

Room View for Child Safety

The admin Check-In Station offers a Rooms view (toggle between List and Rooms above the roster) that groups all checked-in children by classroom. Each room card shows:

• Room/class name
• Count of children currently in the room
• Each child's name, photo, age, check-in time, security code, and allergy alerts
• A Check out button

Children checked in without a class appear in a separate No Room section with a warning indicator.

This view gives children's ministry leaders an at-a-glance picture of who is in each room at any moment.