Free template
Sign in and sign out sheet template
The attendance record almost every license depends on: who arrived, when, who dropped them off, and the signature of the adult who took them home.
- A row per child with in time, out time, and a signature column for each
- A printed line for the date and the staff opening and closing the day
- Space for an authorized pickup different from the usual adult
- Wide signature boxes, because people sign badly while holding a toddler
PDF, one page, letter size. Print one per day and keep it on a clipboard by the door.
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Everything a licensor looks for on an attendance sheet
Arrival
Time in and the initials or signature of the adult dropping off, recorded at the door rather than filled in later.
Departure
Time out and a signature. This is the column that matters most if there is ever a custody question.
Authorized pickup
A column for a different adult, with room to note that you checked ID the first time they came.
Date and staff on duty
Printed at the top so a stack of past sheets stays sortable in a folder.
Ratio snapshot
A small count box at the bottom, which makes a spot check quick to answer honestly.
Room for notes
A short notes column for a late arrival, an early pickup, or a change called in that morning.
Three rules that keep attendance defensible
Attendance is the record programs get written up for most often, usually not because it was wrong but because it was filled in from memory.
Have the adult sign, not the teacher. A staff initial is a note. A parent signature is a record of who had the child.
Write real times. 8:07, not 8:00 for everyone. Rounded columns are the first thing an inspector notices.
File the sheet the same day. Same folder, in date order. A missing Tuesday is a much bigger problem than a messy Tuesday.
Sign in and out records, answered
Is a signature actually required?
In many states a signed arrival and departure record is required, and the details differ. Confirm what your license requires, including whether initials are acceptable.
How long do we keep these sheets?
Ask your licensor for the retention period. Keeping the current licensing year is common, and the sheets are small enough that keeping more is easy.
What if someone forgets to sign out?
Note it on the sheet in the moment with the actual time and who took the child, and have the adult initial the correction the next morning if you can.
Can we use digital check-in instead?
Often yes, and many programs prefer it because the timestamps are exact. Ask your licensor whether an electronic signature satisfies their rule.
Check-in that captures the time and the person, exactly
Families check in on their own phone or your tablet. The record is timestamped, the ratio count is live, and nobody reconstructs Tuesday from memory.