Helpful Tips to Welcome Families Back to School  

First impressions are crucial, aren’t they? They set the stage for all future interactions, especially on the first day of school. As your families step into a new academic year, their first experiences at your site can shape their perceptions and define the relationship they’ll have with you throughout the year. Sounds like a lot of pressure? Don’t worry, it doesn’t have to be! 

Here at ChildPlus, we understand the importance of those initial moments. That’s why we’ve crafted some helpful tips to ensure you create welcoming and positive first impressions for families joining your program. Let’s start this year off right! 

Communication is key! Very little or ineffective communication leads to confusion and frustration. Too many messages can overwhelm us. Welcome packages may be the perfect balance. Acclimate families with a package that explains what to expect over the course of the year. It can include 

• A school calendar (Report 2350 – Closures and Virtual Days Calendar)  

• A list of local resources (Report 1410 – Community Resource Listing) 

• An introduction to staff 

• A QR code that links the family to their document upload page 

• An explanation about assessments and screenings that will occur 

• A goal planning sheet that introduces the concept of the family partnership agreement  

We are probably all familiar with the chaos that happens during arrival and departure times. Multiply that by 10 during the first week of school. Most of the confusion is related to trying to determine who is there to pick up whom and trying to remember who is supposed to get on the bus.  These issues can be resolved with a bit of planning and a couple of ChildPlus reports.  

• Have emergency contact information handy with Report 1520 – Contact Information  

• Print an attendance worksheet to have a backup method ready if needed, Report 2315 – Daily Attendance and Meals Worksheet or Report 2305 – Monthly Attendance 

• Make transportation plans visible to all staff with Report 1515 – Transportation Information by Classroom 

There are a lot of names to learn each year. Name tags can be really helpful. Create them with Report 4501 – Participant Mailing Labels and Report 4502 – Personnel Mailing Lables. This is a simple yet effective way to help remember who you are speaking to during that first week.  

Amy and Belicia discussed these tips and a few more during the latest episode of the ChipChat podcast. Our instructors and consultants have even more handy tips to share. They can assist with back to school plans, 45- and 90-day requirements, PIR prep and other program tasks. Training options are available for in-person and online learning. Our advisors can help you find the perfect training for your program.  

Email: University@ChildPlus.com.  

Call: 800.888.6674 

Learn More: University.childplus.com/learn