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Check-In

New Members

Make them feel welcome! For some of our new members, this may be the first time they have allowed anyone outside their immediate family to watch their child. There may be a lot of big feelings the first time they come in and it is our job to help make this as smooth of a transition as it can be. When a new member arrives, walk them through the process of creating a KidCheck account, offer an overview of our programs, and be open to answering any questions they may have. Learn their names, ask about any special comfort measures or other ways of helping their child have a good first day.

Member Satisfaction

Members frequently cite the family-friendly atmosphere as a key reason for their YMCA membership. The availability of high-quality Kid Zone programs often tips the scales in favor of choosing the Y over other fitness facilities. In order to attract and keep those families, it is crucial that the experience is positive for both kids and guardians alike!

Excellent Customer Service

Greet every parent and kid with a warm, friendly attitude. Make sure you are not only interacting with the parent but also make the child feel welcome. Do your best to learn names as quickly as possible. This will not only help the guardian feel more comfortable leaving their child but also help the transition after being checked in.

Check in “pre-check”

Kid Zone is a membership perk for those with a family membership to the YMCA of Snohomish County. Those that are using a “Tour and Try” may use it as well. Each child must be checked in/out of our classrooms by a parent/guardian/family member over the age of 16.  All participants must check in to the membership desk first to verify family membership. They will be then given a KidZone pass allowing them to check in. Some branches have a “golden ticket” or other ways of verifying membership.

All shoes are removed in Kid Zone spaces that have climbers. Socks must be worn while in the room. Branches should have extra socks on hand to borrow.

Do a quick assessment as each child is coming in to look for any signs of illness or pre-existing injuries.

Check in/Tracking Systems (click here)

The YMCA of Snohomish County uses KidCheck for our check in/check out system. KidCheck is a separate data base from Core so parents will need to create a profile on there as well. In order to learn the system, we encourage all staff to create a profile on KidCheck.

After children get checked in, give the parent their sticker as well as put the sticker on the child’s back. Let the person know that drops off the child that they either have to be the one picking up the child (with the sticker) or they will need to make sure the person that is picking up not only has the sticker but is also on the approved guardians list in KidCheck. If a parent loses their sticker, they must show you photo identification matching the guardian on the account. If someone comes in that is not on the list or you don’t recognize, DO NOT let that child go with them. Immediately call the parent that is the primary guardian on the account. They may be upset or even get angry with you but it is for the safety of the child(ren). If needed, ask a supervisor to step in to help diffuse the situation.

When checking in the child and placing the sticker on them, make sure to take a moment to look at it for any allergies or other important information that you may need to know. If there is a birthday cake on their sticker, it means that the child’s birthday is coming soon! Make sure to wish them a happy birthday!

Parent/Guardian of the child(ren) checked in are required to stay on site. If taking an outdoor class, make sure to get a cell phone number for them in case of emergency. If a parent is needed, they will receive a text from KidCheck alerting them to what is needed. There is a 2-hour maximum stay per visit in the Kid Zone.

Child Count

Accurate attendance records are crucial, both for safety measures and to assist supervisors in recognizing patterns and deploying staff effectively. Please conduct room counts every 15 minutes, or whenever there is a transition in programming, and make sure to record these counts on the attendance sheet.

Ratios

Please note: These numbers are maximums. If you have a challenging situation and need to adjust the number of children in the room for a time, work with your on-site supervisor to make those real-time decisions. No matter the ratio, there must always be at least 2 staff in each room, with one person being 18 or over. At no times should a staff be 1 on one with a child.