Parent Onboarding

Welcome! BrightBadge is free for parents. Your child's daycare or after-school program invites you — you don't sign up on your own. This takes about 5 minutes.

Step 1: Accept your invitation (3 minutes)

Your center sends you an invitation email from BrightBadge.

1. Open the email and tap the link.
2. Work through the short setup: Personal Info, Your Children, Emergency Contacts, Health Info and Security (where you create your password).
3. At the end you'll see Your Pickup Code — six digits that are yours alone.

Your pickup code is permanent. It works for both drop-off and pickup, any time. Keep it private, like a house key. If someone else needs to pick up your child, add them as an authorized pickup instead (see Step 4) — they get their own code.

Never got an invitation, or it expired? Ask your center to resend it, or get help connecting.

Step 2: Check in at the kiosk (1 minute)

The kiosk is the tablet or computer at your center's front door.

1. Enter the email you registered with and your six-digit pickup code, then tap See My Children. You'll only ever see your own children.
2. Tap the green check-in button for your child.
3. Sign on the screen with your finger, confirm that you're dropping off, and tap Complete Check In.

Pickup works the same way: sign in, tap the check-out button, sign, and tap Complete Check Out. Have more than one child? Select Multiple lets you do them together.

Step 3: Get the app (1 minute)

Download BrightBadge from the App Store or Google Play. Tap Parent Portal and sign in with the same email and password.

If your center scans QR codes, tap Show QR Code and hold it up to be scanned instead of typing your code. The QR code refreshes every minute, so a screenshot won't work.

Step 4: Add someone who can pick up

On your dashboard, under Authorized Guardians, tap Manage, then Add Guardian. Enter their name, email and relationship. They get a welcome email and their own pickup code.

BrightBadge allows up to 3 authorized pickups per child; keep any additional authorized people on your center's written list.

Quick reference

• At the kiosk: your email + your six-digit pickup code → See My Children → tap your child → sign → Complete Check In / Complete Check Out
• In the app: Show QR Code if your center scans
• On your way? I'm On My Way on your dashboard
• Child staying home? Report Absence on your dashboard
• Forgot your code? Sign in at bright-badge.com/auth/login — it's on your dashboard

Next: the Parent Guide covers everything else.