Using a Parent Information Folder for Your School

So, what makes a good parent information folder?

A good parent information folder is both a record-keeping tool for schools to track students and a way for parents to orient themselves. 

Upon enrollment, the parent will receive their informational folder. Included in the folder is key information about the school, like drop off times, lunch details and forms for the families to fill out. The registration forms and consent forms will need to be filled out and returned to administration. 

The pitfalls of traditional parent information folders

Traditionally, parents would read about programs and specifics included in the folder, fill out the forms, add the supporting documents, and send it back to the school. Every time a new consent form was needed or information changed, administration would need to connect with parents or send a form home with students.

Relevant information to each student will be added to the folder by administration while they are enrolled at the school. The parent information folder should be accessible to the parent at any time. Specific information about an individual child should not be shared with other parents or anyone outside of the school. The folder gets updated between both parents and administrators.

This cumbersome back and forth process causes many errors, delays in getting critical student information (like allergies) and is a waste of everyone’s time.

Simplify the parent information process by going digital. 

By going digital, parents receive information about the school online. And instead of sending forms back, they can provide family or student  information to your school or daycare through a secure online parent portal. Before filling out online registration forms, they can also view specific information related to their child’s programs, fee requirements, and other important details. The information they provide is stored digitally in a student profile. The information in this secure portal can be accessed by them at any time. 

TUIO online software is secure and easy to use

With TUIO, upon notifying a family of an enrollment, the parents receive a link to a digital form. They review their options in TUIO’s secure platform and fill out the digital form. The data is stored in a safe and secure place accessible by both parents and administration. 

Families can login at their leisure to update information at any time of the day. Administration can request consents and supporting documents without going through the teacher or students. The digital profile, like a parent information folder, contains all of the information about the student and the school from admission until graduation.

There are plenty of benefits to using TUIO. For example, our system lets administrators choose the information to be visible to parents, visible by both the parents and the school, or only visible by administrators. This way you can store all the relevant information in one place. 

TUIO even has a conversations feature which allows administration to instantly communicate with one family or a group of parents throughout the year. All of this without paper, a folder, or constant phone calls back and forth.

Digital parent folders keep information secure

School’s sometimes use a parent folder to collect contact information to build a family information directory. TUIO treats all information about students as personal information that deserves protection under the law. 

Information is encrypted and protected in our online student information system. When you are ready to utilize the information and prepare a report or view some on-demand data. It’s so easy to export the information to a spreadsheet or view it safely on TUIO.

The types of information schools collect

The information stored in the parent folder is for keeping administration and parents on the same page. TUIO digital record keeping stores everything that a traditional parent information folder does! With TUIO, everything is self-serve so you can say goodbye to the days of administration deciphering cryptic handwriting and searching through filing cabinets. Further, TUIO communication feature lets administrators send instant messages to parents or program groups at any time.

Parent information folders generally store:

• Parent contact information
• Siblings
• Consent forms (with digital signatures!)
• Specific student information like allergies
• Program information
• School information specific to that child or their class/program

You may require the following documents to complete the application process and enroll a student in your programs. Using TUIO, scans or pictures of these documents can be stored with the utmost security in mind:

• Birth certificates
• Immunization records
• Proof of residency, including a utility bill or lease agreement (if applicable)
• Proof of guardianship (if applicable)

Conclusion

The parent folder is an important part of the admissions process and continuous enrollment. If you want to be sure everything goes smoothly, make sure that you provide parents with up to date information and in turn receive all the necessary student information. Going digital saves time by making this an automated, self-serve process. Want to learn more about bringing your parent information folder online? Book a demo with a TUIO specialist. TUIO is an all-in-one solution to all your administrative needs. Start using TUIO risk free to see how you can streamline your admissions & waitlisting, record-keeping, billing & payment, and communication needs – easily and digitally.