Use Sunday School > Check-In Settings to control when check-in is available, which groups and family codes are used, what appears on labels, and how the new check-in station behaves. The sections below explain the options so you can choose a setup for your church.

The settings page is divided into General Settings, Labels, Check-In Station, Check-In Groups, and Family Identifiers.

General settings

Check-In Lead Time determines how many minutes before a service custodians can begin checking in children (30 minutes is recommended). Check-In Duration determines how long after the service begins check-in remains available (90 minutes is recommended, or match the length of your service). The on-screen note says leaving the lead time blank or setting it to 0 disables check-ins. Check-In Administrators selects the group permitted to manage check-in. Save changes in this section.

Labels and printer equipment

Enable Check-In Label Printing makes the print button available during check-in. Under Labels > Recommended Equipment, SteepleMate lists its tested setup: a Dymo LabelWriter 450 with Dymo 30857 name-badge labels (2¼ × 4 inches). Install the Dymo software, connect the printer to the station computer, and set it as the computer’s default printer with 30857 Badge Label as the default paper size. Other label printers can work with suitable stock and matching driver defaults.

Find the recommended printer and label stock inside Labels, above the layout controls.

Layout sets label width, height, and orientation; the recommended settings shown are 4 in. by 2.25 in., Landscape. Style chooses the fonts for the student/church name and other label text. Use the Sample Label preview and its Print button to confirm the full label prints correctly, then Save.

Content & Quantity controls whether allergies print in red, whether the family pickup code appears, the number of labels per child, and whether to print an extra parent pickup tag. The parent tag shows the family name, checked-in children, and pickup code. The code matches across the family’s labels for that service.

Content & Quantity controls allergy text, pickup codes, label count, and parent tags.

QR Code lets you include a scannable code that opens the check-in record. Set its position and size, and test a printed sample to make sure the code remains readable. The screen recommends Medium size.

Check-in groups and family identifiers

Check-In Groups are the rooms or other groups available during a check-in event. Select the appropriate groups for classrooms or child care areas; group leaders and check-in administrators can view and manage check-ins for their group members. Manage Groups opens the group management area.

Family Identifiers are customizable eight-character codes for finding a family by code instead of name. You can edit them in the grid or assign unique identifiers to families that do not yet have one without changing existing codes. Digits are easiest to enter on the station number pad; codes with letters are harder to guess but require a keyboard. These are family search identifiers, separate from the per-service pickup code printed on labels.

Family Identifiers offers automatic assignment and a choice to include letters.

New check-in station settings

The Check-In Station section controls the tablet or PC experience at the door. Open the check-in station to check in a family by name, phone, or code. Open the rooms view for supervised class leaders and administrators to see who is in each room, pickup contacts, notes, moves, releases, and class dismissal. The station has a locked mode suitable for an unattended device; the rooms view is a full sign-in with parent contact details and should be signed out when staff step away.

Print Labels Automatically sends labels as soon as check-in completes and requires label printing to be enabled under Labels. Allow Check-Out At The Station permits the station operator to check children out; when it is off, staff release children through the child’s check-in record, where authorized custodians are listed. Make The Station The Default routes the Child Check-In menu link to the station.

Return To Start After sets how long the “all set” confirmation remains before the next family can begin (3–30 seconds). Abandon After No Activity returns an untouched family screen to the start (30–600 seconds). Set these for the pace and privacy needs of the station, then Save.

The new station options and browser choices are together under Check-In Station.

Browser-specific printer configuration

At the bottom of Check-In Station, select the browser used on the station computer: Chrome, Edge, Brave, Firefox, or Safari. The browser button opens its setup instructions for full-screen use and automatic printing. The page says Chrome, Edge, and Brave can print labels without a dialog, Firefox needs one setting change, and Safari always shows the print sheet. Follow the instructions shown for your browser and test the Sample Label under Labels before using the station.

Example: Chrome opens a browser-specific setup panel with station and printer instructions.

The screenshots show an example account and sample values. Confirm the settings, rooms, printer stock, and browser for your own church before using the station.