Linking a Guardian to a Child's Record
Covers how to attach a guardian who already has a Member record to a child, including recording the relationship between them.
Guardians on a child's record
A child's record can have one or more guardians attached to it, this is how your team knows who's authorized to drop off and pick up a child, and who to contact if something comes up during a service.
Linking an existing Member
If a parent or guardian already has a Member record in Sermfy, you link the child directly to that record rather than re-entering their details, this keeps the guardian's contact information current automatically since it's pulled from the same record everywhere else in the system.
Recording the relationship
Each guardian link also records a relationship, parent, guardian, sibling, or another option from the list, so a child's record shows not just who's attached to them but how, which matters when a family has a mix of parents, grandparents, and older siblings all picking up on different days.
Best practice
Link every adult who might realistically do pickup, not just the primary caregiver, a more complete guardian list means front-desk and classroom volunteers are less likely to be caught off guard by someone unfamiliar collecting a child.
Related Articles
Registering a New Child
Walks through exactly what information Children's Ministry captures when you register a new child, including which fields are optional.
Adding a Guardian Who Isn't Already a Member
Shows how to attach a guardian's name and phone number for someone who isn't in Sermfy yet, without creating a Member record.
Creating a Children's Ministry Class
Clarifies that a Children's Ministry class is just a Group with a special tag, created through the same Groups feature as any ministry.
Moving a Child to a Different Class
Walks through moving a child between classes and confirms their attendance history carries over intact.