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Free template · Families

Parent welcome letter

A friendly first letter with what families need before day one: dates, hours, drop-off and pickup, what to bring, health basics and how to reach you.

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What's in it

What the welcome letter covers

Welcome

Dear families, we're so glad your child is joining [Program name] for [session or school year]! This letter covers what you need to know before the first day. Please keep it handy.

Key dates

  • First day: [date]
  • Last day: [date]
  • No program on: [holidays and closed days]
  • Family events: [open house, showcase or last-day celebration]

Drop-off and pickup

  • Hours: [start time] to [end time], with early drop-off from [time] and extended day until [time] for families who signed up
  • Drop-off: [where to go and who to see]
  • Pickup: We release children only to parents, guardians and adults on your authorized pickup list. Staff will ask for photo ID if they don't know you.
  • Late pickup: [late pickup policy and fee]

What to bring

Please label everything with your child's name. Our packing list is attached. The basics are [a water bottle, lunch and snacks, sunscreen, a hat and sneakers].

Health and medicine

Please make sure your child's medical and allergy form is complete. If your child needs medicine during the program, bring it in its original container and fill out our medication form. Keep your child home if they [have had a fever, vomiting or diarrhea in the last 24 hours].

Staying in touch

  • Program director: [name, phone and email]
  • On program days, call [phone number answered during program hours]
  • We'll send updates by [email or text] [how often]
  • If your child will be absent, please tell us by [time]

Before the first day

  • Finish registration and pay any balance due by [date]
  • Complete the medical and allergy form
  • List everyone who may pick up your child on the authorized pickup form
  • Sign the photo release and code of conduct
  • Label your child's things

See you soon

We can't wait to meet your child. If you have questions, reach out anytime. Warmly, [Name], [Title], [Program name]

Free to use and change, but not legal or medical advice. Check your state's licensing rules and your insurer's requirements, and have a lawyer review any consent or waiver language.

Tips

How to use it well

  • Send it one to two weeks before the first day, with the packing list and any forms families still need to finish.
  • Keep it to one page if you can, and point to your parent handbook for the details.
  • If many of your families speak another language at home, send a translated copy too.
  • Update the dates, hours and contacts each session, and ask someone new to your program to read it for anything unclear.

Rules on ratios, medication and reporting vary by state. See your state in our state-by-state rules for youth programs.

FAQ

Questions, answered

What should a welcome letter for a youth program include?

Dates, hours, drop-off and pickup rules, what to bring, health and medicine basics, how to reach staff and any forms families still need to finish. Keep it short and point to your parent handbook for everything else.

When should we send the welcome letter?

About one to two weeks before the first day, so families have time to finish forms and buy supplies. Send a short reminder a day or two before you start.

More free templates

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Participant code of conductKid-friendly behavior expectations, what's never allowed and the steps staff take when rules are broken, signed by the child and a parent.
Camp packing listA checklist to send families before camp starts: what to bring every day, on swim days and for overnight camp, plus what to leave at home.
End-of-program parent surveyA one-page survey on what families liked, what to improve and whether they'll come back, with ratings you can count for your board and funders.
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All templates28 free forms, logs, policies and plans for camps, after-school programs and classes, as PDF and Word files: registration, pickup, medical and more.

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