Child registers and attendance records are among the most important documents in any childcare facility. They matter not only organisationally, but also legally and financially. How do you maintain them correctly without excessive workload?

What Does Polish Law Require?

According to the Ministry of Education regulation on documentation for public kindergartens and schools, child registers must include:

  • Child's first and last name, date of birth
  • PESEL number
  • Home address
  • Parent or guardian contact details
  • Attendance records

Nurseries are regulated by the Act on care for children up to 3 years of age and must keep a register of children in care, with each day of attendance confirmed by an entry.

Paper Attendance Lists – Pros and Cons

Paper attendance lists are the well-known standard. But:

  • Documents can be damaged or lost
  • It is hard to quickly check attendance figures for a given month
  • Calculating hours (for hourly-rate nurseries) is time-consuming
  • No automatic notifications to parents about absence

Electronic Attendance Tracking – How Does It Work?

Modern systems like TwójSzkrab allow attendance to be recorded digitally. A few clicks is all it takes to:

  • Mark each child as present or absent
  • Enter arrival and departure times
  • Generate a monthly attendance report
  • Automatically calculate fees (e.g. for hourly billing)
  • Notify the parent when their child is absent

Best Practices for Attendance Management

Establish a Uniform Notation System

Whether paper or digital – consistent abbreviations are key. "P" = present, "A" = absent, "E" = excused absence. Lack of standardisation leads to errors.

Collect Advance Notice of Absences

Ask parents to notify you at least 24 hours ahead when their child won't be coming in. This helps with planning and often affects financial calculations.

Archive Documentation

Attendance documents must be retained for a set period (usually 5 years). In an electronic system this happens automatically with proper backups.

GDPR Compliance

Attendance lists contain children's personal data. Paper lists lying on a desk are visible to anyone who enters the room. An electronic system with user login is significantly safer.

How to Choose the Right System?

  1. Ease of use – staff must be able to use it without lengthy training
  2. Integration with the financial module – automatic fee calculation
  3. Browser and mobile app access
  4. GDPR compliance and Polish education law compliance
  5. Polish-language technical support

Summary

Electronic child and attendance records are not just a convenience – they save real time for staff and improve data quality. Errors in paper records can cost a facility money and legal problems. Digitising this area is one of the first steps towards professional nursery management.

See how the attendance module works in TwójSzkrab – a simple system for nurseries and kindergartens.