Guardians & Contacts

Manage parents, guardians, and emergency contacts for your students. Set up family relationships, permissions, and enable parent portal access.

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Guardian Management Architecture

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                      GUARDIAN MANAGEMENT SYSTEM                             │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│                                                                              │
│  ┌───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐  │
│  │                        Guardian Profile                                │  │
│  │                                                                       │  │
│  │   Personal Info • Contact Details • Workplace • Portal Access          │  │
│  │                                                                       │  │
│  └────────────────────────────────┬──────────────────────────────────────┘  │
│                                   │                                          │
│                                   │ linked to                                │
│                                   ▼                                          │
│  ┌───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐  │
│  │                         Student Links                                  │  │
│  │                                                                       │  │
│  │  One guardian can be linked to multiple students (siblings)           │  │
│  │  One student can have multiple guardians (mother, father, etc.)       │  │
│  │                                                                       │  │
│  └───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘  │
│                                                                              │
│  ┌──────────────────────┐ ┌───────────────────────┐ ┌───────────────────────┐    │
│  │    Parents          │ │   Legal Guardians   │ │  Emergency Contacts │    │
│  │                     │ │                     │ │                     │    │
│  │ • Mother            │ │ • Court-appointed  │ │ • Neighbor          │    │
│  │ • Father            │ │ • Foster parent    │ │ • Family friend     │    │
│  │ • Step-parent       │ │ • Grandparent      │ │ • Relative          │    │
│  │                     │ │   (if legal)       │ │                     │    │
│  └──────────────────────┘ └───────────────────────┘ └───────────────────────┘    │
│                                                                              │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

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Guardian Setup Workflow

START: Setting Up Guardians for a Student
         │
         ▼
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│  STEP 1: Check if Guardian Already Exists                        │
│  ──────────────────────────────────────                        │
│  Search existing guardians:                                     │
│  • If sibling already enrolled, guardian exists                │
│  • Search by phone number or email                             │
│  • If found, skip to Step 3 (linking)                          │
└────────────────────────────┬────────────────────────────────┘
                             │
                             ▼
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│  STEP 2: Create Guardian Record (if new)                         │
│  ─────────────────────────────────────                         │
│  Enter guardian information:                                    │
│  • Personal details (name, ID)                                  │
│  • Contact information (phone, email)                          │
│  • Work information (employer, work phone)                     │
└────────────────────────────┬────────────────────────────────┘
                             │
                             ▼
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│  STEP 3: Link to Student                                         │
│  ──────────────────────                                         │
│  Connect guardian to student:                                   │
│  • Select relationship type (Mother, Father, etc.)             │
│  • Set as Primary Guardian? (receives main communications)     │
│  • Set as Emergency Contact?                                    │
└────────────────────────────┬────────────────────────────────┘
                             │
                             ▼
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│  STEP 4: Set Permissions                                         │
│  ──────────────────────                                         │
│  Configure what this guardian can do:                           │
│  • Can pick up student?                                         │
│  • Can authorize medical treatment?                            │
│  • Receives report cards?                                       │
│  • Receives fee statements?                                     │
└────────────────────────────┬────────────────────────────────┘
                             │
                             ▼
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│  STEP 5: Enable Portal Access (Optional)                         │
│  ──────────────────────────────────────                         │
│  Allow guardian to log in:                                      │
│  • Enable parent portal access                                  │
│  • Send login credentials via email                            │
│  • Guardian can view grades, attendance, fees                  │
└────────────────────────────┬────────────────────────────────┘
                             │
                             ▼
                      GUARDIAN LINKED ✓

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Overview

The Guardians module helps you manage everyone responsible for your students:

• Parents (mothers, fathers)
• Legal Guardians (court-appointed caregivers)
• Family Members (grandparents, aunts, uncles)
• Emergency Contacts (anyone authorized to be contacted in emergencies)

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Accessing Guardian Management

From the Guardians List

1. Click People in the left sidebar
2. Select Guardians & Contacts
3. See all guardians registered in your school

From a Student's Profile

1. Open a student's profile
2. Go to the Guardians tab
3. See guardians linked to that specific student

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Adding a New Guardian

Method 1: From Guardians Module

1. Go to People → Guardians & Contacts
2. Click + Add Guardian
3. Fill in the guardian details (see below)
4. After saving, link them to student(s)

Method 2: From Student Profile

1. Open the student's profile
2. Go to Guardians tab
3. Click + Add Guardian
4. The guardian will be automatically linked to this student

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Guardian Registration Form

Personal Information

Field	Description	Required
Title	Mr., Mrs., Miss, Ms., Dr.	No
First Name	Guardian's first name	✅ Yes
Middle Name	Middle name(s)	No
Last Name	Surname/family name	✅ Yes
Date of Birth	Birth date	No
Gender	Male, Female, Other	No
National ID	Government ID number	No

Contact Information

Field	Description	Required
Phone	Primary phone number	✅ Yes
Alternative Phone	Backup phone number	No
Work Phone	Office phone	No
Email	Email address	No
Home Address	Residential address	No
Work Address	Office address	No

Employment Information

Field	Description
Occupation	Job title/profession
Employer	Company/organization name

Why Collect Employment Info?

Employment details help with:

• Understanding family context
• Scholarship/financial aid assessments
• Scheduling meetings at appropriate times

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Linking Guardians to Students

Setting Up the Relationship

When linking a guardian to a student, you need to specify:

1. Relationship Type - How they're related
2. Primary Guardian - Is this the main contact?
3. Custody Type - Their legal custody status
4. Permissions - What they're authorized to do

Relationship Types

Relationship	Description
Father	Biological or adoptive father
Mother	Biological or adoptive mother
Legal Guardian	Court-appointed guardian
Grandparent	Grandmother or grandfather
Aunt	Aunt
Uncle	Uncle
Sibling	Adult sibling (18+)
Foster Parent	Foster care parent
Step Parent	Step-mother or step-father
Other	Any other relationship

How to Link

1. Open the student's profile
2. Go to Guardians tab
3. Click + Link Guardian
4. Search for an existing guardian OR create new
5. Select the Relationship (Father, Mother, etc.)
6. Set Primary Guardian (Yes/No)
7. Configure permissions (see below)
8. Click Link

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Primary Guardian

What is a Primary Guardian?

The primary guardian is the main contact person for a student. They:

• Receive primary communications from school
• Are contacted first for any matters
• Sign off on major decisions

Setting the Primary Guardian

Only one guardian can be primary for each student.

1. Go to student's Guardians tab
2. Find the guardian
3. Click the ⋮ menu
4. Select Set as Primary

If another guardian was primary, they will automatically become secondary.

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Custody Types

When linking a guardian, specify their custody status:

Custody Type	Description	Typical Rights
Full	Complete legal custody	All decisions, full access
Joint	Shared with another guardian	Equal rights with other guardian
Partial	Limited custody	Specific rights only
None	No custody (contact only)	Contact/visit only

Setting Custody

1. When linking guardian to student
2. Select the Custody Type
3. If there's a court order, enter the reference number
4. Click Save

Legal Documents

For custody arrangements involving court orders, keep copies of legal documents on file. Enter the court order reference in the system.

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Guardian Permissions

Available Permissions

When linking a guardian to a student, set these permissions:

Permission	What It Allows
Can Pick Up	Authorized to collect student from school
Medical Decisions	Can authorize emergency medical treatment
View Grades	Can see academic results in portal
View Attendance	Can see attendance records in portal
View Financials	Can see fee statements and payments
Receive Reports	Receives report cards
Authorize Trips	Can sign consent for field trips

Setting Permissions

1. Open guardian-student relationship
2. Check/uncheck each permission
3. Click Save

Default Permissions

For Primary Guardians with Full Custody, all permissions are typically enabled by default. Adjust as needed.

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Emergency Contacts

What are Emergency Contacts?

Emergency contacts are people the school calls when:

• A student is sick or injured
• There's an emergency evacuation
• Parents/guardians can't be reached

Emergency Contact Priority

Set the order in which contacts should be called:

Priority	Who Gets Called
1	Call first (usually primary guardian)
2	Call if #1 unavailable
3	Call if #1 and #2 unavailable
etc.	Continue down the list

Setting Emergency Priority

1. Go to student's Guardians tab
2. Find each guardian/contact
3. Toggle Emergency Contact to ON
4. Set the Priority number (1, 2, 3, etc.)
5. Save changes

Adding Non-Guardian Emergency Contacts

Sometimes emergency contacts aren't guardians (e.g., a neighbor, family friend):

1. Go to student's Guardians tab
2. Click + Add Emergency Contact
3. Enter:
   • Name
   • Phone number(s)
   • Relationship to student
   • Priority number
4. Click Save

These contacts appear in the emergency list but don't have guardian privileges.

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Parent Portal Access

What is the Parent Portal?

The Parent Portal allows guardians to:

• View their child's grades and report cards
• Check attendance records
• See fee statements and make payments
• Receive school announcements
• Communicate with teachers

Enabling Portal Access

1. Open the guardian's profile
2. Click Enable Portal Access
3. Enter their email address (becomes their username)
4. Choose:
   • Send invitation email - Guardian sets their own password
   • Set temporary password - You provide initial password
5. Click Enable

What Guardians See in Portal

Based on their permissions per student:

If They Have...	They Can See...
View Grades	Academic results, report cards
View Attendance	Attendance history, absence records
View Financials	Fee statements, payment history

Disabling Portal Access

If a guardian should no longer have portal access:

1. Open guardian's profile
2. Go to Portal Access section
3. Click Disable Access
4. Confirm

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Handling Multiple Children (Siblings)

Same Guardian, Multiple Students

When a guardian has more than one child at the school:

1. Add the guardian once
2. Link them to each child separately
3. Each link can have different settings:
   • Same relationship type (e.g., Mother for all)
   • Same permissions (usually)
   • Can be primary for all or some

Viewing All Children

From a guardian's profile:

1. Go to Children section
2. See all students linked to this guardian
3. Click any student to view their profile

In the Parent Portal, guardians see all their linked children.

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Searching for Guardians

Quick Search

Use the search bar to find guardians by:

• Name
• Phone number
• Email address

Finding a Student's Guardians

1. Search for and open the student's profile
2. Go to Guardians tab
3. See all linked guardians

Finding a Guardian's Students

1. Search for and open the guardian's profile
2. See all linked students in the Children section

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Updating Guardian Information

Editing Guardian Details

1. Open the guardian's profile
2. Click Edit in the section you want to change
3. Make your changes
4. Click Save

Updating Phone Numbers

When guardians change phone numbers:

1. Open their profile
2. Edit contact information
3. Update the phone number(s)
4. Save

Verify Contact Info Annually

Ask guardians to verify their contact information at the start of each school year. Outdated numbers can delay emergency responses.

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Removing Guardians

Unlinking from a Student

If a guardian should no longer be linked to a student:

1. Go to student's Guardians tab
2. Find the guardian
3. Click ⋮ menu
4. Select Unlink
5. Confirm

The guardian record remains in the system (they may have other children), but they're no longer linked to this student.

Deleting a Guardian Record

Guardian records generally shouldn't be deleted (for historical records). Instead:

1. Unlink them from all students
2. Disable their portal access
3. Mark as inactive if needed

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Communication Preferences

Setting How to Contact Guardians

1. Open guardian's profile
2. Go to Preferences section
3. Set:
   • Preferred Contact Method: Email, Phone, SMS, Portal
   • Preferred Language: For communications
   • Notification Types: What they want to hear about

Notification Types

Type	Examples
Academic	Grade updates, report cards
Attendance	Absence alerts
Financial	Fee reminders, receipts
Events	School events, meetings
Emergencies	Urgent school announcements

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Reports

Available Reports

Report	Description
Guardian Directory	All guardians with contact info
Emergency Contact List	By class, for emergencies
Portal Adoption	Guardians using the portal
Missing Contacts	Students without guardians

Generating Reports

1. Go to People → Guardians & Contacts
2. Click Reports
3. Select report type
4. Set parameters (class, date, etc.)
5. Click Generate
6. Export to PDF or Excel

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Common Questions

Can a student have more than two guardians?

Yes. A student can have multiple guardians linked (mother, father, grandmother, etc.). Just ensure:

• One is marked as Primary
• Emergency contact priorities are set correctly

What if parents are divorced?

1. Add both parents as guardians
2. Set the appropriate custody type for each
3. Record any court order references
4. Set permissions according to custody arrangement
5. Both can have portal access based on permissions

Can the same person be guardian for multiple students?

Yes. If a guardian has multiple children at the school:

1. Create the guardian record once
2. Link to each child separately
3. They see all children in their portal

What if a guardian doesn't have email?

Portal access requires email. For guardians without email:

• They won't have portal access
• Communicate via phone or paper
• Mark their preferred contact method as "Phone"

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Best Practices

Start of Year Verification

At the start of each academic year:

1. Send a form to verify guardian contact details
2. Update any changed information
3. Confirm emergency contact priorities
4. Verify custody arrangements

Emergency Preparedness

Keep emergency contact lists updated and accessible. During emergencies, staff need to quickly contact guardians.

Portal Adoption

Encourage guardians to use the portal. It:

• Reduces office phone calls
• Keeps guardians informed
• Improves communication efficiency

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Related Topics

• Students - Managing student profiles
• Communications - Sending messages to guardians
• Fees & Billing - Fee payments and guardian billing