Pickup security code

The security code is the central mechanism to prevent the worst-case scenario imaginable: handing a minor to the wrong person.

How it works

At check-in:

1. The system generates a 4-character alphanumeric code unique per minor per service.
2. It’s printed/shown in two places:
   • Child label: carries the last 2 characters of the code.
   • Parent receipt: carries the full 4-character code.

At pickup:

1. The parent approaches the room with their receipt.
2. The volunteer verifies:
   • The full code on the parent receipt matches the label + database.
   • The parent’s identity matches the registered responsible adult.
3. The minor is released.
4. The system marks pickup confirmed with timestamp and the releasing volunteer.

Example

Check-in:
  Generated code: K7Q9
  Child label:   Sofía P. — Pre-K Room — ····Q9
  Parent receipt: K7Q9 — Sofía P. — Pre-K Room

At pickup, volunteer sees “K7Q9” on the parent and “Q9” on the child. Match → release. No match → escalate to coordinator.

Exception cases

Parent lost the receipt

1. Volunteer asks for photo ID.
2. Compares with the responsible adult registered at check-in.
3. If matches, looks up the minor in the system and reprints the code.
4. Logs the exception with reason.

Another authorized adult comes to pick up

See Authorized pickup people. The system verifies the person is on the family-approved list and requests photo ID.

Unauthorized adult tries to pick up

1. Volunteer does not release the minor.
2. Calls the registered responsible adult.
3. If the adult authorizes pickup over the phone, the coordinator can log temporary authorization.
4. If unreachable, wait until end of service and only release to the authorized adult.

What the volunteer sees

On the room tablet:

• List of minors with truncated 2-char code
• To validate, scan the QR on the parent receipt or type the 4 chars
• Visual confirmation: ✅ green if match, ❌ red if not

Audit

Each pickup generates:

{
  "action": "kids.pickup",
  "minor_id": "m_42",
  "released_to_user_id": "u_19",
  "released_by_volunteer_id": "u_88",
  "code_validated": true,
  "occurred_at": "2026-04-15T11:42:13Z",
  "campus_id": "c_downtown",
  "room_id": "r_pre_k"
}