What Should Be on an Attendance Register?

A basic register needs the date, the service or group, and either a headcount or the names of everyone who came.

For children’s and youth groups, safeguarding guidance usually expects more. Record each child’s arrival and departure times and who collected them. Note which leaders were present and how many children came, to check ratios. Note any accidents or incidents too.

Keep registers somewhere secure, as they hold personal information about people and their faith. Your denomination’s safeguarding policy will say how long to keep children’s registers, which is often many years.