Background
The Procare v10 check in system was developed with careful thought and consideration. Our goal was to offer safe and efficient check in solutions while being mindful of state regulations and security concerns.
3 Options
Procare offers three options for how persons may identify themselves when checking in. The most convenient is listed first.
- Use a fingerprint. You may also require a numeric password for use with the fingerprint (optional) - see Check In Options.
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Note: A person who switches from Fingerprint to Bypass or vice versa will need to re-register, and the former authentication method is replaced with the new method.
- Swipe a credit card, grocery club card, etc. (any card with a magnetic stripe). You may also require a numeric password for use with the card (optional) - see Check In Options.
- Enter their personal ID number and a numeric password. See Article: How to Register for Check In
Select Your Own Codes
All authorized pick up persons select their own password when they register at the check in computer. This way the password is known only to the person themselves and is not accessible to any other persons including staff members. This feature was developed to meet regulations in many states which require you to demonstrate that your attendance records accurately reflect the people who picked up or dropped off a child. Codes or passwords selected by the director or available to other people do not meet that requirement.
Note: If you are using option # 3 above, the pick up persons would select both their personal ID number and their password.
Security and the Password Only Approach
Procare was not designed to allow for a single password as the only means of identification. This was an intentional security measure.
Imagine a situation where parents select their own codes and the system requires just a single code for access. John Smith selects 3455 as his code and registers successfully. Remember that to meet state regulations, that code may be known only to him - so far so good. Now another person, say Janet Johnson selects the same code 3455. The computer tells Ms Johnson that she must choose another code because "that one is already in use". At this point Ms Johnson knows the password for Mr. Smith. She may not know it belongs specifically to Mr. Smith, but it would be easy enough to find out by simply entering that code into a single password system.
What if online banking worked that way – with a single password to log on? How hard would it be for an unauthorized person to access your account? Of course, child care is different. People don't log in to access sensitive bank information - they just log in to pick up their children. Now think about that for a moment and you'll understand why state requirements are moving in this direction, and why the Procare system was designed with secure codes as a top priority.