Brightwheel's Forms feature enables providers to collect key information from families, automatically update student profiles, and create new contacts. Submissions are stored in one place, making it easy to track who has provided the required information.
Providers can also share documents with families using options like Document Requests, Fillable Documents, and Contracts.
Create a New Form
Log in to brightwheel on the web
Go to Paperwork on the purple sidebar
In the Forms & Requests tab, click Create new then choose Form
Enter the form name and description, then select Continue
Click + New Section to add preset fields or custom questions
💡 Please note: Any information collected using a Custom Field will not be displayed directly in the student’s profile, but will always be accessible through that form submission.Use Add fields within a section to add Custom Fields
Mark necessary fields as Required
Reorder sections and fields using the number drop-down
Click Create, then Send to share with families
💡 Short on time? New providers can use our premade "Student and Guardian Information" form to collect family data. Quickly send it from the Forms & Requests tab!
Sections and Fields
Forms can include custom and preset questions. Preset questions are created by brightwheel and correspond to fields on the child's profile. Custom questions are created by the program administrator and do not correspond to fields on the child's profile.
🚩 Once submitted and the program selects Approve and Update, any data included in the preset questions will auto populate on the corresponding fields on the child's profile. Data included in custom sections will not auto populate on the student's profile.
Preset Sections and Fields
Each form is comprised of sections of fields that parents will be able to fill out. These fields directly correspond with the fields in the student’s profile. Once a section is added to a form, any field can be marked as required or deleted by clicking the trash icon.
The following information can be collected on a form with preset questions:
Child information: name, birthday, allergies, doctor's name & phone, gender
Parent/Guardian information: name, relationship to child, email, phone number
Enrollment information: desired start date, asks if a sibling is attending & sibling name
Family mailing address
Parent signature
💡 When a "Guardian Information" section is added there is no need to create multiple sections for each guardian as the Parents will be able to add more guardians by selecting the "+ Add parent/guardian" button that is only visible to the person filling out the form. The only expectation that is not included is emergency contacts.
Custom Sections and Fields
Custom Sections and Fields can be added to any form as outlined in the creation process above. At this time, any information collected in the custom section/field will not be displayed directly in the student’s profile, but will always be accessible through that form submission.
Click the + New Section button, or click the Add fields button within a section to add a Custom Section. Once added, you can modify the name of the section by clicking Edit or delete the section by clicking the trashcan icon. The field name and type (text, yes/no, numeric, date, or paragraph) can be modified by clicking the pencil icon.
ℹ️ Each field must have a unique name. If you need multiple fields for the same type of information, such as parent names, use distinct labels like 'Parent Name 1' and 'Parent Name 2' to prevent duplicates.
Guardian Signatures
A Parent Signature field can be added for guardians to type a digital signature on Forms, Fillable Documents, and Contract types, but not on Document Requests. Digital signatures can only be used once so if multiple are required programs may consider creating a Custom Field for additional signatures.
🚩 The name in the Parent Name and Parent Signature fields must match exactly including spaces and capitalization to submit the form.
Share Forms
Once you've created a form, you have different options available for how you'd like to share it, including adding it to an Admissions packet. Please visit our Sharing Digital Forms resource for additional information.
Managing Forms
After a form is created, you will have a few options for managing these forms such as requesting changes on a parent's submission, approving a form submission, deleting a form, and much more.
See our Manage Digital Forms resource for more information on your options!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How can I collect a registration fee with a form I share with my parents?
How can I collect a registration fee with a form I share with my parents?
While there is not currently a way to collect fees on a individual form, you can charge a submission fee when sending a Admissions packet! To learn more, visit Add a packet submission fee.
What if I need to edit a form I’ve already shared with my parents?
What if I need to edit a form I’ve already shared with my parents?
You can easily edit and reorder sections within a form. Editing a form will not affect or change any historical submissions. For any other additions or changes, we suggest making the needed edits and then resharing the form with your families.
What if I need parents to make changes to a form after it has already been submitted and approved?
What if I need parents to make changes to a form after it has already been submitted and approved?
Reshare the form that needs updating so parents receive a new copy and submit the updated information.
Why am I receiving an error that "The form must have at least one field" when trying to share a form I've created?
Why am I receiving an error that "The form must have at least one field" when trying to share a form I've created?
This is occurring because there are no editable fields added to the form! If this was sent to families, they wouldn't be able to fill out the form digitally. To correct this, edit the form you've created and select at least one editable field following the guidance above.