How to Add Families to Homeschool Co-op Software: Import, Template, or Form

There are three ways to add families to homeschool co-op software: import the spreadsheet you already keep, fill in a simple template, or type each family into a short form. In LearningSense all three are self-serve on every plan, including Free, and a spreadsheet import shows you a full preview before a single family is saved.

Below is how to pick the right way for your list, how to clean that list first, what the import does and does not bring over, and what families see after you add them.

Which way should you use to add families?

Most directors already have their families somewhere: a sign up sheet, a Google Form response tab, or an export from the tool they used last year. Start with what you have.

You can mix them. Many co-ops import the returning families in one file, then add the two or three late sign ups with the form.

How do you clean a family list before importing it?

The import does a lot of matching for you, but it cannot guess what you meant. Ten minutes of cleanup saves an hour of fixing records later. Before you upload, go down this list:

• Give every family one main parent email. The email is the one required field, and it is how the import tells families apart.
• Remove families who left last year, unless you want them back on your list.
• Use the same spelling for a family's last name on every row.
• Put birthdates in one format, such as MM/DD/YYYY, rather than a mix of styles.
• Use plain grade names, like Pre-K, K, 1st, or 7th.
• Delete columns you do not need. Fewer columns means fewer matches to check.
• Save the file as .xlsx, .xls, or .csv. If you work in Numbers or another program, save a copy in one of those formats first.

How does the spreadsheet import work?

Go to Families and choose Import spreadsheet. The import takes a file of up to 1,000 rows and walks you through three steps.

• Upload. Drop in your file.
• Match columns. The import reads your column names and suggests a match for each one, such as Parent Email or Child Birthdate. You can change any match it got wrong.
• Review and add. You see what will be added. Click Check to run it against your program without saving anything, read the results, then add the families.

Two layouts work. Your file can have one row per child with the parent's email on every row, or one row per family with columns like Child 1 and Child 2. Either way, the children end up under the right parent.

A few safeguards are built in. Families already in your program are skipped, matched by parent email, so importing a file twice does not create duplicates. If a family already has an invitation waiting, new children on that row are added to it. And the import checks your plan's family limit before adding anyone, so you know right away if a file has more families than your plan has room for.

What the import brings over, and what it leaves out

The import brings over parent names, email, and phone, plus each child's name, birthdate, and grade. It can also bring a home address, a second phone, text consent, and each family's directory choice when your file has those columns.

Health, allergy, and pickup columns are never imported, even if your old spreadsheet has them. Parents add that information themselves in the family portal. That is on purpose. An old allergy note copied from last year's sheet can be out of date, and the parent is the right person to confirm it.

If you want to tidy up how your co-op asks for that information, we wrote about it in how to collect allergy and medical information safely.

When to use the template instead

If your list lives on paper, in texts, or in your head, start with the template. On the Import spreadsheet page, choose Download our template. It is a CSV file with one row per child and these columns:

• Parent First Name and Parent Last Name
• Parent Email and Parent Phone
• Child First Name and Child Last Name
• Child Birthdate (MM/DD/YYYY)
• Child Grade (Twos, Pre-K, K, and 1st through 12th)

The file comes with one example row. Replace it with your own families; the import will not add the sample row by mistake.

When to use the add a family form

For one family, or a short list, the form is quicker than any file. Choose Add a family and fill in the parent's first and last name, email, and phone, then add up to 12 children with their names, birthdates, and grades. You can tick a box to email the family an invitation right away, or leave it for later.

What happens after you add families?

Adding families does not email anyone. That gives you time to look over the list and fix a typo before families hear from you. When you are ready, use Send all invites from the Families page. Emailing the families you added yourself works on every plan, including Free.

When a parent accepts, they see the children you entered and can keep them, fix a name or birthdate, or remove a child who is not coming this year. Then they add the health and emergency details you did not import. You end up with records the family has checked, instead of whatever was in last year's sheet.

How many families can you add on each plan?

Adding families works the same way on every plan. The difference is how many families your plan holds. The Free plan is free forever for up to 10 families (payment processing fees apply). Sprout covers up to 35 families, Grow up to 75, and Thrive covers up to 200 families for $99 a month. Programs over 200 families can talk to us about the Network plan.

You can compare what each plan includes on our pricing page. If you are moving from another tool and want a plan for the whole switch, not only the family list, see how to switch homeschool co-op software without losing your data.

A quick checklist for your first import

• Clean the list: one email per family, consistent names and dates.
• Upload the file, or fill in the template first.
• Check every column match before you go on.
• Click Check and read the results before adding.
• Add the late sign ups with the add a family form.
• Look over the Families page, then send invites when you are ready.

If your family list is sitting in a spreadsheet right now, take a look at learningsense.org. You can start a free 14-day trial, no card needed, import your families, and see how they look before you send a single invite.