Free templateFamily Engagement

Welcome Letter Template

An editable Canva welcome letter for new families, with a welcome message about your program, what happens on the first day and what to bring. The download is a one-page sheet with the link to the Canva design and instructions for editing it.

Format: Editable Canva template (link sheet PDF)
Pages: 1 (link sheet)
Best for: Directors · office staff
Updated: Sept 2026

Download free template See what’s inside

No sign-up required. Print it and share it with your team — it’s free for any child care program to use.

What’s inside

A welcome, the first day, and what to bring

Template link sheetThe PDF you download: a link to the Canva design, plus instructions for editing the letter and downloading it.
Welcome messageA “Welcome to [Daycare Name]” heading and a short introduction to your program’s goals and themes, with placeholders for your center’s name.
On Your First DayWhat happens on arrival: being shown the child’s room and storage area, meeting the teacher and taking a tour, drop-off and pick-up procedures, and an overview of daily and weekly routines.
What to Bring to DaycareA ‘please label all belongings’ list: indoor shoes, a change of clothing, a water bottle or sippy cup, weather-appropriate clothing, sunscreen, bug spray and a hat, a family picture, and food for children with dietary restrictions.

How to use it

Four steps to put it to work this week

1
Download the link sheetOpen the PDF and click the template link to open the welcome letter in Canva.
2
Edit the wordingReplace [Daycare Name] and adjust the text, program names and details to match your center. You can also upload your own images or photos from the Uploads tab.
3
Download it from CanvaClick Share, then Download, and choose JPG or PDF Standard.
4
Send it a week before the startEmail plus a printed copy in the welcome pack; families read one or the other.

Tips from operators

What centers that use this well do differently

Learned the hard way across 3,000 child care spaces — and from the directors and educators who join our Lunch & Learns and Learning Labs.

Add the educators’ photos

Families settle faster when they can recognise the adults. Upload a photo of the room team in Canva and place it on the letter.

Link the parent handbook, don’t attach it

The welcome letter should be short. Point to the handbook for policies rather than repeating them.

Offer a translated copy

One line — ‘Would you like this in another language?’ — is a small effort that means a lot.

Do it digitally in ChildFriendly Pro

Reach every family in the app — with read receipts

Daily journals, announcements, newsletters and two-way messaging live in the ChildFriendly family app, translated into 198+ languages and delivered with read receipts so you know who saw what.