Inside the parent portal
Every family you enroll gets their own self-service portal. This article maps out what a parent sees and does once they sign in, so you can answer their questions with confidence. It's written for admins, not families.
What families see when they sign in
When a parent signs in, they land on a home page showing their campers and this season's enrollments. They can switch between children and between seasons. From there they can pay, fill in forms, read letters from you, view photos, and manage their family's details. What they see depends on which sections you've turned on, so no two camps' portals look exactly the same.
You control which sections families see
The portal is built from sections, and you decide which ones appear under Camp settings > Sections. Each section has three settings.
Hidden - hides the section completely, so families can't see it or reach it
Visible - shows the section so families can view and use it
Visible + reminders - shows the section and reminds families when something needs their attention, like an unfinished form or an unpaid balance
If a parent tells you they can't find a section, this is the first place to check. A parent who types a hidden section's web address straight into their browser is turned away with a "This section isn't available" message, so hiding a section really does hide it.
A couple of sections need their feature switched on first. Mail only appears once you've enabled camper mail, and the Handbook only appears once you've published a camper handbook. If the toggle isn't in your Sections list, turn the feature on first.
The camper profile
Each camper has a profile with a card for every section you've enabled: personal details, emergency and medical contacts, medical information, forms, transport, camper mail, and billing. Cards that need attention show a count, so a parent can see at a glance what's left to do. When you've enabled only one section, the profile skips straight to it.
Billing and payments
Under Billing, families see upcoming and past payments, their transaction history, and their saved payment methods. They can make a payment, add or update a card or bank account, buy add-ons you're selling, and download invoices and receipts. The payment methods on offer match what you allow in your season's payment settings.
Forms and documents
Families complete the forms you've assigned to them here, one camper at a time, and they can upload documents you've asked for. A form only shows up once you've published it, and some forms can be filled in more than once when you allow repeats. Our article on setting up your forms covers assignment and publishing.
Camper mail
If you've turned on camper mail, parents can write letters to their camper from the portal and see replies in a thread. When you've set a sending limit, the portal shows how many letters they have left and stops them going over. Our article on camper mail covers the full setup.
Photos
Under Media, families browse and download the photos you've shared. If you've turned on facial recognition, parents can filter to just their own camper. Photos their camper appears in download at a higher resolution than untagged photos, so print-quality copies stay tied to their own child. Facial recognition can be a paid opt-in when your camp charges families for it.
Transport requests
When transport is enabled, families choose arrival and departure arrangements from the routes you've set up, or say they'll drop off and collect themselves. Requests they submit feed straight into your transport assignments. Our articles on managing your routes and managing requests and assignments cover the admin side.
A request stays pending until you confirm it. Only confirmed requests show up on your bus rosters, so a family's booking won't appear there until you accept it.
The handbook
If you've published a camper handbook, families can read it in the portal, search it, and ask questions through a built-in assistant that answers from your handbook content. Our article on handbooks covers writing and publishing one.
Managing the family and account
Parents can add and remove other parent accounts for their family, resend invitations, and manage their own profile, password, two-factor authentication, and notification preferences. Their notification options include reminders about outstanding actions, upcoming payments, and new photos.
What families get reminded about
When a section is set to Visible + reminders, Campfront can email families about what's outstanding, so you're not chasing everyone by hand. Families can turn these reminders off in their own preferences. Our article on automated emails and notifications lists what goes out and when.